At Least We Have the Pieces
The SORI Collective takeover ends with an afternoon of art and a chance to make connections – so bring a picnic and join in the fun.
The SORI curators are fighting back against the closure of spaces where people can gather outside for free by reclaiming the Southbank Centre as a civic space.
They’re putting together a tasting menu of great, bite-sized art and presenting their vision of the future arts centre. Come along and be part of the experience and hopefully discover something new that you love.
This reflective afternoon features a giant bring-your-own picnic and bite-sized performances, plus surprise dance moments with XVNation, all soundtracked throughout the day with ambient tunes.
Take part in spice workshops led by African-Caribbean food experts Garden of Afruika, witness live coding from nadya via proxy, relax with guided breathwork by Seda, and enjoy bilingual pop ballads from Blewska.
SORI Collective (Speaking Out, Reimagining Institutions) comprises nine forward-thinking cultural programmers shaping the future of the arts. They are the driving force behind Southbank Centre Presents, a hands-on curation scheme empowering talent to build communities and redefine our cultural landscape as we celebrate 75 years.
This event is part of their four-day takeover of the Riverside Terrace in response to the theme of the ‘future of the art centre’.
They are using the time to give a platform to artists from London’s cultural scene and question the various ways the Southbank Centre can exist as a stage for London, a civic space for its people, and a playground to attempt new ways of collaborating or existing.
Part of the Southbank Centre’s Riverside Sessions.
Need to know
We encourage you to bring your own picnic and blanket to this event. Visitors are not permitted to bring their own alcohol to site.
Schedule
1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm: Spice workshops by Garden of Afruika
1.30pm: Live coding from nadya via proxy
3.30pm: Live music from Blewska
4.30pm: Guided breathwork by Seda
East-London-born artist Blewska brings a reflective afternoon performance of bilingual pop ballads played on guitar, crafted in both Polish and English.
Garden of Afruika is a pan-African London-based food organisation exploring African, Caribbean and diasporic food through culinary education, events and community activations. In their workshop, founder Eyram Dzotsi guides participants to make their own Ghanaian-inspired spice blend, while sharing stories around flavour, heritage and culture.
nadya via proxy reworks and reconstructs their own productions in performance, using live coding. Each set becomes an experiment in structure, temporality, and melodic development, unfolding through semi-improvisation. Alongside the code, they process their voice with evolving vocal effects as the performance takes shape.
Seda is a creative wellbeing facilitator, theatre-maker and intimacy director with over 15 years’ experience working nationally and internationally. She curates creative wellbeing stages and experiences across festivals, training and retreats. Often described as a human icebreaker, she has a knack for putting dense concepts into playful practice, making spaces where everyone feels included.
XVNATION is a London-based commercial dance collective and creative platform developing the next generation of performance talent. Within its first year, the collective has established itself as one of the UK’s fastest-rising youth dance companies, winning Boroughs United 2026 and becoming finalists in four UK Dance Awards, including Youth Dance Company of the Year and Emerging Dance School of the Year.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
19 Jul 2026, 1pm
Run time
4 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
Free – no ticket required
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Make a donation
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For your visit
This event is held at the Riverside Terrace Southbank Centre
The Riverside Terrace is open all day, every day*.
*If you’re attending an event on our Riverside Terrace, check the event listing for start and finish times.
Plan your visit
The Riverside Terrace is an outdoor space overlooking the River Thames, on Royal Festival Hall, Level 2.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
Through the glass from Riverside Terrace on Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.