Strong Like Us: Kelechi Okafor & Friends
The author is joined by a panel of remarkable women, who discuss life learnings and advocate for the inner child in us all.
Are you sitting comfortably? There's a treasure trove of wisdom and therapeutic value waiting to be uncovered by adults in the themes woven into children’s picture books.
Embark on an enlightening chapter with author Kelechi Okafor, alongside remarkable women she has encountered on her life's path so far.
The panel features Agnes Mwakatuma, the driving force behind Black Minds Matter UK; Laurence Sessou, a healer, educator and artist; Liz Pemberton, an educational consultant; and Dr Elizabeth Egbase who is an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant.
Using Okafor's debut children's picture book Strong Like Me as a lens, they discuss with Okafor their personal interpretations of strength and Black womanhood in today's world.
Dr Elizabeth Egbase is an obstetrician and gynaecologist driven by a deep commitment to providing women with high-quality and equitable health care. Her passion for addressing women's health inequalities is a significant driving force in her clinical practice and medical research, having recently published a paper in a peer-reviewed journal, titled ‘Racial Disparities in Early Pregnancy Outcomes: a Narrative Review’.
Agnes Mwakatuma has distinguished herself as a social innovator in the mental health sector, having raised in excess of £2 million between 2020 and 2023 to support the provision of free therapy to the Black community. With a wealth of experience in the development and management of large-scale, diverse, and impactful programmes and partnerships, she has made significant contributions to a variety of sectors, including healthcare, banking, consulting and technology.
Liz Pemberton is the director of The Black Nursery Manager Ltd, a training and consultancy company which focuses on anti-racist practice within Early Years. With 20 years in the education sector, she has been a secondary school teacher, public speaker and nursery manager, allowing her to teach, manage, support and educate Early Years students, practitioners and professionals in a variety of forums.
Laurence Sessou is devoted to the spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of both women and children. A trained massage therapist and aromatherapist with roots from the Republic of Benin, she has over 17 years of clinical experience and is a passionate holder of sacred space. Her work is proudly informed by her West African heritage and inspired by these ancient traditions.
Need to know
For ages 16+
This event is Speech-to-Text transcribed (STT).
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 & facilities information
Dates & times
Price
- Standard entryFrom £15*
- Concessions25%**
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
** Limited availability. Read about concessions.
Tickets can only be sold through the Southbank Centre and our authorised agents, and can't be resold. You can return your tickets to the Southbank Centre for a credit voucher up to 48 hours before the event. Tickets resold on any third-party platforms will become invalid.
Get presale tickets
Members get the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Venue
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our visitors and staff.
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open 90 minutes before events
Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. The nearest tube and train stations within 5-7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines). There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2-5 minutes from our venues. For more information on getting here by road, rail or river.
Pre-booking online is recommended. Check our website on the day for returns. There’s no need to print your e-ticket – just show your phone to our Visitor Assistants on entry.
Some free events don't require a ticket. Found an event labelled FREE on our website with no way to book? Simply turn up on the day.
If you don't receive your e-ticket
Your e-ticket will be sent to you seven days before the event date from [email protected]. If you don't receive your e-ticket, and it's not in your junk or spam folder, please get in touch.
More information
Find out all you need to know about tickets, including concessions, group bookings, returns, credit vouchers and more, via the link below.
Get an overview of the seating layout of Queen Elizabeth Hall by downloading our seating plan.
Toilets
An accessible toilet is located in the foyer.
A Changing Places toilet is located on Level 1 Royal Festival Hall next to the JCB Glass Lift, for the exclusive use of disabled people who need personal assistance to use the toilet.
The facility includes a height-adjustable bench, tracking hoist system, a centrally-placed toilet, a height-adjustable basin and a shower. Please visit the Welcome Desk on Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, where a member of staff can provide you with the key. You can also use the phone next to the Changing Places toilet to speak to a member of staff. The facility is open daily 10am – 11pm.
Cloakroom
The Queen Elizabeth Hall cloakroom is closed. You won’t be able to bring any bags over 40 x 25 x 25cm into the Queen Elizabeth Hall, so please leave large bags at home.
We're cash-free
Please note that we're unable to accept cash payments across our site.
For step-free access from the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road off Belvedere Road to the Queen Elizabeth Hall auditorium seating (excluding rows A to C) and wheelchair spaces in the Rear Stalls, plus Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer and the Purcell Room, please use the Queen Elizabeth Hall main entrance.
To reach this entrance, enter the Royal Festival Hall via the Southbank Centre Square Doors. Take the JCB Glass Lift to Level 2 and exit to the Riverside Terrace. Turn right to find the Queen Elizabeth Hall main entrance.
You can also use the external lift near the Artists' Entrance on Southbank Centre Square to reach Mandela Walk, Level 2.
For access to the Queen Elizabeth Hall auditorium seating rows A to C and wheelchair spaces in the Front Stalls, please enter via the Artists' Entrance in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road (Level 1).
Talk to a member of staff at the auditorium entrance if you have a disability that means you can’t queue, or you need extra time to take your seat. They can arrange priority entry for you as soon as the doors open.
Please bear with us while we update our access map to reflect the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall’s Level 2 foyer spaces. The step-free routes remain the same.
From a snack with coffee to cocktails and fine dining, plus some of London's best street food – it's all here on the Southbank Centre site.