About

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.

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 photographed by Ray Burmiston.

Over 300 household names have lent their support and 2023 was an extraordinary year for the project.

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. Thanks to the contribution of our extraordinary team, the 2023 campaign was bigger and better than ever.

Olly Murs
Singer/songwriter Olly Murs took a moment with the crowd at Flackstock.

Olly Murs and the crowd taking a moment at Flackstock

National Portrait Gallery
Take A Moment was invited to display the collection, alongside public contributions in the spotlight space at the National Portrait Gallery. Curated by Lara Journo-Leggatt, the exhibition was part of a two-month partnership with Art of London.

The Take A Moment display at the National Portrait Gallery

Piccadilly Lights
Piccadilly Lights took a break from commercials and gave back to the community with an incredible donation of airtime displaying hundreds of public contributions. Watch a video of the final screening on YouTube.

Take A Moment being screened on Piccadilly Lights

The People's Picture
Visual artist Helen Marshall of The People's Picture created a giant interactive mosaic artwork from thousands of public uploads and over 300 famous faces. This launched as an animated projection in the National Portrait Gallery on World Mental Health Day.

Stephen Fry taking a moment as a mosaic of thousands of other portraits Click here to explore the mosaic

CBS News
And finally, word about our project reached CBS News in the United States on World Mental Health Day. Watch a video of their coverage on YouTube.

Special thanks to everyone
who has supported Take A Moment

"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."

- Professor Tim Kendall, NHS National Clinical Director for Mental Health for England

Click to see a list of all the famous faces

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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