Soho Swimming Club Penney Cup Gala, 2025

Tom Pope presents The Soho Swimming Club Penny Cup Gala at Soho House. This one-day performance and installation saw Pope take over the roof top pool of 180 Strand. Pope created a photographic archive for the fictional Soho Swimming Club with imagery displayed at the gala.

The installation was brought to life through 2 participatory performances that saw members of the public take part in series of short playful swimming races invented by Pope. A bespoke trophy and medals were made out of ceramic, with all participants receiving a medal and the winner receiving the trophy.

Kate Bryan: Chief Art Director at Soho House said:

“I love Tom’s work for his playfulness and originality - dealing with big themes around class, notions of perfection, psychology of games and invisible hierarchies but always with a lightness of touch, a warm humour and an invitation to enjoy his work on your own terms.”

The Soho Swimming Club Penny Cup Gala subverts the traditional format of a swimming gala by removing the skilled competitiveness and replaces it with playful races not reliant on technique or physical ability. This artwork draws on Pope’s long running exploration into play as a vehicle for socialising, fun and the bringing together of people.

Photographs by: Rio Carciero and Mary Findley