British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers
2 Oct 2026 – 18 Jun 2028
A vital overview of the most exciting art produced in the UK during the past five years, curated by Ekow Eshun
Coventry, Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, Newcastle Gateshead
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/british-art-show-10-a-chorus-of-strangers/
The landmark 10th edition of British Art Show explores human connection and the figure of the Other in divided times, through the work of more than 30 artists.
British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers takes place against a backdrop of heightened anxiety intensified by a divisive political culture, an accelerating climate crisis, and growing public distrust in institutions. In polarising times, the exhibition asks: what forms might empathy or shared imagination take?
At its core, A Chorus of Strangers considers how art can challenge fears of otherness and difference often sparked in periods of uncertainty or change. Rather than framing the outsider or stranger figure as a threat, British Art Show 10 invites a shift towards empathy – moving away from rigid distinctions of ‘us’ and ‘them’ to explore the variety of perspectives that comes from looking through the eyes of others.
The UK’s largest recurring contemporary art exhibition, British Art Show 10 is produced by Hayward Gallery Touring and forms a key part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary national programme.
Tour dates
2 October 2026 – 10 January 2027 Coventry
25 October 2025 – 8 February 2026 Swansea
19 June – 19 September 2027 Bristol
23 October 2027 – 20 February 2028 Sheffield
24 March – 18 June 2026 Newcastle Gateshead
Themes
British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers is organised around three overlapping curatorial themes that span the psychological, sociological and ecological. Each theme is inspired by the work of an influential British writer or theorist who has grappled with the tensions between the Individual and the Other.
Moments of Being
Moments of Being takes its title from Virginia Woolf’s description of the fleeting instances when the surface of ordinary life seems to lift, offering a brief glimpse into the interconnectedness of existence. The artists featured here similarly turn inward as they observe the world around them. Drawing on dreams, memory, and the subconscious, they explore the blurred boundaries between mind and body, reality and imagination. Their works suggest a way of understanding ourselves and the conditions that shape our shared experience.
Ways of Living
Ways of Living is inspired by cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s idea that culture and identity are always changing and being reshaped by the shifting interplay of politics, power and history. Working with personal or collective memories, the artists featured here illuminate how fragments of the past continue to shape contemporary life, and how individual stories intersect with larger historical currents. Collectively, these works explore how a common ground might be built by actively reimagining life with one another.
States of Nature
States of Nature is inspired by ecological philosopher Timothy Morton’s call for a greater awareness of our relationship with the environment: an understanding that all life forms are fundamentally interconnected within a vast, complex network of being. This theme brings together artists whose work embraces the natural world in its abundance, beauty, and complexity. Animals, plants, air and water are highlighted as part of our shared living history, foregrounding ways of coexisting that challenge the human-centric and invite us to imagine a new relationship with the planet.
Featured artists
Among the artists featured in this exhibition are Okiki Akinfe, Alex Margo Arden, Liz Johnson Artur, Alvaro Barrington, Shiraz Bayjoo, Lubna Chowdhary, Shawanda Corbett, Jesse Darling, Ufoma Essi, Joy Gerrard, Louise Giovanelli, Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Nnena Kalu, Jasleen Kaur, Christina Kimeze, Julian knxx, Matthew Krishanu, Alastair Mackinven, Melanie Manchot, Lindsey Mendick, Emma McNally, Dala Nasser, Jack O’Brien, Nengi Omuku, Precious Okoyomon, Hannah Perry, Mohammed Sami, Rae-Yen Song, Emma Talbot, Nicole Wermers and Osman Yousefzada.
Partners
British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers is curated by Ekow Eshun with Hayward Gallery Touring, in partnership with The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, the University of Warwick, Warwick Arts Centre and the Mead Gallery, Coventry University Group, Elysium Gallery, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, GS Artists, Mission Gallery, Volcano Theatre, Arnolfini, the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Spike Island, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Museums, Site Gallery, Yorkshire Artspace, Arts Catalyst, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle Contemporary Art, Laing Art Gallery and Shipley Art Gallery,
Quotes
‘Across centuries, artists have used their ability to work with uncertainty, contradiction and possibility to create works that privilege affinity over isolation. British Art Show 10 celebrates their unique position while looking ahead to the future.’
– Ekow Eshun, Curator of British Art Show 10
‘The 10th edition of Hayward Gallery Touring’s British Art Show is an invitation to shift perspective and see the world from multiple positions at once… As it travels to five great UK cities, A Chorus of Strangers will illuminate the power of art to transform uncertainty into a shared journey of kinship and possibility.’
– Brian Cass, Head of Hayward Gallery Touring
‘The landmark tenth British Art Show, travelling to more cities than ever before, invites the nation to reconsider today’s major issues through the eyes of the most interesting artists working in Britain.’
– Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre