Relaxed Hours: Mickalene Thomas & Linder
Join a guided tour of the exhibitions, or explore them at your own pace, in a more relaxed environment with access to additional support.
Spend some time in our Relaxed Hours studio spaces, with creative workshops and activities inspired by the exhibitions throughout the day for you to play, create and reflect with artists and the Southbank Centre’s Arts & Wellbeing Team.
For this edition of Relaxed Hours, artist Tyreis Holder brings us activities and workshops that engage all the senses.
Celebrate self-love and your loved ones through mixed-media love-letter making with artist Tyreis Holder, using collage, creative writing, drawing, stitch and textiles, in response to Mickalene Thomas’ All About Love.
We welcome everyone to our exhibitions whenever our gallery is open, but we also recognise that some visitors may require a more relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space, or may welcome additional support to experience the exhibition fully.
Our Relaxed Hours are shaped around the needs of visitors with sensory processing differences, neurodivergent visitors or those living with neurological conditions, as well as early-year visitors, parents and carers. We work closely with SEND schools and community groups to support bookings and visits.
During Relaxed Hours there is reduced capacity inside the galleries, and we offer gallery companions, guided tours, creative resources and chill-out spaces.
We encourage bookings from SEND schools and community groups.
Creative workshops and activities are drop-in. You can sign-up to join an exhibition tour at our Relaxed Hours Welcome Desk in the Hayward Gallery Foyer.
Relaxed Hours is generously supported by City Bridge Foundation and the U.S. Embassy London.
Need to know
Advance booking is essential and you’re asked to choose a time slot when you book. However, for this event your ticket allows you to arrive, leave and re-enter at any time between 10am and 3pm.
Sensory backpacks for children are available from the gallery ticket office including ear defenders and stim toys.
There is a preparation story available for visitors who may benefit from preparing for the exhibition. The preparation story will be available to download from this page within a couple of weeks of the exhibition opening, and sent to bookers in advance. We also send a visual story which is a shorter version with visual symbols.
For more information about our ticket and travel bursary schemes for those with financial barriers to attending, email us at [email protected] or call us on 079 8908 3109.
The deadline to register you or your group for our ticket and travel bursary scheme is 12 noon, Monday 3 March.
Access
This session has a relaxed approach to noise and movement, a reduced capacity, and nearby chill-out spaces available to access for the duration of the session whenever needed. Feel free to come and go as you please.
The following adaptations are in place during Relaxed Hours:
- Reduced capacity in the gallery.
- Nearby chill-out spaces with low lighting and comfortable seating including beanbags, cushions and weighted blankets, to rest, lie down and get comfortable on.
- Sensory backpacks for children are available from the gallery ticket office including ear defenders and stim toys.
- Touch materials inside the gallery.
- Makaton support available and team members who specialise in inclusive approaches for participants with SEND.
- Ticket bursary and travel support for those with financial barriers.
If you have a particular requirement or any questions ahead of your visit, email [email protected] or call us on 020 3879 9555.
You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email.
Find out more about our Access Scheme
All our access information
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
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
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.
For your visit
This event is held at the Hayward Gallery Southbank Centre
The Hayward Gallery is currently closed.
It reopens for Anish Kapoor on Tuesday 16 June 2026.
Plan your visit
The Hayward Gallery is also where you’ll find the HENI Project Space.
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.
Cloakroom
We have a cloakroom for coats, umbrellas and small bags; it costs £2 per item.
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.
Exhibition tours
Guided tours of our Hayward Gallery exhibitions are available to ticket holders; the dates and times of these can be found when you click through to book your exhibition tickets.
If you’d like to arrange a private/group tour of an exhibition, please contact us. The Hayward Gallery does not accept external tour guides or tour groups – all exhibition tours must be arranged through the Southbank Centre.
Food & drink
Offering sandwiches, salads, cakes and coffee, Hayward Gallery Cafe is the perfect spot for a pre-exhibition energy boost or a post-visit drink.
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.