Portrait of Britain explained

Portrait of Britain is an annual British portrait photography competition run by the British Journal of Photography.^{[1] [2]} Its subject is the diversity of British people.^[3] The 100 winning portraits are displayed on JCDecaux's digital screens across Britain throughout the month of September.^[4] It launched in 2016.

Since 2018, an eponymously titled book has been published with 200 of the shortlisted portraits from each competition.

Details

The competition's subject is the diversity of British people "and the way their narratives reflect its widely unstable political and social landscape." It was partly inspired by Brexit.^[5]

It is open to anyone to enter but photographs must have been taken within the previous six years and "depict subjects living in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland) at the time of the photograph."^[6]

The 100 winning portraits are displayed on the outdoor advertising company JCDecaux's digital screens located in railway stations, shopping centres, bus stops and high streets. Each image appears on each screen for five to ten seconds.

The competition ran in September 2016,^[7] September 2017^{[8] [9] [10]} September 2018,^{[11] [12] [13] [14]} December 2021^[15] and September 2022^[16] with winners announced the following year.

Publications

• Portrait of Britain. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2018. . With an introduced by Will Self. Work by 200 photographers alongside information about each image and selected quotes from the photographers.
• Portrait of Britain: Vol 2. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2019. . With an introduction by Ekow Eshun.
• Portrait of Britain: Vol 3. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2020. . With an introduction by David Olusoga.
• Portrait of Britain: Vol 4. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2022. . With an introduction by Jess Phillips.
• Portrait of Britain: Vol 5. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2023. With an introduction by Rachel Segal Hamilton.
• Portrait of Britain: Vol 6. London: Bluecoat Press, 2024. With an introduction by Simon Bainbridge.

Notes and References

1. News: 2018-04-24. 'Portraits of Britain' is coming to rail stations and shopping centres. Time Out London.
2. News: 2018-04-24. These Beautiful Pictures Aim To Paint A Portrait Of Britain. BuzzFeed.
3. News: 2018-04-24. Adverts Replaced By Stunning Photo Exhibition To Reflect Diversity Of British Public. HuffPost UK. 6 September 2016. Brogan. Driscoll.
4. Web site: Alexandra. Genova. 2018-04-24. 100 Portraits Take Over Britain's Ad Screens. Time.
5. News: 2018-04-24. Portraits that reveal the changing face of Britain. Huck Magazine. 8 September 2016.
6. News: 2018-04-24. Rules. Portrait of Britain.
7. News: 2018-04-24. New portraits that reflect the changing face of Britain. Dazed. 2 September 2016.
8. News: 2018-04-24. Portraits that reflect the changing face of Britain. Dazed. 31 August 2017. Lexi. Manatakis.
9. News: 2018-04-24. Displaying Britain's diversity. BBC News. 6 September 2017.
10. News: 2018-04-24. Survivors, celebrities and a septuagenarian surfer: Portrait of Britain – in pictures. The Guardian. 3 September 2017. 0261-3077.
11. News: 2018-08-31. A nanny, a rabbi, a puppy and a parrot: portraits of Britain today - in pictures. The Guardian. 30 August 2018. 0261-3077.
12. News: 2018-09-05. ‘Portrait of Britain’ photography competition highlights diversity of nation. The Independent.
13. News: 2018-08-31. Portrait of Britain winners capture the diversity and beauty of the public. Metro. 30 August 2018.
14. News: 2018-08-31. Portraits celebrate Britain's diversity in 2018. BBC News. 30 August 2018.
15. News: 2021-12-26. Portrait of Britain 2021 winners – in pictures. The Guardian. 15 December 2021. 0261-3077.
16. Web site: Isabella. Ruffatti. 2023-01-09. BJP announces the Portrait of Britain Vol.5 winners. 9 January 2023. Amateur Photographer.