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Saturday Sessions with Alphabet Soup

Think outside the box with a wacky and wonderful interactive workshop for 5 – 11 year olds, led by A Line Art, where you can let your creative side shine.

Part of Open Doors

More details for The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall

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Our Saturday Sessions are a perfect place to start the weekend, with different performances and creative activities for children and their adults each week – all for free. Watch a new performance, make something with artists and come together to create and play with other little performers, makers and creators.

November’s Saturday Session is led by A Line Art. Experience the enchanting world of words and music with acclaimed poet and performer Arji Manuelpillai, joined by jazz guitarist Matt Smith, at a workshop and performance celebrating the words of cookery. Expect poetry, rap, freestyles and sing-along classics.

The day ends with a Ballroom Boogie led by Lyvonne the Don where we encourage everyone to move, dance and shake it out with the people you came with and the friends you’ve made throughout the session.

Lyvonne the Don is a multi-genre DJ, host and entertainer. Her speciality? Curating a unique and welcoming environment, where people can be their most confident and carefree selves. She mixes deep cuts and chart toppers from various genres (Afrobeats, hip-hop and more) to create an unforgettable musical experience.

Every month, we bring together brilliant artists and London’s children to experience top quality work in a playful setting. Saturday Sessions welcomes everyone into the Southbank Centre to make, do and create. Come on down and discover the inner artist in us all.

Need to know

Age guidance

For ages 5 – 11

Event information

Saturday Sessions are free, drop-in events with no booking required.

We also offer Relaxed Sessions, an adapted version for families who may benefit from a more chilled out space.

Saturday Sessions is part of our Open Doors programme to welcome everyone into our creative spaces.

For your visit

This event is held at the The Clore Ballroom Southbank Centre

The Clore Ballroom is open six days a week.

Tuesday, 10am – 6pm*
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.

*If we’re hosting a performance, the building will stay open until the event ends.

A smilie black woman dancing in The Clore Ballroom

A diverse group of people, including elderly women, joyfully dance together indoors, wearing green scarves, in a lively, well-lit setting

A flutist wearing all white, standing on a small stage

A tabla workshop in The Clore Ballroom. The instructor is cross-legged on a stage, with people playing instruments in front of him.

A vintage orchestra play on a stage in the Clore Ballroom, a band leader dressed in white stands in front of them; couples in vintage dress dance on the dancefloor

A man in a red shirt leading a dance class in the Clore Ballroom

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.

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.

There is step-free access to The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, via a ramp.

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.

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.

Other places to eat and drink whilst you’re here