Picture This

David Harewood and John Wilson in conversation

This event is part of Picture This.

Talks and conversations

Friday, 15 May 2026

7 - 8 pm, doors open at 6.30 pm

Pigott Theatre

For everyone

Tickets

Standard:	£22
Concessions:	£17

Please book a ticket to attend this event.

Please arrive in good time to access the building and find the event.

Bookings close ten-minutes before the event.

Concessions are for full-time students, jobseekers, and disabled adults.

Book now

About

‘Picture This,’ is a new series of conversations, hosted by journalist and presenter of the BBC’s This Cultural Life, John Wilson. Special guests from a wide variety of fields, including fashion, music, literature and film, will join John to reflect on their life and work through the lens of a National Gallery painting.

This May, we are joined by distinguished actor, documentary maker and author David Harewood OBE.

Known for his roles in Homeland, Supergirl, and Blood Diamond, and for starring in The Man in the High Castle and Ten Percent, David is an internationally esteemed actor who can also be seen in the BBC’s Sherwood and The Night Manager.

As a documentary maker, David’s works include Black is the New Black, Could Britain Ever Have a Black Prime Minister and Why is Covid Killing People of Colour?

In 2019, he released David Harewood: Psychosis and Me and wrote his first book Maybe I Don’t Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery which was published in 2021.

His latest documentary, Get On Up: The Triumph of Black America, is a two-part series exploring the true stories of incredible artists who shaped his life, and the influence of Black culture on the world.

David was appointed OBE in 2023 for his services to drama and is President of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

John Wilson

John Wilson is an acclaimed journalist and broadcaster who has specialised in arts and cultural affairs for over 25 years. He presents 'This Cultural Life', the BBC Radio 4 podcast series on which guests have included some of the world’s most important creative figures including Paul McCartney, Frank Auerbach, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Judi Dench, Sam Mendes, Nick Cave, Jennifer Lawrence, Nile Rodgers and many more. John presented BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts magazine show 'Front Row' from its launch in 1998 until 2021. He also hosted the acclaimed music series 'Mastertapes' and presented the art theft investigation documentary 'The Billion Dollar Art Hunt' for BBC Four.

Livestream

This event will be in the Pigott Theatre.

The event will also be livestreamed. If you would prefer to watch the livestream, please book tickets here.