Past Events

Sat 21 Mar, 11–12pm Lecture Theatre With Madeleine Harrison, PhD Candidate, The Courtauld Institute of Art Moran’s Autumn Afternoon, the Wissahickon pictures 19th-century America at its most bucolic and pastoral. It was painted, however, amidst a conflict that threatened to tear the young country apart. Examine Moran’s landscape as an allegory of contested national identity. Booking essential.

2020 marks the 20th anniversary of our annual Choral Pilgrimage tour. Since 2000 we have travelled the length and breadth of the UK, discovering some of the country’s most beautiful architecture and building relationships with wonderful communities, many of which we return to year after year. This year’s tour focuses on Rome, a city which has inspired countless pilgrimages, and where each of the four composers in this year’s programme created some of their finest work. Performers The Sixteen Harry Christophers conductor Programme…

Learn about the untold stories and hidden narratives of empire, trade and transatlantic slavery through this contemporary art installation inspired by the Ashmolean’s European Ceramics collection. A cup of tea represents comfort for many of us, but every sip connects us to the legacy of the British Empire, global trade and transatlantic slavery. The fashion for drinking sweetened tea from China inspired the luxury tea sets in the Ashmolean European Ceramics Gallery. Behind this wealth was the brutal exploitation of enslaved…

Bring a smile to mum's face with our special Vintage Afternoon Tea and live music. There is no better way to bring a smile to mum’s face than treating her to Afternoon Tea on Mother’s Day. Settle in to the elegant Victorian dining room of Bletchley Park’s iconic mansion house, where the Codebreakers dined.  Your Vintage Afternoon Tea will be accompanied by live music from Alison Carter, who’s rich mellow tones come through in her own style of Vintage Lounge Jazz…

A stirring programme of music inspired by the Reformation and sixteenth century, featuring Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Mendelssohn’s soaring Fifth Symphony.

Thu 26 Mar, 2–4pm Lecture Theatre With Linda Farrar, Archaeologist and Lecturer Learn about the vast trade network of the Phoenicians, the goods traded and their trading partners, who included the Greeks and Etruscans, as well as people in Sardinia and southern Spain. This is an Afternoon Tea Talk, with tea and cakes provided. Booking essential.

Wantage Country Market is held in the Museum Cafe every Friday morning. The best place to buy fresh homemade goodies such as jams, chutneys and cakes as well as home grown fruit, vegetables and flowers. They also have some crafts, including cards, aprons & knitted baby wear. *Please note this market is not organised by the Museum, the Wantage Country Market is a separate organisation.

Fri 27 Mar, 1–2pm Lecture Theatre With Sarah Hardy, De Morgan Curator Both worked on the outskirts of Pre-Raphaelitism and aestheticism, tackling ambitious subjects of love, spirituality, and time, to create beautiful artworks. Join De Morgan Curator, Sarah Hardy, to discover the previously ignored professional and personal relationship between these artists. Booking essential.

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the Museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to music, and relax at the bar with friends after work. Why not book a table for dinner at our Rooftop Restaurant? General entry is free, but tickets are needed for the exhibition and talk. Please note that not all galleries will be open. The Ashmolean is open late until 8pm every last Friday of the month.

Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang (b. 1957) is best-known for his gunpowder explosion events staged in public spaces worldwide and, in particular, for his firework display for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This exhibition focuses on the artist’s smaller-scale works, exploring the presence of Chinese culture in his art through the mediums of painting, drawing, and gunpowder on canvas, paper and silk. Learn about the significance behind the materials Cai Guo-Qiang chooses to work with, as…

Since 2008 the University of Winchester has worked with the Stanford In The Vale community to research the archaeology of their village. This project, directed by David Ashby, revealed the origins and growth of the settlement from it's earliest beginnings to the present day. The key findings and objects from the fascinating excavations will be on display in this special exhibition. Free admission but donations welcome. This exhibition runs from 25th January til 25th April 2020