Alphabet Soup
A big, bold and delectable surprise awaits children and their families in a brilliant, interactive installation celebrating the language of food.
Join us in the Clore Ballroom this October half-term to be part of an evolving art installation for all the family, created by A Line Art.
Simply turn up, pick up a giant spoon, take it to the giant bowl and fish out your favourite words to create a truly delicious sentence celebrating London’s vibrant, diverse culture. Anticipate the names of both real and imaginary foods, encounter ludicrous words you’d never expect in a cookbook, and find descriptive words engaging the senses.
A Line Art are artist Anna Bruder and poet Arji Manuelpilla. Together and with other collaborators they create immersive theatre performances and art events for children, young people and their families.
Alphabet Soup is a Southbank Centre original commission
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
30 Oct – 01 Nov 2024
Run time
4 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
Free – no ticket required
Make a donation
Help us open up the arts to everyone by making a one-off or a recurring donation.
Access
Access events
This event is a Relaxed Performance (RP).
Relaxed Performances have a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space, and you are free to exit and re-enter during the performances. A chill-out space and noise-cancelling headphones are available for children and adults. There are no adjustments to sound and lighting for these events and this event will feature amplified sound and minimal lighting effects.
Roaming BSL interpreters are available for the event on Thursday 31 October.
You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email.
Find out more about our Access Scheme
All our access information
For your visit
This event is held at the The Clore Ballroom Southbank Centre
The Clore Ballroom is open daily.
Monday & Tuesday, 10am – 6pm*
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
*If we’re hosting a performance, the building will stay open until the event ends.
Plan your visit
The Clore Ballroom is located inside our Royal Festival Hall on Level 2.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
Next to The Clore Ballroom is our Ballroom Cafe where you can grab a coffee and a piece of freshly made cake. Also on Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.