About

WE ALL NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT. SO, LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TOGETHER.

Take A Moment began as a virtual exhibition in 2020 where people could share their eyes closed selfies, take a moment together, and see their photo within a virtual exhibition alongside some very well-known faces.

Take A Moment is about simply taking a few seconds every day for our mental health...to pause, breath, disconnect and then reconnect, so we can find clarity. A simple action that can make a life changing difference in our fast-paced world.

Based on a collection of eyes closed portraits by Ray Burmiston, produced by Lara Journo-Leggatt and with the encouragement of Stephen Fry, the expanding, online archive was designed as a dynamic space where the 'eyes closed' portraits move around every ten minutes to emphasise the idea of Taking A Moment together. Events Producer and Strategist Sam Stagnell joined the team in 2022, creating the partnership with Art of London for their Summer Season and the 2023 campaign is bringing the movement closer to making stepping back and taking a moment simple for everyone.

Ray Burmiston has captured hundreds of photographs of stars with their eyes closed over the last 10 years, to highlight the importance of taking a moment for themselves to focus on their mental health. Take A Moment has become a platform for Mental Health Awareness and has opened up a conversation for more people to talk about this very important subject.

This year, with the support of Art of London, Take A Moment is back in the West End, exhibiting on Piccadilly Lights and within the National Portrait Gallery to encourage everyone to pause, upload their ‘eyes closed selfie’ and become part of the art.

Take A Moment has a global ambition to hold hands across the internet and expand the archive of moments from thousands of photos to millions of photos with a campaign that stretches across the world on its most famous art spaces.

The 2023 campaign is set to be bigger and better than ever.

"At a time when the world is moving ever faster, with many of us working harder, trying to deliver tomorrow yesterday, the Take A Moment initiative reminds us to slow down, to step back, to stay still and just be. A simple action that can make such a difference to our collective emotional and mental wellbeing.

"And to people worried about their mental health, I want to say: help is available, you can start by checking the Every Mind Matters platform for advice and support, including from your local NHS services."

Upload your moment now

Special thanks to everyone who has supported Take A Moment

Click to see a list of all the famous faces

BBC Pictures, Hello Magazine, Weekend Magazine, Radio Times, Notebook Magazine, Global, Syco, Decca Records, UKTV, Taskmaster, C4 TV, Save The Children, Derek Productions, Event Mag, ITV, BMG Records, Off The Kerb, King Bert, Discovery Channel, Sun TV Magazine, Very, Blink Publishing, Avalon, Phil McIntire Entertainments, Sky, Panda TV, Stolen Picture, Penguin Books, Baby Cow