Nengi Omuku, One Particular Man, 2026. Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London

British Art Show 10 at Coventry University

Discover some of the UK's most exciting contemporary art as Coventry University hosts the British Art Show 10 (BAS10), launching in the city before touring across the UK.

Opening in October 2026, BAS10 brings leading artists - including Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur - new ideas and creative experiences to venues across the city. Visitors can explore works in the university’s award-winning Delia Derbyshire Building, alongside exhibitions at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and the Mead Gallery at Warwick Arts Centre.

Dates

2 October 2026 – 10 January 2027

Venue

Delia Derbyshire Building, Coventry University

Opening hours

Monday - Saturday 10am-4pm, closed Sundays. View Christmas closure dates*

Artists

View artists.

What is British Art Show 10?

British Art Show 10 is the UK’s leading touring exhibition of contemporary art and takes place every five years. Developed and produced by Hayward Gallery Touring, this edition is curated by Ekow Eshun and titled A Chorus of Strangers.

Whether you're a regular gallery visitor or exploring contemporary art for the first time, BAS10 offers the chance to experience new perspectives, ideas and creative voices.

Coventry University’s role

As one of the three Coventry venues hosting BAS10, Coventry University is helping bring this major cultural event to the city.

BAS10 reflects our commitment to creativity, innovation and cultural collaboration, while strengthening the city's reputation as a destination for art and culture.

It also gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through a major national exhibition, applying their learning and engaging directly with contemporary art, artists and audiences.

Why it matters

BAS10 is more than an exhibition. It's an opportunity to experience contemporary art that challenges ideas, sparks conversations and brings people together.

We’re thrilled to be one of the venues hosting in Coventry. What is really distinctive about us is the fact we’re not a traditional gallery or a museum, we are a place that makes art and this will be visibly happening alongside the British Art Show.

Not only is this a great opportunity for the city, it brings great benefit to our students who will gain experience through the installation of the artworks, they will invigilate the public exhibitions, and engagement with the content of the show will form part of their studies. It really will give them a taste of the kind of opportunities available within the sector.
Craig Ashley, from Coventry University's College of the Arts and Society

Artists at Coventry University

Jasleen Kaur (winner of the 2024 Turner Prize)
Precious Okoyomon
Liz Johnson Artur
Hannah Perry

Ufuoma Essi
Melanie Manchot
Joy Gerrard

British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers

Organised around three overlapping curatorial themes that span the psychological, sociological and ecological. Each theme is inspired by the work of an influential British writer or theorist who has grappled with the tensions between the Individual and the Other.

Moments of Being

Moments of Being takes its title from Virginia Woolf’s description of the fleeting instances when the surface of ordinary life seems to lift, offering a brief glimpse into the interconnectedness of existence. The artists featured here similarly turn inward as they observe the world around them. Drawing on dreams, memory, and the subconscious, they explore the blurred boundaries between mind and body, reality and imagination. Their works suggest a way of understanding ourselves and the conditions that shape our shared experience.

Ways of Living

Ways of Living is inspired by cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s idea that culture and identity are always changing and being reshaped by the shifting interplay of politics, power and history. Working with personal or collective memories, the artists featured here illuminate how fragments of the past continue to shape contemporary life, and how individual stories intersect with larger historical currents. Collectively, these works explore how a common ground might be built by actively reimagining life with one another.

States of Nature

States of Nature is inspired by ecological philosopher Timothy Morton’s call for a greater awareness of our relationship with the environment: an understanding that all life forms are fundamentally interconnected within a vast, complex network of being. This theme brings together artists whose work embraces the natural world in its abundance, beauty, and complexity. Animals, plants, air and water are highlighted as part of our shared living history, foregrounding ways of coexisting that challenge the human-centric and invite us to imagine a new relationship with the planet.

Plan your visit

Venue

Delia Derbyshire Building

Coventry University. Cox St, Coventry. CV1 5PH

Opening times

Monday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm. Closed Sundays.

*Christmas closure dates: Monday 21 December, Thursday 24 December, Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December, Monday 28 December, Thursday 31 December and Friday 1 January.