The National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012 Project is a three year collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery and BT, the official communications services partner for London 2012. It will create 100 world-class photographic portraits celebrating both high-profile people and those working behind the scenes who collectively are making the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics happen. The Project tracks the preparation and implementation stages of the Games, with the theme for portraits over the next three years being ‘bid and delivery', ‘staging', and ‘legacy'.

A display of the first portraits, entitled Setting out on the Road to 2012, was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery on Friday 30 October, 2009.

As the Project progresses, young people living in the five host boroughs will take part in a youth participation programme working with photographers lead by the National Portrait Gallery. They will explore and document individuals and groups within a community context who are contributing and playing a part in the realisation of the vision and legacy of London 2012 in their local area. It is the first time that the Gallery has created a youth participation programme as an integral part of a commission. Importantly it will provide one of the East London perspectives on this international event.

The Project microsite will be launched in summer 2010. Visitors will be able to track and interact with the Commission photographers through video and interviews, as well as follow the commissioning process through a regular blog. Microsite visitors will be able to see new portraits online and join in debates and share perspectives on the Project with young people.

See the Project launch press release here.