The National Gallery today begins the search for a network of 200 UK-based digital creators to join in with the upcoming Bicentenary celebration NG200 along with social media communities around the world.
Over the next four weeks, the Gallery is inviting creators to submit an expression of interest, giving them the opportunity of becoming a Creative Collaborator or of joining the Gallery’s 200 Creators Network.
Through 200 Creators, the Gallery is calling for a variety of diverse responses to the collection, exhibitions, building, and day-to-day activities, through digital content that can be seen all over the world. We want to collaborate with creators whose communities are interested in any number of topics, niches, and themes, and these don’t need to be based around art.
From the applications, a shortlist of 50 will be invited to an Ideas Lab event in October at the Gallery, where they can take inspiration from a wide range of Gallery experts to develop a final pitch. Twenty of this shortlist will be chosen to be Creative Collaborators, each receiving a fee and wide-ranging access to the Gallery to inform and shape their content, including time with curators, scientists, conservators, and out-of-hours visits to the Gallery.
The broader 200 Creators Network will also be selected, each receiving a one-year Gallery Membership for our Bicentenary year, which will include access to the highly anticipated Van Gogh and Siena exhibitions plus Members events, and the opportunity to be among the first to see our collection redisplayed from May 2025 after the Sainsbury Wing reopens. They will also be able to access exclusive digital content on demand throughout the year.
All 200 creators will be invited to a launch event on 2 July 2024 with social media platform workshops, collection tours, and insights from experts across the Gallery. Throughout the process, there will be opportunities for the 200 Creators Network to connect with each other.
UK-based social media creators working in any discipline who would like to be part of 200 Creators are encouraged to send an expression of interest by 1 October 2024. Applicants are asked to have either a minimum of 50k subscribers on YouTube; 50k followers on TikTok and 1m likes on their account; or 100K followers on Instagram. Other digital platforms will be considered on a case-by-case basis. They will also be asked to state the top five countries of their followers and reach, and to have some experience of collaborating with brands and communities (though not necessarily with cultural organisations). For more information and to send an expression of interest, visit www.nationalgallery.org.uk/about-us/ng200-programme/200-creators
Lawrence Chiles, Head of Digital Services at the National Gallery, said, ‘We are always looking for new ways to use our world-class collection and engage with audiences digitally. 200 Creators is a fantastic way to see and share the creativity of the nation and we are excited to see the range of responses to help celebrate the National Gallery and its collection. We have no doubt they will capture imaginations all over the world.’
Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, said, ‘Celebrating our Bicentenary is as much about looking to the Gallery’s future as it is about our history. We’re fortunate to have colleagues and communities constantly thinking about new ways we can reach people around the world through social media. We are very pleased to launch 200 Creators and encourage all those creating exciting things online to think about how our collection could inspire them.’