Election artist 'honoured' to record 'key moments'

Joanne Coates is the seventh artist to be appointed to cover a UK general election since 2001

A photographer selected to be the official Election Artist for 2024 has said she feels "honoured" to have been asked to record "those key moments in time".

Joanne Coates, who lives on the border of North Yorkshire and County Durham, has been commissioned to follow politicians on the campaign trail in the run-up to 4 July and produce a piece of art for the Parliamentary Art Collection.

Ms Coates is the seventh artist appointed to the role since 2001, with previous campaigns covered by artists including Jonathan Yeo, Adam Dant and Cornelia Parker.

Describing herself as both a "working class visual artist" and "farm worker" she said she hoped to capture "the hidden moments that people don't see".

Ms Coates was on hand to capture all the behind-the-scenes action at the Question Time election special in York

She was selected after an interview process earlier this year and only found out she had got the job the week after the election was called.

Speaking at the time she said: "The arts are a vital part of telling the stories behind key moments and the lives of local people, so I’m thrilled to be appointed as the Election Artist 2024.

"I aim to cover the election over 30 days, travelling across the UK, attending speeches, marches, key fringe campaign events and rural canvassing along the election trail to produce artwork that will focus on portraiture, key details of place and hints of election paraphernalia."

As part of the commission she said she must remain "politically unbiased" and "geographically balanced".

Ms Coates said: "I'm looking for those hidden moments that people don't see.

"I've made a pink ballot box that I take everywhere I go and, when I'm not taking pictures, I ask people questions like 'what does democracy mean to them' and 'why is voting important'."

One of the most interesting aspects of the project, she said, was seeing how different constituencies were across the UK.

"I was in Orkney and Shetland where the candidates have to canvass in the outer islands - where there are no polling booths," she said.

"Votes are collected by boat - and postal votes are really important there, obviously."

Seeing candidates as "just normal folk" had been eye-opening too, she said, while adding her "trick" to capturing the election was her "quiet and gentle" style.

"I'm not intrusive and I think that lends itself to people acting naturally," she said.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].