Latest news

Due to the latest government guidelines, Somerset House is currently closed to the public. We'll be continuing to share the work of our creative community online so you can stay engaged with us over the coming weeks. → https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on
ONLINE EVENTS | UNTIL 07 MAR 2021

Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy

New commissions, films, workshops, and conversations considering our individual health and collective wellbeing by exploring societal and ecological issues that affect both people and planet. → https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/hyper-functional-ultra-healthy

What's On

I Love You, Moi Non PLus
Online event
I Love You, Moi Non Plus
Join in a participatory online art project re-imagining the relationship between the United Kingdom and France.
View all events
Online event | From Thu 25 Feb 2021
not/nowhere presents: Film Screening
Artist workers' co-operative not/nowhere present a film screening in response to the themes of Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy. 
A photo of scraps of paper, folded neatly with typed French letters on them, alongside a scrap of turquoise fabric.
Online event | From Wed 24 Feb 2021
Rebecca Jagoe: 'I beseech thee' Embroidering Textual Amulets Workshop
An embroidery workshop that reflects on the power of language as a tool to help exercise personal boundaries and to re-engage with time.
A photo of a pair of hands clasped together, superimposed over a grainy image of the night sky and the silhouettes of towerblocks.
Online event | From Tue 02 Mar
Laura Grace Ford & Sam Williams
A newly commissioned collaborative work for Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy from Studios residents Laura Grace Ford and Sam Williams. 
Image © Elliot Morgan
Online Event | Thu 11 Mar 2021
Upgrade Yourself: Inspiration | Developing Concepts and Performances with Drag Artist Crystal
Join all-round entertainer and drag artist Crystal in this performance and conceptually inspired Upgrade Yourself.
Flynn Talbot LDB 2018, Image Mark Cocksedge
From 01 Jun 2021 | Book now
London Design Biennale 2021
A global gathering of the world’s most ambitious and imaginative designers, curators and design institutions.

Read Watch Listen

A still from Ana Vaz's Occidente. It shows a hand holding a crystal cut glass.
Watch
Ana Vaz: Occidente
Presenting a film by artist and filmmaker Ana Vaz as part of Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy.
Content to explore in your own time
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A digital rendering of an abstract, liquid state. On a dark background there are bubbles and purple blue shapes and white petal-like shapes.
Watch
Nella Aarne: Notes on our Collective Cosmoecological Body
Curator Nella Aarne presents an online lecture exploring what it means to live as part of one collective body.
A photo of a woman looking bored while on a zoom call. There is text overlaid which reads 'ZOOM FATIGUE'
Watch
Dr Romy Gad el Rab: Digital Depletion and Conscious Computing
How can we consciously compute? Psychiatrist andr esearcher Dr Romy Gad el Rab explores this era of hyperconnectivity and the effects of technology on mental health.
A photo of a musician with a trumpet in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, arms out, stood in front of a microphone
Listen
Shenece Oretha: Listening Wholes
Shenece Oretha takes an experimental approach to the podcast format for our Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy series.
An installation view of artwork by Timur Si-Qin. It shows a flat screen TV with an infinity image of the scene around the TV displayed in blue. The TV stands at the head of a patch of sandy with plants growing out of it.
Listen
Timur Si-Qin
A new artist-led podcast from Timur Si-Qin exploring how our health is intimately tied to the health of the natural world, as part of Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy.
A still from Tabita Rezaire's MerKaBa for the Hoeteps, Tabita stands in a flowing pink, satin gown and head wrap, against a digital backdrop of a green aerial view of land mass and the deep blue of sky.
Watch
Tabita Rezaire: MerKaBa For The Hoeteps
Artist Tabita Rezaire presents MerKaBa For The Hoeteps, a new online commission for collective healing as part of Hyper Functional, Ultra Healthy.
A photo of Swarzy smiling with a microphone in her hand. She stands in front of a wall of framed photos of Black creatives at an exhibition created by Swarzy, entitled Too Much Source.
Watch
Going Live with Presenter & Broadcaster Swarzy Macaly
Host & presenter Swarzy Macaly brought her undeniably contagious, positive energy and brilliant advice.
Somerset House South Wing lit up blue at night
Read
Reekie's Round-Up 2020
Somerset House director Jonathan Reekie shares his annual round-up of cultural highlights from the year gone by at Somerset House.
Somerset House Studios 2020 Round-up
We spotlight the Studios community by rounding up a selection of artists’ work and achievements from the last twelve months for you to read, watch, listen.
Installation shot of L’Île du Diable (Devil’s Island) by Leila Alaoui (c) Tim Bowditch
WATCH
A virtual tour of Leila Alaoui: Rite of Passage
Explore our new exhibition dedicated to the work of the late French-Moroccan photographer, artist and activist Leila Alaoui in this virtual tour.
A still from a film by Iggy London. It shows a Black man, loking into a mirror, where we can see a reflection of his face.
Watch
Upgrade Yourself: Exploring Personal Narratives and Visual Poetry with Iggy London
Filmmaker Iggy London joined us to share some of his most personal and thoughtful film projects
AGM graphic
Watch
AGM 2020
Studios' AGM returned this year centred around generosity and collaboration, the artist-led programme will focus on community.
PAUSE
Untitled by Akinola Davies Jr
A beautifully intimate film drawing on interactions with his mother during lockdown,
Camera
WATCH
Upgrade Yourself: The Cinematographer's Lens
Award-winning cinematographer Bradford Young offers an insight into his creative process.
Watch
Untitled by Bradford Young
We revisit short film 'Untitled' by American artist and cinematographer Bradford Young
A still from Rocks. A group of girls on a rooftop, smiling.
Watch
In Conversation: the Cast and Filmmakers of Rocks
We invited the cast and filmmakers of Film4-backed feature Rocks to discuss the making of the new film.

Somerset House Studios

A collage of a man's arms folded and wrapped around the back of another person's head
Somerset House Studios
Somerset House Studios is an experimental workspace in the centre of London connecting artists, makers and thinkers with audiences.
Studios Editions
A new limited-edition series of high-quality archival giclée prints from over 20 participating artists from the Somerset House Studios community.
Listen
Defrag: Technology in Culture and Society
How do we begin to make sense of the sweeping changes new technologies are having on our society and who do we turn to for answers?
Somerset House Studios 2020 Round-up
We spotlight the Studios community by rounding up a selection of artists’ work and achievements from the last twelve months for you to read, watch, listen.
A pile of old video game controllers and headphones
Larry Achiampong: videogame_mixtape_vol.1
An exclusive mixtape by Larry Achiampong, collaging fragments of video game soundtracks through history.

Join our Creative Community

Somerset House Exchange
Work from Somerset House
Somerset House is London’s Working Arts Centre, and one of the largest communities of arts and creative enterprises in the UK, with over 400 resident organisations from one person start-ups to artist studios.
We are home to a dynamic mix of creative enterprises, of all sizes. Find out how your creative business can thrive at Somerset House
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Somerset House Exchange
Join our dynamic shared workspace bringing together diverse freelancers and small businesses in the arts and creative industries.
Forward Arts Foundation
Forward Arts Foundation
Hofesh Shechter Dance Company, Political Mother © Tom Medwell
Hofesh Shechter Company
Stack Magazines, cards
Stack Magazines
British Fashion Council
Piñatex pineapple leaf LABO - J.Maentz 2017
Ananas Anam
Somerset House is home to over 400 resident organisations 
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