Coventry to host landmark British Art Show 10 and major citywide programme

Continuing until Sunday 10 January 2027, the landmark exhibition will then travel to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle Gateshead, marking the first time in its history that the British Art Show will tour to five cities across the UK.

Produced by Hayward Gallery Touring, the British Art Show has, since 1979, provided the most ambitious overview of contemporary art in Britain, introducing generations of artists to audiences nationwide while reflecting the social, cultural and political concerns of its time. Over four decades, the exhibition has reached millions of visitors and featured many of the most influential artists working in Britain.

Curated by Ekow Eshun, British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers brings together 37 artists whose work addresses the urgencies and possibilities of contemporary life. Through painting, sculpture, installation, film, photography, performance and sound, the exhibition explores how identities are formed, how histories are remembered and contested and how human lives are intertwined with wider social and ecological systems.

Ekow Eshun

Ekow Eshun is one of the UK’s most influential cultural figures. His curatorial projects include In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery and The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure at the National Portrait Gallery. Eshun has established an international reputation for exhibitions that combine rigorous scholarship with compelling storytelling and a deep engagement with contemporary culture.

A Chorus of Strangers

The title, A Chorus of Strangers, reflects the exhibition’s exploration of relationships between self and other, individual and collective, human and non-human. At a moment characterised by profound social transformation, environmental uncertainty and competing narratives of identity and belonging, the exhibition asks how art can create new ways of understanding difference, connection and coexistence.

The exhibition unfolds through three interconnected themes. Moments of Being explores how artists draw on memory, imagination and spirituality to make sense of personal and collective experience. Ways of Living focuses on identity, history and belonging; works examine how culture, memory and migration shape our understanding of ourselves and others. States of Nature looks beyond human-centred perspectives to explore the interconnected relationships between people, nature and the environment in an era of ecological change.

Ekow Eshun, Curator of British Art Show 10, said:

“A Chorus of Strangers explores the ways in which artists are responding to the realities of our time, illuminating connections between inner life and collective experience, between history and memory, and between human society and the natural world. Together, the artists in the exhibition offer compelling visions of what it means to live together amidst uncertainty, difference and change.”

Coventry

British Art Show 10 will launch in Coventry, where the exhibition will be presented across key cultural venues including the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, the Delia Derbyshire Building at Coventry University and Warwick Arts Centre’s Mead Gallery at the University of Warwick. The Coventry presentation will introduce audiences to 37 contemporary artists whose work reflects the richness and diversity of artistic practice in Britain today, showcasing the city’s continuing role as a centre for artistic innovation and cultural exchange.

Coventry has also gained additional funding from Arts Council England to develop Coventry Art Show, a programme led by Art Riot Collective that reinforces the city’s infrastructure for artists and audiences with a focus on access for everyone. Partners in the programme include Coventry Biennial, Coventry-Dresden Exchange and SOMA. Exhibitions, events, workshops and activities will take place across the city parallel to BAS10.

Kyla Craig, Director of Art Riot Collective, said:

“A national exhibition of this scale is rare, and it’s important that its impact is felt beyond the gallery walls. The Coventry Art Show project is about removing barriers to participation and creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds, experiences and abilities to engage with contemporary art in ways that are meaningful to them. At the same time, we’re investing in Coventry’s artists, supporting new talent and strengthening the networks that help culture thrive. It’s a chance to celebrate what’s already happening here while creating new opportunities for the future.”

Legacy commissions

Alongside significant recent works, British Art Show 10 will feature newly commissioned projects developed in collaboration with partner cities across the tour, creating opportunities for artists to respond directly to local histories, communities and contexts. Supported by Art Fund, these commissions will form an important part of the exhibition’s dialogue between the national and the local, connecting artistic practices across the UK while recognising the distinct character of each host city.

Marguerite Nugent, Cultural Director, Culture Coventry, said:

“The opening of British Art Show 10 in Coventry is a significant milestone for the city. It reflects the strength of the partnerships that have developed across our cultural sector and our shared ambition to present work of national significance while creating benefits that endure beyond the exhibition itself. We’re particularly excited by the legacy of new commissions and the opportunity to strengthen Coventry’s public collections for future generations.”

Craig Ashley, Deputy Head of School, Arts & Creative Industries, Coventry University, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome British Art Show 10 to the Delia Derbyshire Building at Coventry University. Bringing contemporary artists of this calibre into a university setting creates valuable opportunities for students, researchers and the wider public to encounter new ideas, perspectives and approaches to creative practice. The exhibition demonstrates the important role that universities can play in supporting artistic innovation and fostering dialogue between education, culture and society.”

Doreen Foster, Director of Warwick Arts Centre, said:

“This is a major moment for Coventry and for the wider region. We’re proud to help bring this extraordinary exhibition to local audiences and to connect it to the extraordinary artists and organisations that already belong to our city. Together, we celebrate the power of contemporary art to connect people, share experiences and create space for thinking about the world around us.”

For more information on the British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers (2 Oct 2026 to 10 January 2027, various venues, Coventry), see: southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/british-art-show-10-a-chorus-of-strangers/

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