Troublemakers and Prophets
Elizabeth Allen and Other Visionary Artists
Exhibitions
Saturday 28th March - Monday 31st August 2026
"From detailed beadwork to large-scale sculpture, these pieces transform everyday chaos into something fantastical, reflective and urgent."
About the Exhibition
Discover a bold, immersive exhibition exploring art, isolation and extraordinary vision.
Elizabeth Allen’s creations are absurd, darkly funny, and strikingly prophetic. In this exhibition she is joined by a host of other “visionary artists” who invite you to step into a vibrant, topsy-turvy world where 12 of her works are displayed alongside more than 15 artists who also saw life differently. Over four rooms, explore bold responses to contemporary life from artists who turn struggle into powerful visual statements.
Known as Queen, Allen was on the cusp of wider recognition when she died in 1967, after years of living in a cabin in the forest. Her work reveals a life shaped by fierce conviction and apocalyptic vision. This exhibition includes the first public showing of Queen’s handmade textile autobiography – the ‘Autobiraggraphy’.
Queen’s textile proclamations lead a chorus of works made from fragments – toys, furniture, clothing, news, religion and folklore. From detailed beadwork to large-scale sculpture, these pieces transform everyday chaos into something fantastical, reflective and urgent.
Troublemakers and Prophets features work by
Elizabeth Allen, Eleanor May Watson, Helen Chadwick, George Storm Fletcher, Lou Lou Sainsbury, Grace Currie Magic Artist, Uma Breakdown, Louise Odes Neaderland, Lily van Oost, Sian Newlove-Drew, Jesse Jones, Penny Slinger, Mireille Delice, Suzanne Treister, Saroj Patel, Rebecca Nassauer, Grace Ndiritu, Aradne and the Rita Keegan Archive Project (with patchwork contributions by Ego Ahaiwe Sowinski, Ajamu, Charlie and Kate Boxer, Pat Brown, Althea Greenan, Catherine Grant, Joy Gregory, Anna Harding, Hiroko Hagiwara, Zhi Holloway, Terry Humphrey, Bhajan Hunjan, Symrath Kaur Patti, Amoke Kubat, Samia Malik, Ruth E. Morgan, Virginia Nimarkoh, Georgina Obaya Evans, Elizabeth Oniri, Ingrid Pollard and Olive Pollard, Raju Sachi Singh, Michelle Williams Gamaker, Jacqueline Wright, Keegan Xavi, Rehana Zaman)
Prices and Information
Booking is required
Location & Navigation
- The exhibition is located on the first floor and can be accessed by lift or via 27 steps (split into three sections, with handrails on the left when ascending).
- Go through the Chinese gallery space. You’ll see the exhibition title on the wall through a doorway straight ahead of you.
- The exhibition is made of four consecutive rooms. You enter and exit the exhibition via the same door.
Labels
- Before you enter the gallery space, on the walls of the corridor, there is a timeline of Elizabeth Allen’s life and an introduction to the exhibition.
- The interpretation text for each artwork is printed on matte wall-mounted labels in font size 18.
- There are large print versions of the labels together in a handout just inside the exhibition by the entrance.
- There are small wall-mounted hand icons by pieces you can interact with and touch.
- There are wall-mounted QR codes next to 11 of the works on display. Scan this code with the camera on your smartphone to listen to an audio description of the work followed by further insight and context about the piece.
Lighting
- The blinds on all windows are closed throughout, meaning there is no daylight.
- The lighting level throughout the exhibition measures 50 lux.
- Some exhibits are spot lit. There is a luminous artwork on the wall in the first room – it’s a photo mounted on a light box.
- In the second room, there is a holographic light fan positioned high on the wall in the right hand corner (as you enter). This gives a flickering effect. If you have Epilepsy, please speak to a member of the team as the fan can be paused.
Seating
- There is one cushioned seat with a back in the second room, positioned to watch a film.
- There are two sofas in the fourth room, positioned to watch a separate film.
- Light, folding, portable stools are available and can be collected from a rack situated outside the lift on the first floor landing.
Sensory
- There is a member of the Compton Verney team stationed in each of the four rooms. They are there to look after both you and the art on display.
- There is a small projector in the first room. You push a button to start the carousel of slides. There is a quiet ticking noise as the slides move through their sequence.
- There is a holographic LED light fan in the second room which flickers. Please speak to a team member if you have Epilepsy; we can temporarily pause this for you.
- The fan emits a soft ‘white noise’.
- Also in the second room, a short film (3 mins) is projected onto the wall. There are headphones available to hear the sound. The speech is subtitled.
- In the final room, there is a film playing on a large screen with speaker sound. At points, this is loud and you may be able to hear it in the third and second room.
- On the walls, next to the artworks by Elizabeth Allen are tactile labels that have been made by Compton Verney volunteers; each one closely matches the design and materials used in the artwork it relates to. You are welcome to touch these.
- There are wall-mounted QR codes next to 11 of the works on display. Scan this code using the camera on your smartphone to listen to an audio description of the work followed by further insight and context about the piece.
- Each recording lasts between two and three minutes
- You can listen to them in any order
- Visitors may be listening to the audio tour quietly on their phones as you walk through the gallery spaces
We advise you check with the venue regarding any chances to their opening time / availability before arriving
Schedule
Mon 30th March 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 31st March 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 1st April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 2nd April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 3rd April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 4th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 5th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 6th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 7th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 8th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 9th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 10th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 11th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 12th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 13th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 14th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 15th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 16th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 17th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 18th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 19th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 20th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 21st April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 22nd April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 23rd April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 24th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 25th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 26th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 27th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 28th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 29th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 30th April 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 1st May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 2nd May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 3rd May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 4th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 5th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 6th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 7th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 8th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 9th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 10th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 11th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 12th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 13th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 14th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 15th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 16th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 17th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 18th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 19th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 20th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 21st May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 22nd May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 23rd May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 24th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 25th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 26th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 27th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 28th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 29th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 30th May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 31st May 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 1st June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 2nd June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 3rd June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 4th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 5th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 6th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 7th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 8th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 9th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 10th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 11th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 12th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 13th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 14th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 15th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 16th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 17th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 18th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 19th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 20th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 21st June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 22nd June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 23rd June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 24th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 25th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 26th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 27th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 28th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 29th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 30th June 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 1st July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 2nd July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 3rd July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 4th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 5th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 6th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 7th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 8th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 9th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 10th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 11th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 12th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 13th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 14th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 15th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 16th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 17th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 18th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 19th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 20th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 21st July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 22nd July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 23rd July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 24th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 25th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 26th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 27th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 28th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 29th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 30th July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 31st July 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 1st August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 2nd August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 3rd August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 4th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 5th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 6th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 7th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 8th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 9th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 10th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 11th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 12th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 13th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 14th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 15th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 16th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 17th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 18th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 19th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 20th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 21st August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 22nd August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 23rd August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 24th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Tue 25th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Wed 26th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Thu 27th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Fri 28th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sat 29th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 30th August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Mon 31st August 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Past Dates
Sat 28th March 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Sun 29th March 2026 10:00am to 05:00pm
Category Exhibition
Email info@comptonverney.org.uk
Phone 01926645500
Address Compton Verney Warwickshire CV35 9HZ