Come down for this special edition of Tate Collective Moments celebrating the work of William Dobson. Tate have recently welcomed Dobson’s self-portrait to the collection to join the portrait he made of his wife, Judith. To mark the reuniting of these two portraits we’ll be exploring themes of art and intimacy, absence and reunion and portraiture today. Expect an evening of poetry, workshops and music celebrating love and reunion.
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The William Dobson tour and supporting programme has been made possible through the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside support from Bjorn Saven CBE, David and Emma Verey Charitable Trust and Tavolozza Foundation.
Programme
A curated playlist will be played across the spaces, and refreshments will be served in allocated places.
Flash Portraiture with Joey Yu and Lola Snow
18.30-20.30
Room 4 and Room 12a
Come and get your portrait drawn by artists Lola Snow and Joey Yu! Take a seat and leave with your own portrait. Lola and Joey will be drawing attendees live throughout the night, turning the question of the self-portrait back on the audience. Sit for five minutes - keep the drawing forever!
Letter Writing Workshop
18.30-20.30
Manton Studio
Is there someone from your past that you want to reunite with? Or really don’t? Write a letter to that person. A facilitator will guide participants through writing a letter to someone from their past – a loved one, an old friend, an ex. All materials are provided. Take your time, write honestly, and leave your letter sealed or share it if you wish. Hosted by Tate Collective Producers.
Live Poetry with Daze
18.30-19.00, 20.00-20.30
Room 2
Using the themes of love, reunion, and self, we invite visitors to drop in for a Live Poetry performance by Daze. Expect spoken word, rhythmic prose, and dreamy motifs that respond to Dobson’s portraits and the evening’s themes. Stay for a few minutes or for the whole set.
Daze will be followed by two of Tate’s youth collective members, Khadar and Alice, performing their own poetry!
Odyssey Live Reading by Daze
19.15-19.45
Room 2
Using the themes of love, reunion, and homecoming, we invite visitors to encounter a live reading from The Odyssey, using the incredible translation by Emily Wilson. The story follows Odysseus’s ten-year journey trying to make his way home after the Trojan War, back to his wife. Dobson was finally reunited with his wife after 400 years - just as Odysseus was reunited with Penelope.
The Mirror Within: Love, Reunion and Self
18.30-20.30
Room 8
Mirroring William Dobson’s historic reunion, this workshop explores identity, character, and self-discovery through looking. Sourcing inspiration through the artwork made by Tate Collective Producers which will be displayed across the room, we invite visitors to step away from busy lives, explore their own identity, and draw their own self-portrait in a vibrant celebration of love, legacy, and community.
Feast your eyes on a showcase of works by young people in the Tate Collective Producer programme, submitted to an open call responding to the themes of ‘What is a Self-Portrait?’ love, reunion and self. Curated by Tate Collective Producer Emem.
Tell Me a Secret
18.30-20.30
Play Studio
Step behind the curtain and share a story of reunion, a loved one, an old friend or an ex-lover, spoken into the dark or left as an anonymous note. Recorded in the style of street-interview reels, with some secrets read aloud by our contributors. Hosted by Tate Collective Producers.
Pocket-sized Portraits
18.30-19.30 and 20.00-20.30
Taylor Digital Studio
Drop in to this relaxed session to draw or collage your very own self portrait, or portray the people, places, or things that shape you. Relax, get creative, and make your own miniature masterpiece by cutting out patterns, pictures, or words that represent your identity. Hosted by Tate Collective Producer Rosie.
Join us at 19.30 for a special Q&A session with Tate Collective Producers that participated in the showcase. Let’s get creative!
Card Game Social: Dog Whistle
18.30-20.30
Djanogly Cafe
Created by Tate Collective Producer Idil, play a three round card game that focuses on dog whistles - a term for language that often carries a hidden meaning, often used by politicians to signal and hide messages. The aim of the game is for players to understand systems of power, relationship to country and a wide range of demographics.
10 Minute Talks
19.00-19.15, 19.45-20.00
Room 2
Join our volunteer's team for a 10 Minute Talks all around Dobson’s self-portrait.
Lola Roma Snow
London-based illustrator Lola Roma Snow creates surreal, hand-drawn worlds that blur the lines between everyday life, symbolism and fantasy. Inspired by folk art and vintage graphics, her playful work combines expressive characters, bold patterns and typography. Alongside illustration, she creates papier-mâché costumes bringing her strange and colourful characters into the physical world.
@lola_roma_snow
Joey Yu
Joey Yu is a London-based illustrator and artist. Since graduating from Kingston School of Art in 2017, she has collaborated with clients including Rimowa, Mubi, The New Yorker, Bombay Sapphire and HarperCollins, among others.
Her hand-drawn, mixed-media work plays with everyday perspectives, continuously warping the ways we view the world. She has undertaken artist residencies in Seoul and Jeju Island, South Korea, and in Bahia, Brazil- experiences that continue to inspire her vibrant, observational approach to storytelling through art.
@itsjoeyyu
Daze
Daze is a British-Chinese poetess, diarist and multimedia artist working on her debut poetry collection. A self-proclaimed 'child of the internet,' her work shapeshifts between spoken word, stream-of-consciousness prose, and digital diary-keeping. Her work is often eclectic, sentimental and dreamy, weaving rhythmic prose with melodic motifs.
@thediaryofdaze
Tate Collective Moments is a new programme of monthly events just for Tate Collective. Each month features a different event, from workshops and talks to performances and after-hours access, offering new ways to experience art at Tate.
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