Thought Leadership Lecture: Jeremy Deller
The Turner Prize-winning artist gives the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation Lecture, exploring culture as something shared, contested and inescapably political.
Known for work that celebrates the rituals of and finds meaning in everyday British life – from a re-enactment of a confrontation from the miners’ strike to a bouncy castle Stonehenge and a party in Trafalgar Square – Deller has spent three decades revealing culture as something collective, contested and always inherently political.
In this lecture, he turns that lens on the cultural sector itself, asking what it can achieve as a driver of social and political change when working collectively.
At a moment of real pressure on cultural life and the funding that underpins it, this promises to be a thought-provoking evening for anyone who believes art can connect communities and reveal the political in all our lives.
The event continues the Foundation’s series of major public lectures, and is followed by an audience Q&A led by esteemed arts professional Melanie Keen.
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
18 Nov 2026, 7.45pm
Run time
1 hour and 15 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £21
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
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For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
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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.