An exciting new series of events from October 2023 to January 2024 are now available to book at the National Portrait Gallery.
In-conversation highlights include events with artist duo, Gilbert & George – forming part of Frieze Masters – as well as David Hockney’s friend and muse, Celia Birtwell, and celebrated historical novelist, Philippa Gregory.
28th October 2023 – Today, the National Portrait Gallery announces its autumn and winter programme of events, including exciting talks, in-conversations and creative sessions inspired by the Collection and major exhibitions. With priority booking for Gallery members, tickets can be booked from 28 September 2023, with wider public access available from 5 October 2023. To coincide with Frieze Week this October, an in-conversation event will be hosted at the Gallery as part of Frieze Masters Talks, a series curated by Gallery Director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan, supported by dunhill. Hosted on 13 October 2023, the event will feature renowned artist duo, Gilbert & George, in conversation with Nicholas Cullinan.
A special event in response to David Hockney: Drawing from Life will see an in-conversation featuring Hockney’s great friend and muse Celia Birtwell and art historian Marco Livingstone, alongside practical drawing workshops throughout the exhibition’s duration.
Further fascinating in-conversations will feature throughout the year, including discussions with photographer Vanley Burke; historical novelist, Philippa Gregory, who will introduce her new book, Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History; as well as an author Jennifer Higgie, CHANEL Curator for the Collection Flavia Frigeri and design historian Alice Rawsthorn, who will come together to discuss Women at Work: 1900 to Now, a new Gallery publication that spotlights female achievement in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Gallery will also host a number of Lunchtime Lectures on topics such as the representation of empire with author Charlotte Lydia Riley, the influence of Old Masters on contemporary artists like David Hockney, and an introduction to This is not America, why black lives in Britain matter from author Tomiwa Owolade.
Visitors to the Gallery can join creative workshops, ranging from drop-in drawing sessions and evening life drawing classes led by artists, to immersive workshops exploring digital illustration, pen and ink drawing and smartphone photography. For families, join the Big Draw on the 26 October 2023 for drawing with the senses through fun, playful activities for all ages.
“The National Portrait Gallery’s First Look Festival and summer programme welcomed visitors back to our building so brilliantly, so I’m very pleased that this new season of events is just as enticing. With an incredible line up of speakers and artists joining us at the NPG this autumn and winter, there will certainly be something for everyone to enjoy.”
Liz Smith
Director of Learning and Engagement, National Portrait Gallery
Listings Information
Tickets for all events go on sale on 5 October 2023. Members receive priority booking and discounted rates from 28 September 2023.
OCTOBER 2023
Vanley Burke in conversation with Diane Louise Jordan
Friday 6 October 2023
19.00-20.00
£15, booking essential
To mark the 75th anniversary of the 1948 Nationality Act, Vanley Burke, the ‘Godfather of Black British Photography’ is joined in conversation by broadcaster, Diane Louise Jordan. Together, Vanley Burke and Diane Louise Jordan worked on The Making of Black Britain, a project that captured the portraits and stories of those from the Windrush generation through to the present day. In this discussion, the pair will explore the idea of belonging, as well as what it means to be British.
Drop-in drawing
Friday 6 October 2023
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Led by an artist, create your own work in the Gallery and be inspired by the world’s largest collection of portraits. All materials are provided and the session is suitable for everyone – from complete beginners to accomplished artists.
Frieze Masters x NPG: Gilbert & George in conversation with Dr. Nicholas Cullinan
Friday 13 October 2023
19:30-20:30
£15 on site, £8 online, booking essential
Join Gilbert & George in conversation with Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, as part of the Frieze Master’s Talks Programme, to discuss over 50 years of creating art, the opening of The Gilbert & George Centre and their plans for the future.
Women at Work: 1900 to Now: in conversation with Jennifer Higgie, Flavia Frigeri and Alice Rawsthorn
Friday 20 October 2023
19.00-20.00
£15 on site, booking essential
Join us as we celebrate the publication of Women at Work: 1900 to Now, the National Portrait Gallery’s first book to spotlight female professional achievement in the 20th and 21st centuries. Authors Flavia Frigeri, CHANEL Curator for the Collection, and award-winning design historian Alice Rawsthorn, are joined in conversation with renowned writer Jennifer Higgie. They will discuss the making of the book, along with the exploration and celebration of both historic and contemporary women in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.
Drop-in drawing
Friday 20 October 2023
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Join artist Amanda Holiday for our mass participation art class and create portraits inspired by the work of Toyin Ojih Odutola, Steve McQueen and Lubaina Himid, whose work can all be found on our walls.
Family Day: The Big Draw
Thursday 26 October 2023
11.00-16.00
Free, drop-in
Join us this October half term for a big drawing extravaganza! Explore drawing with the senses through fun, playful activities for all the family.
Living memories: painting portraits of our elders
Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October 2023
11.00-17.00
£250, booking essential
Join Shannon Bono, whose portrait of Linda Haye OBE features in Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation, to learn how to capture portraits of your own elders in this two-day workshop. Delve into the fascinating back-stories of the ten sitters displayed at the Gallery, and learn from Bono, an artist who centres the authentic representation of women of colour in her work, about how to create realistic portraits from source material, such as photographs. During the workshop, Bono will provide technical tuition – explaining how to create a portrait that captures personality and individual biography, build a relationship with your sitter, choose a composition that celebrates and encapsulates their identity – and provide an insight into her own process. All materials will be provided and the workshop is suitable for all abilities.
NOVEMBER 2023
Drop-in drawing
Friday 3 November 2023
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Led by an artist, create your own work in the Gallery and be inspired by the world’s largest collection of portraits. All materials are provided and the session is suitable for everyone – from complete beginners to accomplished artists.
Lunchtime Lecture: Picturing Empire in the National Portrait Gallery
Thursday 9 November 2023
13.00-14.00
£10, booking essential
Join author, Charlotte Lydia Riley, as she discusses her new book Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain, which explores the ways in which Empire permeates British society, politics and culture, from the twentieth century. Hear from Riley as she discusses the ways in which key figures are portrayed in the Gallery’s displays and Collection, and how the lives and images of these figures illustrate our understanding of Empire today.
Workshop: Discover digital illustration
Friday 10 November 2023
18.00-20.00
£70, booking essential
Join digital illustrator, Kyam, for a masterclass in how to create bold and colourful graphic portraits. Working on iPads, learn how to draw with a digital pen and master the art of creating your own compositions using beginner-friendly digital drawing and illustration software, Sketchbook Pro. This introductory session is inspired by Kyam’s work in Citizen UK Croydon: Caribbean Influences. All materials will be provided. Suitable for all abilities.
Curator’s introduction: David Hockney: Drawing from Life
Friday 10 November 2023
19.00-20.00
£15, booking essential
Curator and David Hockney expert, Sarah Howgate, introduces the Gallery’s major new exhibition David Hockney: Drawing From Life, which explores Hockney as a draughtsman from the 1950s to the present. Focusing on the depictions of himself and those close to him, hear from Sarah as she highlights some of the never-before-seen portraits painted by the artist between 2021 and 2022 at his Normandy Studio. From his earliest drawings to some of his most recent paintings including his portrait of singer, Harry Styles, join Sarah for this livestreamed lecture as she teases the exhibition, sharing insights into Hockney’s practice.
Workshop: Mastering Pen & Ink
Saturday 11 November 2023
11.00-17.00
£125, booking essential
Taking inspiration from David Hockney’s mastery of pen and ink, get to grips with this classic medium yourself in a one-day introductory course where you will hone your technique by creating self-portraits. All materials will be provided, and the workshop is suitable for all abilities.
Evening life drawing
Friday 17 November 2023
18.00-20.00
£20, booking essential
Join us as artist Gayna Pelham leads a life-drawing session inspired by the Gallery’s Self-Portrait with Nude by Dame Laura Knight. As an art student, Knight was restricted from painting directly from life models because she was a woman. This inspiring self-portrait not only demonstrates her courageous defiance of these rules, but stands as a testament to female emancipation in the 20th century. In this expert led class, be inspired by be inspired by Knight’s wide range of work to create your own figurative drawings. All materials will be provided, and the workshop is suitable for all abilities.
Drop-in drawing
Friday 17 November 2023
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Join artist Marc Woodhead as he leads a Drop-in Drawing session that responds to our 5-star exhibition, David Hockney: Drawing from Life. Taking inspiration from Hockney’s mastery of portraiture across a range of media, as well as the many drawing techniques used across our Collection, get creative by drawing your own portraits in the Gallery.
Celia Birtwell in conversation with Marco Livingstone
Friday 24 November 2023
19.00-20.00
£15, booking essential
At this event to celebrate the opening of David Hockney: Drawing from Life, textile designer and the artist’s muse, Celia Birtwell, talks to art historian, Marco Livingstone, about the experience of being drawn by her friend over five decades.
Curator’s introduction: Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize
Thursday 30 November 2023
13.00-14.00
£10, booking essential
After three years away from the Gallery, 2023 marks the return of the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize to our refurbished building. Join Senior Curator of Photographs and Exhibition Curator, Sabina Jaskot-Gill, as she outlines why the Prize is one of the most important and anticipated photography competitions in the world, and how it stands as a showcase for both celebrated professionals and talented amateur photographers. Join Jaskot-Gill as she uncovers behind-the-scenes content, including insights into the selection process and thoughts from this year’s judging panel, including what they look for in a prize-winning photographic portrait. She will also discuss the work of this year’s In Focus Photographer, Hassan Hajjaj, as well as the portraits and themes in this year’s exhibition.
DECEMBER 2023
Evening life drawing
Friday 1 December 2023
18.00-20.00
£20, booking essential
Join us as figurative artist, Sophie de Stempel, leads this month’s life-drawing session, inspired by our exhibition David Hockney: Drawing from Life. With a thematic focus on describing the sitter, this workshop will be inspired by Hockney’s faithful rendering of individuals. All materials will be provided, and the workshop is suitable for all abilities.
Drop-in drawing
Friday 1 December 2023
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Led by an artist, create your own work in the Gallery and be inspired by the world’s largest collection of portraits. All materials are provided and the session is suitable for everyone – from complete beginners to accomplished artists.
Masterful women: Paula Rego and oil pastel weekend workshop
Saturday 2 December 2023
11.00-17.00
£125, booking essential
Paula Rego’s portrait of Germaine Greer (1995) in the Gallery’s Collection is an extraordinary example of her accomplished used of oil pastel to create striking portraits in bold colours. Take inspiration from Rego’s mastery of the medium to create your own pastel portraits in this one-day workshop, where you will work with an artist tutor to hone your drawing technique. All materials will be provided, and the workshop is suitable for all abilities.
Lunchtime lecture: This is not America, why black lives in Britain matter
Thursday 7 December 2023
13.00-14.00
£10, booking essential
Author Tomiwa Owolade introduces his recent book This is Not America, Why Black Lives in Britain Matter, selected as a 2023 non-fiction highlight in The Times, The Guardian and The Observer. In this lecture, Owolade examines how, across the west, racial injustice has become one of the most divisive issues of our age. In the rush to address inequality and prejudice, and to understand concerns around identity, immigration and colonial history, he argues Britain has followed the lead of America, and judges itself by America’s standards, absorbs its arguments and follows its agenda. This is Not America argues that too much of the conversation around race in Britain today is viewed through the prism of American ideas. Owolade provides a bold new framework for understanding race in Britain today. In this lecture, he references historical and contemporary events represented in the Gallery’s Collection.
In conversation with Hassan Hajjaj and Rose Issa
Friday 8 December 2023
19.00-20.00
£15 on site, £8 livestream, booking essential
Join curator, writer and producer, Rose Issa, in conversation with this year’s In Focus Photographer for the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, Hassan Hajjaj. In this special in-conversation, the pair will discuss the importance of embedding Moroccan traditions into UK culture and the London art scene, from the 1980s to today. Hear more about photography and the arts, as Hassan shares more about his early career, his personal link to the people he photographs, and his strong link to the creative arts and the music scenes.
Drop-in drawing
Friday 15 December 2023
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Led by an artist, create your own work in the Gallery and be inspired by the world’s largest collection of portraits. All materials are provided and the session is suitable for everyone – from complete beginners to accomplished artists.
JANUARY 2024
Smartphone photography portrait workshop: how to capture your friends and family
Friday 12 January 2024
18.00-20.00
£70, booking essential
Many of us have hundreds of photographs of our friends and family on our smartphones, but have you ever wanted to learn how to capture your nearest and dearest as a photographer would, considering lighting, props and backdrops? Inspired by the themes of friends and family, explored in the many works that feature as part of this year’s Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, learn from professional photographer, Marysa Dowling, in this two-hour workshop specially designed to uncover the secrets that will help you take better portraits on your smartphone.
Lunchtime lecture: Conversations with the past – Hockney and the old masters with Isabel Seligman
Thursday 18 January 2024
13.00-14.00
£10, booking essential
Constantly looking to the history of art for as inspiration, as well as for subjects, styles, solutions and techniques, David Hockney’s conversations with the art of the past have been lively and ongoing. From his early subversion of Hogarth’s moralising tale in A Rake’s Progress (1961–3), to his employment of the reed pen inspired by Vincent van Gogh, this talk will examine the impact that historic artists have had on Hockney’s graphic portraits, particularly focusing on the work of Rembrandt, Ingres and Picasso.
Evening Life Drawing
Friday 19 January 2024
18.00-20.00
£20, booking essential
Led by a figurative artist, join our monthly evening life drawing class held in the Ondaatje Wing Lecture Theatre. Working with an expert tutor be inspired by classic works and fascinating stories in the Gallery’s permanent collection to hone your technical drawing skills in a range of media. All materials will be provided. Suitable for all abilities.
The geography of the face: self-portraiture in mixed media
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 January 2024
11.00-17.00
£250, booking essential
Develop your skills in self-portraiture during this two-day workshop inspired by our exhibition David Hockney: Drawing from Life with Portrait Prize winning artist, Charlie Schaffer, whose portrait by Hockney features in the exhibition. Work in a wide range of media and refer to works in the exhibition, including portraits drawn with pen and ink, paint and the iPad. All materials will be provided, and the workshop is suitable for all abilities.
Scotland’s national poet: Celebrating Robert Burns
Thursday 25 January 2024
14.30-15.00
Free, drop-in
In celebration of Burns Night, join this free Gallery talk inspired by the life, work and legacy of poet, Robert Burns, opposite his portrait by Alexander Nasmyth.
Philippa Gregory in conversation
Friday 26 January 2024
19.00-20.00
£15, booking essential
Celebrated novelist, Philippa Gregory, introduces her new book, Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History, published in November 2023 by Harper Collins. Normal Women is a radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen – but of social and cultural change, powered by the determination, persistence and effectiveness of women – from 1066 to modern times. Hear from Philippa as she discusses her motivation in turning to nonfiction and how she approached the gargantuan task of researching and writing a book that aims to remember and celebrate the diverse achievements of countless ordinary – and too often anonymous – women over 9 centuries of British history.
Drop-in drawing
Friday 26 January 2024
18.00-20.00
Free, drop in
Led by an artist, create your own work in the Gallery and be inspired by the world’s largest collection of portraits. All materials are provided and the session is suitable for everyone – from complete beginners to accomplished artists.