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Self-Portrait: This is Me, Danny

, –
Past
  • Free
  • Performance
  • Speech-to-text
  • Hearing loop
  • Relaxed
A performance showing Danny Smith in a white dress, posed on a chair. He is sitting side on, head raised and arms positioned behind him.
Danny Smith. © Photo by Cait Sweeney.

What you’ll do

Watch this live show by artist Danny Smith about his love of nature, performance, and the colourful network of family and friends he has created around him.

Performances, which last 15 minutes, take place at 17:00 and 18:00. The second performance will be followed by a conversation where you will be able to ask the artist questions. The galleries will be open until 8pm for you to view Danny’s portrait. Turn up at a time that suits you.

The event plan:

  • 17.00-17.15: Performance
  • 18.00-18.15: Performance
  • 18.15-18:45: Post-show conversation

There will be a Chill-Out Room next to the event space if you’d like to lie down or relax. There will be low lighting, comfortable seating, cushions and mats throughout the room. You can use ear defenders, earplugs, board games and materials with different textures.

The performance marks the installation of Danny Smith’s portrait in the Being Human gallery from 3 October.

His portrait by the artist Deborah Kelly is one of 21 works in the series ’No Human Being Is Illegal (In All Our Glory)’. Each portrait was created collaboratively over many months of open workshops. Participants collaged each image to reflect the subject’s identity, concerns, dreams or life story. 

Performance collaborators:

Guy Hughes (Composer and Sound Designer), Cait Sweeney (Producer) and Emma Webb (Movement and Choreography).

Artist collaborators:

Kali Perkins, Ono Dafedjaiye and Cheryl Lyte.

With thanks to Sony Music Publishing for permission to use excerpts from ‘I Want To Break Free’, written by John Deacon. Queen Music Ltd / Sony Music Publishing.

Dates

, –
Past

Need to know

Place not guaranteed

Booking a ticket for a free 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. If you do not arrive on time, your place may be given to someone on the waiting list.

Waiting list

If this event is fully booked, you may still be able to attend. We will operate a waiting list, which opens 30 minutes before this event starts. Arrive early, and we’ll give you a numbered ticket. If there are any unfilled places just before the start time, we will invite you to enter in order of ticket number.

Speech-to-text

This event will be live-transcribed, with text displayed on a large screen.

Hearing loop

There will be a hearing loop at this event.

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 access@wellcomecollection.org or call

Our event terms and conditions

About your contributors

Danny Smith

Artist

Danny Smith is a multimedia artist whose art embraces performance, film, drawing, painting and photography. He says, “First I was a baby and I was handsome, then when I was a teenager I became more who I am. My art comes from my heart.” His past projects include the exhibition ‘Rising’, a group show by Shadowlight Artists at two venues, the Old Fire Station Gallery and Modern Art Oxford, and ‘Prima’, a dance piece performed at The Royal Opera House with ‘Thick & Tight’.

Guy Hughes

Collaborator

Guy is a Bristol-based Composer, Sound Designer and Musical Director. In 2022, Guy worked alongside BAFTA and Ivor-Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones to create a music soundtrack for ‘Our Wilder Family’, a drone light show performed as part of the final weekend of Coventry City of Culture. The event was witnessed by over 27,000 in War Memorial park and over 13,000 people online. His other work for theatre includes: ‘Crimes on Centre Court’(New Old Friends, 2022/23, Composer); ‘Mary & The Matrons’(Documental Theatre, 2023, Musical Director); ‘To The Moon And Back’(Concrete Youth, 2023, Musical Director); ‘The Nutcracker’(Bristol Old Vic, 2022/23, Actor/Musician).

Cait Sweeney

Collaborator

Cait is an artist and arts facilitator working across disciplines including drawing, painting, installation, writing and performance. She has been working closely with Danny for the last 5 years supporting his creative practice. Cait is an active member of Oxford Peoples Theatre.

Emma Webb

Collaborator

Emma is a choreographer, movement director and theatre maker. She trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is a co-founder and artistic director of Oxford Peoples Theatre. She has worked with theatre and dance companies including Justice in Motion, Red Dog, Komola Collective, Human Story Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, Pegasus Theatre, Body Politic and recently as associate/movement director for Yippee Ki Yay with Seabright Productions.

Corali

Collaborator

Corali makes exciting work which develops and showcases the talents of people with a learning disability. They explore the relationship between dance and other art forms, between performers with and without a learning disability, and between professional and participatory artwork. They make and tour great performances and love to share their creative practice with other people.

Heart n Soul

Collaborator

Award-winning creative arts company and charity Heart n Soul were residents of The Hub from 2018 to 2020. They believe in the power and talents of people with learning disabilities and autistic people. They work together to make great art with imagination, love and trust.