Featuring artists: Marysa Dowling and Tereza Červeňová

At this table there will be reflections on the questions:

How can we photograph the unseen?

What does it mean to make someone’s portrait? To allow yourself to be seen by another?

Can a portrait be a rehearsal for a new future, a way of trying on a new identity?

How can photography be an act of care?

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At the centre of Becky Warnock’s practice is a deep interest in listening; creating projects that platform people and stories that often go unheard, and developing spaces which prioritise conversation and dialogue. For her, listening is a radical practice which is the basis of social change, fostering empathy and moments of connection.

A Welcome Table is simultaneously an event, engagement programme and art work. It sits at the heart of Peckham 24’s 2025 festival, hosting artists, community groups and public audiences as part of the annual theme Come Together. Across the course of the festival, artist Becky Warnock will host four participatory talk events, plus a final collective meal and ceramic artists edition.

Each event will expand on themes drawn from the artworks in the main exhibition, including peacebuilding and reconciliation, community, food and culture. The project draws on the structure of a ‘long table’ gathering, in which audiences participate in the conversation, rather than simply observing. For each event, Warnock has invited an artist featured in the exhibition to offer a provocation based on key themes from their work, that can spark a wider conversation. When at the table, participants can also choose to contribute to the conversation by writing, drawing or mark making onto the specially designed table cloth.