Phillip & Holly talk to The Duchess of Cambridge about her new ‘Hold Still’ Project | This Morning

now the Duchess of Cambridge has invited the public to contribute to a new exhibition she's launching today alongside the National Portrait Gallery or the collection which has been named hold still will feature a hundred photographs all giving a snapshot of the nation's experience of life during lockdown and here to tell us more we are delighted to be joined by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge and welcome and thank you so much for joining us how are you coping in this strangest of times I'm fine thank you it's yeah extraordinary I'm sure you're experiencing the same at the same yourselves and your families and things but we're stuck into home schooling again but but no it's yeah their unprecedented times ready but no we're fine thank you for asking how you how you bake your families yeah well I think the same as everybody else really where we're scrabbling through and very grateful actually and to be to be able to come in here yeah it doesn't make a difference if you've got that that focus and something something to do well I home schooling is a challenge as I imagine you're experiencing yourself I also have three children's at different ages and it is quite difficult keeping them all occupied with their individual topics yeah it's so true I mean actually George gets very upset cause he just wants to do produts projects I'm making sort of spider sandwiches as well you've been you've been very busy and this is that this is a terrific idea hold still along with the National Portrait Gallery what made you want to get involved well I think we've all seen some incredible images out there and heard some amazing stories and some desperately sad stories and also some really uplifting ones as well and I really hope that through a project like this we might be able to showcase some of those stories and to document and share and a moment in time I suppose that we're all experiencing and so what you're looking for are a series of photographs of three separate categories which will reflect life in lockdown so that anyone who's taken any of those photos that could be on a camera and could be on a on a phone and so let's go through the various areas what first of all you've got helpers and heroes so what are you looking for with helpers and heroes and I think we've all been struck by the most amazing images that have come out recently on over the past few weeks you know that we're going through some desperately sad times and all those sort of working on the front line really showcasing the hardship that they're going through some of the tragedy that they're witnessing and things like that and I think you've seen some good examples but really it's it's all those and the communities now on the front line showing their amazing dedication really during this pandemic you've got a you sent us a couple of examples of what you are thinking about here with with helpers and heroes you've got Colonel Tom his hundred laps of the garden to raise money for the NHS I mean that's a that really couldn't be a better helper and a hero and then you've one of the other pictures that you selected and said that you thought really did sum up a an extraordinary moment and that was the Nottingham sure intensive care nurse who shared the photo of her face covered in red scars from wearing PPE that is a dramatic way yeah isn't it yeah it's really hairy image actually and it's some of the images that you know it's so important to really document at this time because they're the things that and not everybody at home is going to witness but I think it's so important for us all to be able to see these sorts of images to show you and showcase what some of those on the front line are really experiencing well another category that you're looking for is your new normal and we are hugely adaptable into what we're going through right now you've selected a few images also sort of inspiration for this really and I think one that sums it up is this picture of Florence 3 and Edith the one and they went to go and visit their great grandparents and of course socially distancing means that they they can't physically contact them they can't have those grandparent hugs that they would be wishing for but just touching them through the glass I know in moments like this I think so especially you know there's some dust these sad stories out there but moments like this I really you know I really don't want to see that actually that there is connection there it's different it's a new normal for all of us but um like those moments can can take place I think it was a really it really resonated with me that that first bar and also I suppose really at a time like this it's difficult enough for us to understand and comprehend what's going on but equally difficult for for children to understand how come I can't do this how come I can't go there how are your your children dealing with the fact that just family members things that they would do people that they would see yeah it's really hard and actually we haven't we did we hadn't done a huge amount to sort of FaceTime and face calls and things that but obviously we're doing that a lot more now and actually it's been really great we try and sort of chicken and daily with family members and speech them about news and things like that and in some ways with a lot more contact and not more FaceTime than perhaps we could have done before but it's it's really it is difficult it's hard to explain to you know five and a six ninety seven year olds what's going on but but no the schools been great and supporting them as well so no hard times put it it's we've got the support out there anything one of the other categories is acts of kindness and we've seen some incredible acts of kindness over the past few weeks you've picked this one as an example it's a Phyllis Taylor who's 83 being delivered a Sunday lunch by her daughter's Sarah and Denise she's isolating their home in Bishop's itching him in Warwickshire and that really is that you know it's there's some summing summing up what we can do as a nation I suppose isn't it yes absolutely uni and there's been a huge number of and it is all lots of images and through you know care workers and and of those working on on the front line but actually the community supports they small acts of kindness go such a long way and I think they should be celebrated near those the positive stories in this really difficult time so yes I think it's really great to capture those sorts of stories and experiences well you've got one haven't you a picture that I think I'm going to enter one you would enter this one I'd enter this one and this actually was second by my brother-in-law Dominic and he only sent this story this morning not knowing that I was speaking to you today but this was he's opened his window there and he's put sort of little expresso shots for the for the refuse guys when they come and pick up pick up the rubbish there's just a kind of little act of kindness to go you probably haven't heard to get your coffee this morning here you go help yourselves as brilliant as brilliant she's not going to enter it though don't take it in anyone enter I mean is this open to all ages yes any warning you know I hate that some of the schools will take this honors and school projects and fun things to do and everyone and anyone at home and as you know there's lots of images of clinical settings and it's the community spirit but actually there's not that much imagery of what people are experiencing back home in isolation in their own homes and things like that you know life has changed totally for all of us and actually you should be able to see what people are living through him going through at this time I think it would be great so yes everyone in anyone I think what I was really drawn to was the with people and I suppose I'm telling the human stage of this story as well because I think we're sort of all connected to this and either an individual level or a community level and actually being able to showcase and portraits I suppose and try and collate a portrait of the nation at this difficult time and I think is what really I suppose inspired me is to try and connect everybody on a human level and share our experiences yeah I mean you take beautiful photographs and every self when you treat us to a beautiful picture of the children and this is a time when people are picking up new skills and trying new things and photography might be part of that what sort of tips would you give to somebody who's just beginning this um when I'm very much an amateur photographer learn learn along the way but actually yeah doing the story spent lots of time yeah putting up my camera and taking photographs of children because there always around us we're doing stuff together which is the in Greece and I think it's try one of the fantastic things about photography is really capturing that moment so it's not staged setting it it's not setting it out perfectly it's not clearing your house away as you've got puppet studio set up but it's really capturing those moments that feel real to you and they catch the moment for an expression or feeling I suppose and that's the power of photography it can capture a moment and tell a story well you've done that beautifully just a week or so ago with Louie and the Instagram versus reality charmed absolutely everybody this was such a great shot on the other hand you've got Charlotte over the weekend who who was taking the the food packages around us as well and and so that really is you know said all sorts of different aspects of your family life absolutely and you know again this was this was a part of a collection that fish practically is a show it was shown to try to tell a story and that's really what we hope people will take inspiration through this project is is really just to try and tell they're part of a story from a personal level to try and have showcase and share what thank name's you and images can be incredibly powerful and the photos that you took back in January and these were a series of images of Holocaust survivors to mark 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and these images are something that actually for you personally will will always stay with you weren't they yeah absolutely and I think as well as capturing a moment I think our photographs have got an amazing ability to tell a story and this was you know there are incredible stories to tell I felt so lucky to be part of that project and and and yes their stories and their lives are so complex and to be able to create one image eyes is able to tell that story was a challenge but they were amazing and to hear their stories firsthand was that's one of those pictures that are your sets of pictures that you look at and I you have a profound effect upon you I mean and I think they did on you as well didn't they yeah absolutely and I think as well you know in some ways some of these images as well as it's taking time to stop and reflect and and and really think about a moment in time and and for the Holocaust survivors it was taking time to reflect on their stories and their experiences when I suppose now it's really trying to encourage everybody to stop and think about this time that we're going through and she can tell the story of this period of time well thank you thank you very much indeed it's it's the hold still new exhibition in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery the applications are open for another six weeks and we'll put all of the details on on our app and it's such a brilliant idea and a no question that you're going to have some some really quite extraordinary the best of luck with the exhibition it is it's a terrific idea thank you I'm definitely going to enter but with a photograph that I've taken myself thank you thank you very much

Channel: This Morning

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Keywords: this morning, holly willoughby, phillip schofield, this morning funniest, Holly & Phillip funny

Id: 3l3ghNZlQjk

Length: 12min 51sec (771 seconds)

Published: Thu May 07 2020