London’s National Gallery is celebrating its 200th birthday by launching its own network of influencers, known as 200 Creators.
The gallery’s “creative collaborators” were chosen from an open call in autumn last year and all post on YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.
The 20 influencers will start releasing content inspired by every element of the National Gallery through their own social media channels from July.
The group includes a lifestyle influencer in London, a photographer who creates forced perspective illusions, a creative couple specialising in African mythology and culture, a fashion historian, a period fashion influencer, and drag artist Charity Kase.
Also in the network are an author and historian, a surreal collage artist, a men’s fashion historian and tailor, a travel creator, and a former Great British Bake Off contestant.
All of the National Gallery’s influencers needed a minimum of 50,000 followers on YouTube, 100,000 followers on Instagram, or 50,000 followers and a million likes on TikTok.
In comparison, the National Gallery has 300,000 followers on YouTube, 2.1 million on Instagram, and 250,000 followers and 1.7 million likes on TikTok.
Each of the gallery’s influencers has been given a commission worth £4,000 to make their content.
National Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations
Ellie Wyant, the National Gallery’s social media and community manager, said: “Working with our creative collaborators has been endlessly exciting – the feeling that fresh ideas and approaches have been coming into the gallery has been ever present.
“The creators have certainly flexed their creative muscles, asking to do things in the gallery that I don’t think have ever been done before. We’re really excited for a summer of creativity, collaborating with our whole creator network.”
200 Creators is part of a series of digital engagement projects supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies for the National Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations this year.
Images courtesy of the National Gallery
