Events

University or College events, which are open to everyone, are listed here.

If you're thinking about applying for an undergraduate degree at Oxford, please also see the information on open days, events and visiting for potential undergraduates.

Online and part-time courses at the University, as well as weekly classes, are offered at the Department for Continuing Education. Please see the course listing for more information.

Image of study of a kingfisher, John Ruskin watercolour (1871)

Colour Revolution: Victorian Art, Fashion & Design

21 Sep 2023 to 18 Feb 2024

From dazzling dyes in chic corsets and the flamboyant use of nature's beauty in exquisite jewellery, to the shimmering splendour of ceramics and bold experiments by avant-garde painters, rediscover Victorian society as a vibrant colour-filled era in this major new exhibition. As Britain’s industrial revolution gained pace, new scientific breakthroughs allowed the Victorians to become increasingly revolutionary in their use of colour, with new hues greeted with both excitement and suspicion. Featuring works by artists including Ruskin, Rossetti and Whistler, and objects from around the world, this exhibition explores the vital role that colour has played in shaping our art and culture. Image: Study of a kingfisher, John Ruskin watercolour (1871). Copyright: Ashmolean Museum.

Red, green and yellow Black History Month words on a black background

When Will We Be Free? Scenes from a Historical Memoir on Colonialism and Freedom

Tuesday 10 October

Simukai Chigudu previews a chapter from the book he is currently writing, When Will We Be Free? Living in the Shadow of Empire and the Struggle for Decolonisation for the annual Black History Month lecture at Kellogg College. Chigudu interweaves his personal and family story with the history of Africa’s anti-colonial struggles from the 1950s to the present, with the hopes and frustrations of African independence, and with Britain’s public whitewashing of its colonial history in order to provide an intimate and nuanced account of colonization not merely as a historical or political phenomenon but as something that inescapably affects a person’s heart and mind, a person’s sense of identity and home — and he investigates what it would mean to be truly free of it.

Image of a young seedling with beams of sunlight on it

Have plants tapped into the fountain of eternal youth?

Thursday 19 October

Aging is irreversible… or is it? Vitality declines with age in humans and other animals, but do plants experience the same trajectory? Join Dr Roberto Salguero-Gómez, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, as he discusses some of the research from his lab group exploring mechanisms plants use to postpone the onset of aging. 'Have plants tapped into the fountain of eternal youth?' is the first Autumn Science Lecture 2023 from Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum. The series of talks from five distinguished speakers working in the field of plant sciences are free and open to all. Other talks in the series include 'Prescribing Nature: Understanding what happens when we see, touch and smell nature' and 'Tropical forests and planet earth: A macroscope view'.