Take a stroll around York from early April, and there’s a high chance you’ll come across new, striking artwork that might spark a conversation with your children. You can tell them that all of the images are of local key workers – Guardians of York – who helped keep us safe and everything moving during Covid-19, thanks to a collaboration between The York BID and The Art of Protest Project.
Eleven essential workers, all of them York residents, told their story of working through the upheaval created by the pandemic and had their photographs taken. These ‘guardians’ range from NHS workers to the River Boat Rescue team. The images have been transformed into art by internationally acclaimed street artist collective ‘The Postman’. The collective chooses ‘paste-ups’ as their medium of urban art and express themselves in the form of brightly coloured, edgy, urban portraits.
The ‘Guardians of York’ will be the city’s first urban art project which will elevate and honour pandemic key workers. They will be displayed on walls around the city centre during a temporary three month installation that invites the public to celebrate the efforts of our key workers during the pandemic. The artwork will be available to view from 9th April – 9th July 2021 to coincide with the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions and the reopening of many of the city’s businesses – here’s an interactive map of where you can find each of the artworks. Keep an eye on the Little Vikings website and social media for details of when York’s family-friendly businesses open their doors again.
