On Friday 2 December 2016, Late at Tate Britain: Generation will take inspiration from a prominent 17th-century British painting entitled The Cholmondeley Ladies(c. 1600-10), which is currently on display at Tate Britain. Tate Collective London have taken this painting as a creative starting point, pulling together a mix of musicians and artists to explore the themes of family and belonging.
According to the inscription, the painting shows ‘Two Ladies of the Cholmondeley Family, Who were born the same day, Married the same day, And brought to Bed [gave birth] the same day’. Identical at a quick glance, the lace, jewellery and the eye colour of both ladies and infants are in fact subtly different.
The evening will be the final event in this year’s series and will include live music and DJs from a range of backgrounds. KOKOROKO, a young Afrobeat Collective founded in 2014 which combines West African and Inner London influences, will perform soulful, horn-fuelled sound. Musician, Producer and Dalston’s NTS Radio DJ Miles Romans-Hopcroft aka Wu-Lu, will also fill the galleries with contemporary and vintage music.
Curator Nicole Crentsil will lead a panel discussion, discussing a variety of themes such as social mobility and the extent to which technology and digital platforms can influence change.
Visitors will also be invited to take part in a photo sharing session run by online educational archive, Black in the Day. Large scale projections of Black in the Day’s archive, curated by Tate Collective, will also be displayed as part of an exclusive event for Late at Tate Britain. A selection of South London artist Nadine Ijewere’s photography series entitled ‘Same//Difference’ will also be on display, addressing concerns of a generation of young women of interracial or multi-heritage backgrounds lacking representation in fashion and art.
A live experimental theatre performance, co-produced with Tate Collective, will also explore notions of belonging and community. It will take a humorous slant on the painting to invite visitors to think afresh and further encourage a creative dialogue. Circuit’s new ambassador, the fashion designer and stylist Daniel Lismore, will also attend the event.
Late at Tate Britain is curated exclusively by 18-25 year olds from Tate Collective London, who produce a range of free events and festivals for young people to experiment, create and innovate through art and ideas. Late at Tate Britain is part of the Circuit programme, led by Tate and funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Circuit is a national programme that engages young people in the arts with a focus on encouraging those with least access to galleries and museums.
Mark Miller, Circuit Programme National Lead said: “For the final event in the 2016 series Late at Tate Britain: Generation, young people on the Circuit programme are working with artists and musicians to bring this iconic British painting of two Tudor ladies to life again, through examining similar notions of family and belonging that influenced the artist who painted the work 400 years ago. Through creative thinking and discussion, we hope the event will encourage young people to explore what family means to them.”
Late at Tate Britain is a free, drop-in event, aimed at an 18+ audience. Spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. Special offer: 50% off current exhibition tickets for under 25’s on production of valid I.D (last entry 21.00).