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Nottingham Castle lights up walls with faces of residents

Shutterhouse Photography Panya Banjoko, poet, Archivist and a PhD Researcher; Rosea Poynter, paramedic with East Midlands Ambulance Service; Juliet Wright, nurse; Suleman Salim, student at Nottingham Trent UniversityShutterhouse Photography
Nottingham Castle Trust said the display was to launch the build-up to the castle's reopening

Nottingham Castle's walls have been lit up with 100 faces of people in its community ahead of its reopening.

The castle closed its doors in 2018 but it is due to reopen in the spring after a £30m renovation.

The display, dubbed Nottingham's In Your Face project, included NHS staff, teachers, charity workers, poets, artists, and legendary hero Robin Hood.

The trust that runs the castle said the work was "a celebration of our diverse local communities".

Shutterhouse Photography Marcellus Baz BEM, founder of Switch Up and Nottingham Boxing School and Tryphena Anderson, retired nurse, midwife and Britain’s first black health visitorShutterhouse Photography
Images of people from the city were projected on to Nottingham Castle's gatehouse

East Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic Rosea Poynter, who featured on the display, told the BBC: "What Nottingham Castle are doing is creating a sense of togetherness, a sense of community, and trying to bring everyone together when ordinarily at the moment we're not able to do that face-to-face.

"I think their aim was to get a really wide scope of individuals and I am very privileged to be part of that."

Shutterhouse Photography Benson Nwefo and Emmanuel NwefoShutterhouse Photography
Locals appeared alongside historical figures and quotes from Nottingham's well-known poets, rappers and writers

Another project participant - poet, archivist and PhD researcher Panya Banjoko - said she used to be a freelance outreach worker for Nottingham Castle, and has always had an interest in the landmark.

She said: "It's really great to be acknowledged for all the work I have done in the community in terms of history and heritage. It makes me feel quite proud."

Shutterhouse Photography Nottingham's In Your Face, illuminating Nottingham Castle ahead of its spring 2021 reopeningShutterhouse Photography
The trust that runs the castle said the aim of the display was to "make a bold statement"

Josh Osoro Pickering, from Nottingham Castle Trust, said: "This striking artwork is a celebration of our diverse local communities - our essential workers, campaigners and creative talents - but the main intention of Nottingham's In Your Face project is to make a bold statement."

The project was commissioned by the trust and Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID).

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