About this Event
Join us for an evening inspired by The Coming of Age exhibition, featuring performances, talks, workshops, music and tours that challenge and subvert expectations of age and ageing.
Some events have limited spaces and will operate on a first‑come, first‑served basis. If an event reaches capacity, access will be managed on a one‑in, one‑out basis.
Our exhibitions, café and shop will be open all evening. Join us in the café for a relaxed night of games and good company, with the option to browse and purchase from our shop. Drinks and snacks will be available from the café and pop‑up bars.
A Chill‑Out Room is available if you need time away from the action. It has low lighting, comfortable seating, cushions, mats, ear defenders, earplugs and sensory toys.
BSL interpreters will be on hand for support. Please check individual event listings below for specific BSL and speech‑to‑text (STT) provision.
Events
19:00 – 22:00
This Unending (again, again, again)
Performance in The Forum
Watch ‘This Unending (again, again, again)' by Martin O’Brien - a performance that unfolds throughout the evening. O’Brien creates images of purgatory and uncanny afterlives to explore mortality, and the ways our lives are lived under the shadow of death.
In the performance, two strange figures stand in the hallway staring at one another. They belong to different times, different worlds. They do not recognise one another as belonging to the same species. Neither can understand the others’ soul, and both are terrified by what they witness. They just stand, frozen in horror by the mere presence of the other. Neither speak, and both are motionless.
19:00 – 21:30
Unclaimed Takeover
Workshop in the Reading Room
Join The Liminal Space for three interactive experiences which spark new ways for us to think and talk about ageing.
One in three of us will live to 100. Yet, as a society, we remain in denial — fixated on youth and disguising the signs of growing old. We ignore the important question: what will ageing actually be like for me?
In this workshop, you’re invited to create posters for overlooked milestones in our lives, add your thoughts to a growing installation, or take part in a group discussion. It’s a chance to think about the future and shape how we talk about getting older.
Relaxed
British Sign Language interpreted
20:00 – 21:00
The Polyester Podcast on Gen Z, Ageism and The Cultural Avoidance of Growing Old
Discussion in Henry Wellcome Auditorium
Join Polyester hosts Ione Gamble and Gina Tonic for a live podcast recording exploring Gen Z and age‑shaming. They'll be in conversation, discussing ‘The Coming of Age’ exhibition and how its themes connect to contemporary debates around ageing among Gen Z.
The discussion will last around 40 minutes, followed by a 20‑minute audience Q&A. The audio from this event will be edited and shared on The Polyester Podcast channel.
British Sign Language interpreted
STT
19:00 – 22:00
Born Deaf, Raised Hearing
Screening in The Studio
Watch ‘Born Deaf, Raised Hearing’, a short film by On Par Productions, shown on loop throughout the evening.
The film tells the story of Jonny Cotsen, who is an actor, a father of two children, and Deaf. He wants to know why he was brought up as if he could hear, and whether it's too late to embrace his Deaf identity.
The film lasts 29 minutes.
Captioned
Relaxed
19:15 – 20:00
BSL Tour of The Coming of Age with Rubbena Aurangzeb‑Tariq
Gallery tour, meet at Information Point on level 0
Join artist and facilitator Rubbena Aurangzeb‑Tariq for a tour of ‘The Coming of Age’. This tour will give an overview of the exhibition, focusing on a few key objects and themes.
The tour will be in British Sign Language with no voiceover.
Booking required
British Sign Language interpreted
20:15 – 20:45
21:15 – 21:45
The Coming of Age Gallery Tour
Gallery tour, meet at Information Point on level 0
Come along to a guided tour led by a member of our Visitor Experience team. Each tour is unique and written by one of our facilitators. We’ll give you an overview of the exhibition by focusing on a few key objects and themes.
Choose from two tour times during the evening.
Limited capacity, first‑come‑first‑served
British Sign Language interpreted
19:00 – 21:45
Collection Display and Creative Activity
Workshop in the Viewing Room
Explore a curated display of books and collection material by our Library team, inspired by ‘The Coming of Age’.
Drop in to browse, take part in relaxed creative activities or simply spend time chatting and connecting with others in a friendly, social space. You’ll also have the chance to discover more about the library and what it offers visitors.
Whether you want to browse, make or chat, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
British Sign Language interpreted
Relaxed
19:00 – 22:00
Set by Nihon Ten
Performance, Ground floor Atrium
Listen to a DJ set by Nihon Ten, responding to ‘The Coming of Age’ by exploring age as a lived, ongoing process, rather than a single moment of change or arrival.
Moving across genres and moods, the music reflects different stages of life while resisting the idea that play, curiosity, or transformation are things we should grow out of.
This thoughtfully curated set invites listeners to spend time with sound and consider what it might mean to stop “acting our age”, and instead remain open to new experiences at any stage of life.
Relaxed
Need to know
Location
This is an event with several different activities. Check specific sub‑events for their locations.
Limited spaces available
Spaces are limited for some sub‑events and may run out if we are busy. We will operate these limited sub‑events on a first come, first served basis. If a sub‑event reaches capacity, access will be one in, one out, and some activities will be repeated.
Place not guaranteed
Booking a ticket for a free, in‑person event does not guarantee you a place. You should aim to arrive 15 minutes before the event is scheduled to start to claim your place.
British Sign Language
This event will be delivered in British Sign Language.
British Sign Language interpreted
This event will have British Sign Language interpretation.
Speech‑to‑text
This event will be live‑transcribed. The captions will be displayed on a screen in‑venue.
Relaxed
This is a relaxed event, which means that if you need to, you are welcome to move around and make noise at any time.
For more information, please visit our Accessibility page. If you have any queries about accessibility, please email us at [email protected] or call 020 7611 2222.
Our event terms and conditions
About your contributors
Martin O’Brien
Artist
Martin O’Brien is an artist and zombie. He works across performance, writing and video art. His work uses long durational actions, short speculative texts and critical rants, and performance processes in order to explore death and dying, what it means to be born with a life shortening disease, and the philosophical implications of living longer than expected.
Ione Gamble
Speaker
Ione Gamble is the founding editor‑in‑chief of Polyester and host of the Polyester podcast. She has come to be known as a powerful force in both driving and analysing contemporary feminism, arts, culture and identity. Her debut non‑fiction essay collection, Poor Little Sick Girls, was published by Dialogue to widespread critical acclaim.
Gina Tonic
Speaker
Gina Tonic is a culture writer from South Wales who has been named ‘the writer and editor empowering a generation of fat babes’ by Dazed Beauty. Holding the role of senior editor at intersectional feminist publication Polyester, Gina has interviewed the likes of Gemma Collins, Isa Briones, CupCakKe, Courtney Eaton, Chappell Roan and more. Her first book, Greedy Guts, released last year.
Nihon Ten
Musician
Nihon Ten is a multi‑genre DJ and producer with over 30 years of experience, whose work treats music as something that evolves over time rather than settles into fixed categories.
Jonny Cotsen
Artist
Jonny Cotsen is a qualified art teacher who transitioned into work as a performance artist and creative consultant, with a strong focus on inclusion and access in the arts. He is an experienced public speaker, workshop facilitator, and panellist on arts accessibility. Jonny performed in Louder Is Not Always Clearer at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. The show was later adapted into a BBC Arts–supported short film, which received BAFTA nomination recognition. Jonny won Best Actor and Best Film at Deaffest 2022. He is also the founder of Deaf Gwdihŵ, an initiative exploring the experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing creatives in Wales.
Toby Cameron
Creator
Toby is an RTS Cymru and BAFTA Cymru‑winning producer and director proudly living in the Welsh Valleys. He is the founder of Cardiff‑based On Par Productions. Toby is attracted to stories of those not often given a voice and fascinated by placing people in others' shoes. This led him to collaborate with Jonny Cotsen to show others how Jonny hears and sees the world using graphics, recon, and sound manipulation.
The Liminal Space
Collaborator
the‑liminal‑space.com
The Liminal Space is an award‑winning design and engagement agency creating ground‑breaking experiences that connect people to social topics. Their multi‑sensory experiences use storytelling, fictional world‑building and hands‑on exploration to bring spaces and ideas to life.
Polyester
Collaborator
polyesterzine.com
Polyester is a self published, intersectional feminist arts and culture publication aiming to bridge the gap of url cyberfeminism with the irl world.
Image credit: Lates at Wellcome Collection | Charlie Swinbourne | Wellcome Collection | | CC-BY-NC | |
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
