Somerset House announces special year of programming to mark 25-year anniversary

Somerset House will celebrate its 25-year milestone with a special year of programming and new initiatives, it announced.

The London venue is used as an arts and events space and home to a number of artists, makers and creative businesses who use the complex’s workspaces and studios.

To mark its anniversary, the entire building will be open to the public, inviting audiences to explore lesser-known spaces and connect with the “resident cultural innovators and their inspiring work” as part of the Step Inside 25 initiative.

Another initiative titled Talent 25, in collaboration with British artist Yinka Ilori, will see five “innovative gamechangers” selected from the Somerset House community who will have their work championed and receive a bursary.

Ilori said: “Somerset House has played a pivotal role in my creative journey, offering a platform that nurtures innovation and amplifies voices that might otherwise go unheard.

“I’m proud to support Talent 25, an initiative that reflects Somerset House’s ongoing commitment to fostering the next generation of forward-thinking talent.

“This is about opening opportunities for cultural pioneers to thrive and providing the support needed to turn ideas into impactful work. Together, we’re building pathways for the future of creativity.”

Somerset House also revealed a “new visual identity” on Wednesday, designed to “reflect its role as a hub for cultural innovation” which embodies the essence of its spirit line “step inside, think outside”, organisers said.

To conclude its birthday year, Somerset House has invited contemporary artist Harold Offeh to design a unique commission in response to its winter ice-skating in the Edmond J Safra courtyard.

“Somerset House’s 25th birthday programme has been carefully curated to showcase the artistic innovation and cross-disciplinary creativity that defines who we are today,” Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House, said.

“Our intention is not only to celebrate our history but also to highlight our role as a platform for bold new ideas, fostering an inclusive, creative community.

“By turning over space to artists and creatives, we’re supporting the next generation of cultural innovators, feeding a programme that provides creative solutions to real-world issues through alternative perspectives.

“It is remarkable to think how far we’ve come since the public first entered this beautiful building and courtyard 25 years ago, establishing Somerset House as a welcoming, leading international arts destination for all.”

Among the luminaries celebrating the anniversary of Somerset House was Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, who most recently directed British actress Tilda Swinton and US star Julianne Moore in The Room Next Door.

“I hosted three of my own premieres there and, watching films in Somerset House’s magnificent courtyard under the stars, come rain or shine, are some of my most memorable cinematic experiences,” Almodovar said.

“These screenings reminded me of the ones in the village square open-air cinema of my childhood and these are moments I will always cherish and treasure.”

While beloved children’s TV presenter Baroness Floella Benjamin, known to millions of Britons as the host of BBC children’s TV shows Play School and Play Away, described Somerset House as an “oasis for creative inspiration in the heart of the city”.

“It’s somewhere for Londoners of all generations to explore their own creativity and to view the world afresh through the eyes of artists,” she said.

“I’ve seen the impact of this on young people myself through my involvement in Zak Ove’s Get Up, Stand Up Now exhibition back in 2019 that celebrated 50 years of Black creative pioneers.

“Long may Somerset House continue to encourage creativity nirvana.”

Alison Goldfrapp, of electro act Goldfrapp, also said her time at Somerset House “facilitated a huge change in my work”.

It comes after a fire broke out at Somerset House in August, which damaged the roof and part of the complex’s west wing.