Oxford Festival Of The Arts kicks off this week with a stunning programme of concerts, exhibitions, events, theatre, art, music, film and more, with a dazzling array of global names attending, and events taking place right across Oxford.
This year’s theme Signs, Symbols..& Secrets has allowed the organisers to not only surround the festival in mystery but have some fun with it, via its inspired programme of music, literature, art, photography, private collections, talks and discussions.
Here is our round-up of some of the fascinating, must see events to see and book now:
If We Choose to Look Photography Exhibition. Apr 20 – 24, Bonn Square – The PhotoBridge Project brings you face to face with communities in Kenya, Syria, India, Sri Lanka, Haiti and the USA, who, in the face of environmental, political, and social challenges, show what courage, solidarity, and the human spirit can achieve. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/if-we-choose-to-look-photography-exhibition/
St John’s College: The Silver Collection, Apr 20, 2pm & 3pm. Two one hour-long sessions exploring the silver collections past and present, and new commissions, juxtaposing modern pieces with items from the college’s historical collections. A rare sighting! https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/the-silver-collection/
A feather on the breath of God – VOICE, May 10, St Bartholomew’s Chapel, 4pm. German medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179) was a great spiritual leader, theologian, mystic, scientist, and composer. This special programme celebrates the 900th anniversary of Bartlemas Chapel – founded in 1126 by Henry I – with a programme of original medieval works by Hildegard, and contemporary music inspired by her. Don’t miss the post-performance conversation with Dr Anna Beer on ‘The Forgotten Women of Classical Music’. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/a-feather-on-the-breath-of-god-voice/
Usha dapur Kar: Fragments from my Other Life, Kendrew Barn, St John’s College, 11 – 25 May, 11am – 6pm – a series of paintings exploring the parallels, gains and losses of her international heritage, and the juxtaposition of a life lived and a life imagined, through the eyes of a child. Usha creates paintings and mixed media installations to stimulate reflection and conversation about social and climate justice. Entrance is free and on Thursdays the exhibition is open until 8pm. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/usha-dapur-kar-fragments-from-my-other-life/
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari – Silent Film with live improvised organ accompaniment, May 11, 9pm, Magdalen College Chapel. The first in this year’s silent film collection, here with improvised music on the grand Eule Organ played by David Bednall to the seminal German Expressionist horror film directed by Robert Wiene. It follows Francis, who recounts how the sinister Dr. Caligari uses sleepwalker Cesare to commit murder, utilizing jarring, twisted sets to mirror a distorted, nightmarish reality and a twisty ending. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari/
Purcell The Musical, Jun 6, Grove Auditorium, Magdalen College, 7.30pm – A concert play by award-winning writer Clare Norburn, directed by BAFTA-nominated director Nicholas Renton and set in 1695 where we meet hailed English Baroque composer Henry Purcell in his final illness. Here the past, present and fantasy collide, and his songs take on a life of their own as he revisits his childhood memories. Interwoven with Purcell’s compositions, from bawdy theatre ballads and joyful celebrations of love, to slow airs, a ‘mad song’, and numbers from his semi-operas. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/purcell-the-musical/
Qu Lei Lei & Caroline Deane Exhibition & Installation, June 19 – 28, OVADA. An exhibition with a message: aside from our geo-political position, our social status, or our ethnicity, we share one thing: we are all human. It demonstrates how, despite being affected by greed, war, corruption, abuse of power, and environmental destruction, our resilience, courage, and ability to constantly pick ourselves up in the face of adversity, remains a constant. Entrance is free https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/qu-lei-lei-caroline-deane-exhibition-installation/
Early Music Weekend, June 20 – 21, Magdalen College Chapel and New College. In collaboration with Continuo Foundation. Enjoy an inspiring series of concerts celebrating the finest early music. Book individual events below, or take advantage of daily and full‑weekend passes. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/early-music-weekend/
Echoes of the Spanish Baroque Lowe Ensemble, June 21, 4pm-5pm, Grove Auditorium, Magdalen College. Featuring works by Spanish, French, Italian and English composers deeply influenced by Spanish culture and language. Notable highlights include Handel’s rare and colourful profane Spanish cantata No se emendará jamás and Lully’s Sé que me muero de amor from ‘Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme’. Lowe Ensemble is also thrilled to present the debut performance of their own arrangement of ‘Fandango, R. 146’ by Antonio Soler. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/echoes-of-the-spanish-baroque-lowe-ensemble/
THE OXFORD PROM! London Symphony Chorus, June 24, Oxford Town Hall, 7.30pm-9.30pm. An evening of great music-making, beloved choral works and a chorus of over 120 singers! LSC Chorus Director Mariana Rosas, and director of the Oxford Festival of the Arts, Michelle Castelletti, will share the podium for an evening of glorious works, including immortal pieces such as Handel’s Zadok the Priest; Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’, O Fortuna; Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem (German Requiem), Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius; Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, Stanford’s Beati Quorum Via, Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque, Ginastera’s O vos omnes, Bruckner’s Os Iusti and Parry’s I was glad. Join in, in prom-like fashion! https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/the-oxford-prom-london-symphony-chorus/
THE FESTIVAL ROSE GARDEN HUB, MCS, 26 June – 12 July, 5pm – 10.30pm. Festival cocktails, a glorious rose garden in full bloom with its iconic white bridges across the river – an idyllic setting; music wafting in the air, and sometimes dancing. Join some of the best local gig musicians at the Festival Hub, plus a few new faces! https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/notes-fizz-the-festival-rose-garden-hub/
The Curious World of Hieronymus Bosch in collaboration with EXHIBITION ON SCREEN, Jun 27, 2.30pm, Weston Library. After 500 years Bosch’s paintings still shock and fascinate. Delve into the vivid imagination of this true visionary in this remarkable new film directed by David Bickerstaff which features the exhibition ‘Hieronymus Bosch – Visions of Genius’ at Het Noordbrabants Museum in the southern Netherlands, which attracted almost half a million art lovers from all over the world. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/the-curious-world-of-hieronymus-bosch/
Grains of … Sound – piano and sand art, June 29, Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, St Hilda’s College. In collaboration with Soundscapes, the narrative of the music is brought to life through the captivating visual storytelling of sand art animation.The references to Pictures at an Exhibition’ by Mussorgsky is accompanied by Erica Abelardo manipulating sand, evolving the artwork in real time, complementing the virtuoso performance of pianist Jacopo Petrucci to the poetry of Aloysius Bertrand. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/grains-of-sound-piano-and-sand-art/
Festival Cèilidh with Moonaroon, Jun 30, 6:30 pm, Festival Hall, Magdalen College School. Founded in Oxford in the legendary Half Moon pub, The Moonaroon Cèilidh Band have been performing together since 2019. They combine a traditional Irish sound inspired by Fleadh-winning bands of recent years to give audiences a thrilling night of dancing that feels rooted in tradition, with fabulous fiddles and irresistible rhythms. The caller will teach each dance before starting it so no prior knowledge is required! https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/ceilidh-with-moonaroon/
Kids and Art for Ukraine. July 1 – 10, Kendrew Barn, St John’s College. Launched in the summer of 2022 in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, its mission is to support children affected by the conflict by providing humanitarian aid, medical assistance, and educational resources, while offering psychological and therapeutic relief from the harsh realities of war. Each piece by Ukrainian children tells their unique story – not just as expressions of creativity but as symbols of resilience and hope. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/kids-and-art-for-ukraine/
Unsung, The Wartime Violin, July 1, 7:30 pm, Holywell Music Room. Award-winning artists Fenella Humphreys, Nicola Eimer, and Leah Broad bring you WW2 through the lives of women musicians who entertained the troops, kept hope alive on the Home Front, and fought for their country in secret. Introducing Avril Coleridge Taylor, whose wartime compositions have remained unheard until now. Meet violinist Alma Rosé, who went from a celebrity violinist to the leader of the women’s orchestra in Auschwitz — and ballerina Tatiana Vecheslova, who survived performing on the Eastern Front and in Leningrad under siege, amongst others. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/unsung-the-wartime-violin/
Preludes, Fugues and Fantasies, July 2, 7:30pm, Holywell Music Room featuring Steven Devine. We are in for a treat with that most intimate of sounds – the clavichord – in Europe’s oldest purpose-built concert hall with music by J.S. Bach, and W.F. Bach, and Ludwig van Beethoven, including “early music versions” as well as the ‘Crab Canon’ and the six-part Ricercare from ‘The Musical Offering’ BWV 1079, together with Beethoven’s Two Preludes through all the Major Keys. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/preludes-fugues-and-fantasies/
Unversed…by Beckis Cooper, July 4,The Painted Room, 2.30pm and 6.30pm in collaboration with the Oxford Preservation Trust. Step into the world of Antonia, an ambitious young actor in 17th century London, as she discovers a newly printed copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio. In a world where women are forbidden from gracing the stage, Antonia dares to rehearse Shakespeare’s female characters, grappling with her role both onstage and in society. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/unversed-by-beckis-cooper-2-30/
Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found – Andrew Graham-Dixon, July 7, 6pm – 7:15 pm, Festival Hall, Magdalen College School. Join the acclaimed art historian for a revelatory talk on his groundbreaking new biography, Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found. Drawing on newly uncovered archival material from Delft, Rotterdam, and beyond, Graham-Dixon offers a dramatic reassessment of Johannes Vermeer and fresh interpretations of beloved masterpieces, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, A View of Delft, The Milkmaid, and Woman Reading a Letter. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/vermeer-a-life-lost-and-found/
Songs of a Secret Garden Eleanor and Gus, July 7, Holywell Music Room. Eleanor Grant (vocals, double bass) & Gus McQuade (guitar) met as students at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and quickly became aware of a mutual enthusiasm for mixing old with new, and bringing obscure and unknown repertoire to life. Recipients of the Musician’s Company New Elizabethan Award, a debut performance at Wigmore Hall in 2023 and performances all over the UK, don’t miss out. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/songs-of-a-secret-garden-eleanor-and-gus/
An Evening With James Naughtie in conversation with BBC Correspondent, Rob Watson, July 7, 8pm, Festival Hall, Magdalen College School. One of the country’s best-known broadcasters, special correspondent for BBC News, presenter of Today on Radio 4 for 21 years, documentary writer, Radio 4’s Bookclub host, and author. Rob Watson is a distinguished journalist and and political correspondent, who has been working for BBC since 1983. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/an-evening-with-james-naughtie-in-conversation-with-bbc-correspondent-rob-watson/
Celebrating Ivor Novello, July 8, 6.30pm – 7.30pm, MCS Festival Hall. From his early years as a chorister at Magdalen College School, Ivor Novello went on to become the biggest figure in British theatre for much of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He died 75 years ago, just hours after performing the lead role in one of his own smash-hit musicals. Alex Thomas (Head of Drama) will be joined by MCS Old Waynfletes to recreate songs and scenes from his works and pay tribute to the man who was known in the industry as ‘Dear Ivor’. MCS will also be exhibiting artefacts relating to Ivor Novello’s life and career, including school records of his time at the school. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/celebrating-ivor-novello/
Sarah Cracknell lead singer of legendary indie band Saint Etienne, talks about the secret of their success over many decades with Helen Pike, July 9, MCS Festival Hall, 7.30pm. Saint Etienne has always been a welcome purveyor of fresh pop, dance and ambient fusion. With Sarah Cracknell’s breathy, ethereal vocal sending shivers down the spine, be there to hear the back stories and ask yur own questions. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/sarah-cracknell-in-conversation-with-helen-pike/
LP Swing Orchestra – Luck be a Lady! with Georgina Jackson, Nicola Emmanuelle and Julia Sullivan. Fresh from their acclaimed Sky Arts show ‘100 Years of Big Bands’, the LP Swing Orchestra comes to Oxford with a brand-new celebration of swing as this reimagined ‘Ratpack’ style trio takes you on a journey back to the golden age of the big band. You’ll hear classics from Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland, alongside iconic Big Band favourites and hidden gems from some of the era’s more unsung voices. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/lp-swing-orchestra-luck-be-a-lady/
The Age of Silver and Gold, July 11, 7pm, University Church SMV. A wonderful coming together of minds – a conversation between the Director of the Oxford Festival of the Arts, and the Director of Musical Performance & Performance Studies at the University of Oxford, famous pianist Dr Maria Razumovskaya, each with their own fin de siècle. One, the Silver Age of Russian poetry, and how composers like Schubert impacted Russian and European pre-revolutionary creatives; the other the Vienna Secession. Accompanied by students from the Faculty of Music, University of Oxford. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/the-age-of-silver-and-gold/
Sir Philip Pullman in conversation with Professor Kristen Poole. July 12, 5pm, Weston Library. For the final event of the festival, Sir Philip will be discussing signs, symbols… and secrets together with Professor Kristen Poole. Best known for his novels ‘His Dark Materials’ and ‘The Book of Dust’ he has lived in Oxford for most of his life. Professor Kristen Poole’s most recent book is Philip Pullman and the Historical imagination: Seventeenth-Century Literature, Science, and Religion in His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust, so just the person for the job! https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/sir-philip-pullman-in-conversation-with-professor-kristen-poole/
Oxford Festival Of The Arts runs from April 15-July 12. For more details go to https://artsfestivaloxford.org/whats-on/
