In November 2019, Steve McQueen invited every Year 3 pupil in London to have their photograph taken by a team of specially trained Tate photographers. These class photos were brought together into a single large-scale installation in the Duveens Galleries at Tate Britain, capturing tens of thousands of Year 3 pupils in a milestone year in their development.
In response to this display, Tate's Schools and Teachers team commissioned me to return to some of these schools in December 2020 and ask young people about their experiences of the year. 60 students from Millbank Academy and Cleveland Road Primary paint a picture of how the pandemic has affected their lives - from making new friends with neighbours through a hole in the garden fence, to the comfort of cats and other animals, the sorrow of missing family and the joy of returning to school to see friends; their stories archive the experience of this generation.
This work is formatted as three audio pieces for online audiences, and a five-channel installation version that is on display at Tate Britain 17-29th May 2021.
Installation view