The Oxford Magazine

Pets & their People
2026-03-11 00:00 - 2026-09-27 23:59 (Europe/London) | Bodleian Library – Old Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom
Pets & their People

About Pets & their People

We have been domesticating animals for over ten thousand years. But why do we want tame wolves in our homes or wild cats on our laps?

This exhibition explores the relationship between humans and their pets – or pets and their humans.

Pets & their People draws on depictions of pets in stories, imagery and poetry in the Bodleian’s collection – from one of the earliest recorded depictions of an assistance dog for the blind to a rare copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that has never been displayed in the UK before.

The exhibition asks how the special bond between owners and their pets has evolved over time, and what that evolution tells us about who we really are.

Are we taming our pets, or are they bringing us back to our wild roots?

Exhibition book

Pets & their People

By Charles Foster

Exhibition book – Pets & their People

Bestselling author Charles Foster provides an extraordinary mix of psychology, science and cultural history as he explores the fascinating relationship between humans and their pets.

These wonderful images are actually postcards, collected by the artist Tom Phillips (1937–2022) and part of the archive donated to the Bodleian Libraries.

Dating from the c1890s – 1960s, they capture different relationships between people and the animals around them.

Call for submissions

As part of the exhibition, the Bodleian Libraries are inviting members of the public to contribute to a contemporary record of people and their pets. Participants are encouraged to submit photographs featuring themselves and their pets, either by recreating images from the Tom Phillips postcard collection or by sharing original photographs inspired by the theme.

Send them to socialmedia@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. When you submit, please include:

Your name/handle

Your pet’s name

A rough geographic place and date

Terms and conditions

By submitting an image to the Bodleian Libraries, you confirm that:

You have taken the photograph or have permission from the copyright holder to share it.

All individuals featured in the image have given their consent for it to be used, or if under the age of 18, consent has been obtained by a parent or guardian.

You are happy for the Bodleian Libraries to share the image across its website, social media channels and other digital channels.

Participants may withdraw their consent at any time by contacting socialmedia@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Free admission. No ticket required.

Dates & times:

Wednesday 11 March to Sunday 27 September 2026

Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm

Saturday from 9.00am to 4.30pm

Sunday from 11.00am to 5.00pm

Location:

ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library

Anna Ridler: A Perfect Language of Images
2026-04-25 00:00 - 2026-08-31 23:59 | Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG
Anna Ridler: A Perfect Language of Images

About Anna Ridler: A Perfect Language of Images

Anna Ridler is an artist whose work explores the creative and societal possibilities of artificial intelligence, often through self-built datasets that question how knowledge is constructed, classified, and shared.

An Oxford University alumna, her work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the V&A and the Centre Pompidou, and she has been recognised by Ars Electronica and Artnet as one of nine pioneering artists working with AI.

The digital artwork, created in collaboration with Dr William Poole from the Faculty of English at the University of Oxford, brings together three pieces by Ridler under the title A Perfect Language of Images.

It is inspired by Oxford scholar John Wilkins’ 1668 attempt to classify the world through a universal philosophical language, and Jorge Luis Borges’ later critique of such systems as inherently incomplete and unstable.

Drawing these ideas into conversation with contemporary machine learning, the work reflects on how generative systems inherit the same ambition towards totalising order, while continually revealing its limits.

In doing so, Ridler’s installation exposes the tension between classification and complexity, highlighting what can be approximated, what resists categorisation, and what ultimately escapes representation.

Work 1:+

A Catalogue of Exceptions shows some of the things that strain or fail to fit within Wilkins’ taxonomy. Throughout the system there are acknowledged difficulties; organisms that are “imperfect”, “strange originals” and things suspended in “betwixt” categories: coral that is neither mineral nor plant, fungi that “seem to want” essential parts, zoophytes suspended between kingdoms.

Created using roughly a decade of different generative systems (2016–2025), each with its own unique aesthetic, and trained on imagery drawn from Wilkins’ own descriptions, it becomes almost a cabinet of curiosities, even as the logic that links each image remains unstable or not immediately legible.

Work 2:+

Between Things displays Wilkins’ phrases as evidence of classification under pressure—instances where his system hesitates, hedges, and cannot decide. Handwritten text is rendered large and placed into the environment as a record of doubt, but one that is only visible at 3am, for an hour.

Work 3:+

An Infinity of Lists assembles Wilkins’ language itself, showing every word used in his system, first mapped to the hierarchy he imposed, then gradually reframed through the logic of word2vec.

Over the duration of the work the mapping shifts from the symbolic architecture of Wilkins’ invented order toward statistical relations in learned embedding space. The piece flutters between word, image, and symbol, making visible how translation across systems and across time changes what counts as related.

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Dates & times:

Open daily. No booking needed.

Location:

Great Hall

About Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is a major new cultural and academic landmark for the University of Oxford, bringing together seven humanities faculties with performance, exhibition, and public engagement spaces under one roof. Located in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, it is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration while opening the humanities to a wider public through events, performances, and year-round programming.

At its heart are world-class venues including a concert hall, theatre, cinema, recital spaces, and galleries, supported by flexible teaching and meeting facilities. A central atrium acts as a social hub, blending academic life with informal gathering spaces, cafés, and exhibitions. More than a university facility, the Centre functions as a civic cultural destination, connecting scholarship with creative practice and strengthening Oxford’s wider cultural life.

View venue information

Wonder of Birds Exhibition
2026-05-02 00:00 - 2027-01-03 23:59 | Bodleian Library – Old Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom
Wonder of Birds Exhibition

About Wonder of Birds Exhibition

A major new exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries invites visitors to step into the remarkable world of birds, exploring their beauty, symbolism and fragility through art, literature and science.

Wonder of Birds draws inspiration from The Book of Birds, created by artist Jackie Morris and writer Robert Macfarlane. Both the exhibition and the book reflect on the decline of bird populations while celebrating their cultural and natural significance.

Curated by Antonia Harrison, the exhibition unfolds through seven themed sections – from nest and egg to feather, flight and migration – combining original artwork and writing with treasures from the Bodleian’s extensive collections.

Visitors can explore rare and historic material, including previously unseen glass plate negatives by pioneering wildlife photographer Emma Louisa Turner, alongside early nature photography from Richard Kearton and his brother Cherry.

Also on display are striking life-size illustrations from Birds of America by John James Audubon, as well as a rare Great Auk egg on loan from Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

The exhibition also highlights birds’ enduring influence on culture, featuring works such as Maya Angelou’s ‘Caged Bird’ and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s handwritten notes on ‘To a Skylark’. Global perspectives include imagery from The Book of the Fixed Stars and the poetic journey of The Conference of the Birds.

Enhancing the experience, a specially commissioned soundscape by sound artist Jason Singh immerses visitors in birdsong and natural environments, while artist duo Daniel & Clara present an interactive ‘Rewilding Imagination field guide’.

Wonder of Birds poster

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Free admission, no ticket required

Dates & times:

Saturday 02 May 2026 to Sunday 03 January 2027

Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pmSaturday from 10.00am to 5.00pmSunday from 11.00am to 4.00pm

Location:

The Treasury, Weston Library

The Muddle of the Muses
2026-05-23 00:00 - 2026-09-04 23:59 | Weston Library, Oxford, Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3BG
The Muddle of the Muses

About The Muddle of the Muses

Where have the iconic Muses from on top of the Clarendon Building gone?

Removed for conservation in 2023, several of the Muses have been conserved or newly cast in lead.

As part of The Muddle of the Muses, three of the statues will be on display in Blackwell Hall: Clio representing History (original lead statue), Calliope representing Epic Poetry (lead reproduction) and Polyhymnia representing Rhetoric (original statue).

Don’t miss this rare chance to see these remarkable sculptures at eye level and discover the intriguing story behind their conservation.

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Free event

Dates & times:

Saturday 23 May to Friday 04 September 2026

Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm

Saturday and Sunday from 10.00am to 4.00pm

Location:

Blackwell Hall

34: The critical raw materials shaping our future
2026-06-17 00:00 - 2027-04-13 23:59 | Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire
34: The critical raw materials shaping our future

About Breaking Ground

34: The Critical Raw Materials Shaping Our Future is a major new exhibition at Oxford University Museum of Natural History explores the hidden materials that power modern life — from smartphones and batteries to medical equipment and jet engines.

The exhibition examines the 34 raw materials considered essential to the UK’s future, revealing the global supply chains, ethical challenges and scientific innovations behind the minerals that underpin everyday technology.

Developed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oxford’s Oxford EARTH Programme and departments across the physical, life and social sciences, the exhibition explores how increasing demand for green energy and digital technology is transforming the global race for critical materials.

Visitors can discover why substances such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements are so important to modern society, why supply chains are becoming increasingly fragile, and how scientists and industry are searching for more sustainable and ethical ways to source, use and recycle these materials.

Through interactive displays, scientific research, historic objects and contemporary technologies, the exhibition examines the future of extraction, sustainability and resource security, while highlighting the environmental and geopolitical challenges linked to critical raw materials.

Designed for audiences of all ages, the exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks, workshops, tours and family activities exploring the science, ethics and global impact of the materials shaping our future.

What are critical raw materials?

Critical raw materials are those essential to key technologies but their supply may be limited, unsustainable or unethical. Critical raw materials tend to have unique chemical properties which make them difficult to replace in technology. The UK government includes 34 raw materials on its designated critical list, but lists vary from country to country.

aluminium

antimony

bismuth

borates

cobalt

gallium

germanium

hafnium

helium

indium

iridium

iron

lithium

magnesite

magnesium

manganese

natural graphite

nickel

niobium

phosphorus

platinum

rare earth elements (REEs)

rhenium

rhodium

ruthenium

silicon

sodium

tantalum

tellurium

tin

titanium

tungsten

vanadium

zinc

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Prices:

Entry to the Museum is FREE and not ticketed.

No booking required.

Booking is required for organisations/groups of more than ten people visiting on the same day.

Opening hours:

Monday to Sunday from 10.00am to 5.00pm

Last entry at 4.45pm

Closed on 24, 25, & 26 December

Accessibility:

Please contact the friendly team at the museum by telephone (01865 272 950) or email (foh@oum.ox.ac.uk)

Gallery

Click images to expand

Battery Ores

Bismuth

Cobalt

Dysprosium

Halite

REEs

Image credit: Sarah Bell

Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom: Modular Merger
2026-06-19 00:00 - 2026-09-13 23:59 | Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP, United Kingdom
Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom: Modular Merger. Photograph: Bate Collection research, 2025. Photo credit: Victor Frankowski.

About Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom: Modular Merger

Sound, performance and museum display come together in Modular Merger, a new exhibition by Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom exploring how collections shape the way we experience objects, instruments and sound.

Developed through research into the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments at the University of Oxford, the exhibition brings together sound, video and photography to consider what is revealed and concealed through the collection, preservation and display of musical instruments.

At its centre is a new sound work created using recordings of historic instruments from the collection. Individual sounds unfold and accumulate over time, inviting visitors to experience the instruments both separately and collectively. Throughout the exhibition, fragmented images, repeated forms and acts of cataloguing reflect on the ways museums organise and interpret objects.

Modular Merger marks the culmination of the inaugural Donna Lynas Residency (2023–26), a partnership between Wysing Arts Centre, Modern Art Oxford, Somerset House and South London Gallery, created in memory of the curator Donna Lynas, who was known for her long-term support of artist development.

This exhibition is supported by TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, part of the University of Oxford’s Humanities Division. It was made possible through collaboration with the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments.

Related events

Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom Artist In-Conversation

18 June 2026 from 6.00pm to 6.30pm. Free. Booking essential.

Join artist Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom in conversation ahead of the opening of Modular Merger, a new exhibition at Modern Art Oxford. Discover the ideas behind the work, the artist’s research process, and how historical instruments from the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments have been reimagined within the exhibition.

Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom: Preview Party

18 June 2026 from 6.30pm to 9.00pm. Free.

Celebrate the opening of Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom’s exhibition Modular Merger with an evening of art and music. Featuring DJ sets from FLOW Sound System in the yard, this celebration for the opening of Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom’s exhibition Modular Merger promises to be an inspiring evening of art and music.

Tickets

Booking information

This exhibition is supported by TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, part of the University of Oxford’s Humanities Division. It was made possible through collaboration with the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments.

About Modern Art Oxford

Modern Art Oxford is one of the UK’s leading contemporary art spaces. At the heart of the gallery’s programme is a commitment to education, internationalism and inclusion, founded on the power of visual art and culture to enact positive social change.

It offers educational experiences for visitors of all ages, using art and creativity to reach thousands of people from Oxfordshire and beyond every year. These participatory activities are designed to help visitors explore our exhibitions, experiment with creative processes and celebrate the relevance of contemporary visual culture to society today.

Modern Art Oxford was founded in 1965, and has a rich history of bold and progressive programming that promotes diversity and internationalism, encourages public engagement with creativity and the arts, and celebrates the importance of contemporary visual culture in today’s society.

Discover more about Modern Art Oxford

Life Through a Royal Lens Exhibition at Blenheim Palace
2026-07-12 00:00 - 2026-09-27 23:59 | Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Blenheim Park, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP
Life Through a Royal Lens Exhibition at Blenheim Palace

About Life Through a Royal Lens Exhibition at Blenheim Palace

Explore the British Royal Family’s enduring relationship with the camera

The British Royal Family is one of the most photographed in the world, with images capturing everything from grand state ceremonies and royal tours to deeply personal moments.

This July, Blenheim Palace will present Life Through a Royal Lens, a major photography exhibition tracing the Royals’ enduring relationship with the camera, from the reign of Queen Victoria to the present day.

Life Through a Royal Lens Exhibition at Blenheim Palace

Showcasing over 100 iconic photographs alongside rare off‑duty portraits, the exhibition offers a unique glimpse into royal life. First launched at Kensington Palace, it now embarks on a UK‑wide tour and will be on display at Blenheim Palace from 12 July to 27 September 2026.

Whether you’re passionate about photography, fascinated by heritage, or simply curious about the Royals, this is an experience not to be missed.

Also, more Summer, less spend. Save when you visit between 25 June to 01 September!

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Admission is included with a valid Pass

Dates & times:

Sunday 12 July to Sunday 27 September 2026

From 9.00am to 5.00pm

Dinosaurs Are Forever Exhibition at Blenheim Palace
2026-08-11 00:00 - 2026-11-01 23:59 | Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Blenheim Park, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP
Dinosaurs Are Forever at Blenheim Palace

About Dinosaurs Are Forever Exhibition at Blenheim Palace

From 11 August to 01 November 2026, Blenheim Palace will host Dinosaurs Are Forever, a major new exhibition by artist Jay Jay Burridge, created in partnership with the Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford.

At the heart of the exhibition are five monumental sculptures of Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur ever to be scientifically named.

Discovered in Oxfordshire in 1824, Megalosaurus changed our understanding of the natural world and helped lay the foundations of modern palaeontology.

The fossil remains of Megalosaurus are now on display at the Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford.

These sculptures are not traditional museum reconstructions. Built from advanced modern materials and designed to be fully articulated, the sculptures reimagine dinosaurs through a contemporary lens.

Making their public debut at Blenheim Palace, the exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to encounter the world’s first named dinosaur reimagined for the 21st century. This exhibition is included with an Annual Pass.

Also, more Summer, less spend. Save when you visit between 25 June and 01 September!

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Admission is included with a valid Pass or Park & Gardens ticket

Dates & times:

Tuesday 11 August to Sunday 01 November 2026

From 10.00am to 5.30pm

Location:

Blenheim Palace Gardens

Didcot Railway Centre Discovery Days
2026-08-28 00:00 - 23:59 | Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot Parkway, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NJ
Didcot Railway Centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire

About Didcot Railway Centre Discovery Days

With no trains running, explore the 21 acre living museum at leisure and get close to the exhibits

Travel back to the golden age of the Great Western Railway and experience the sights, sounds and atmosphere of steam across this 21-acre living museum, showcasing trains from Victorian times through to the 1960s.

Visitors can explore the site at leisure and uncover almost two centuries of railway history. With trains not running on Discovery Days, there is a rare opportunity to see the locomotives up close.

A colourful Centre Guide helps visitors navigate the site, from the original 1932 Engine Shed to the impressive collection of preserved locomotives, including 5900 Hinderton Hall. Guests can step onto the footplate and hear staff in character as they bring the engines to life, capturing the rhythms of a working steam-era shed.

Across the site, the Engine Shed atmosphere is carefully recreated, with sounds and details that evoke daily railway life. The Carriage and Wagon section displays restored rolling stock from Victorian times to the 1940s, including a VIP saloon believed to have been used by General Eisenhower during preparations for D-Day and later part of the GWR Royal Train, alongside ongoing restoration work. Brunel’s Broad Gauge collection is also on display, including locomotives, coaches, the transfer shed, and remnants of the ambitious Atmospheric Railway.

Interactive and interpretive experiences continue in the Signalling Centre, where visitors can discover how rail traffic has been controlled over time, with the Swindon Panel demonstrated on selected dates. A WWII air raid shelter offers a powerful glimpse into wartime history, while the museum houses a vast and varied collection of smaller artefacts. The Road Transport Hangar adds further depth with examples of historic GWR road vehicles.

Discovery Days offer full access to the site, with the restaurant, shop, museum, Engine Shed displays, carriage and wagon exhibits, signalling centre, and transfer shed all open to visitors. The quieter atmosphere allows more time to appreciate the locomotives and surroundings. At times, visitors may also witness shunting movements, workshop activity, or even steam tests taking place outdoors.

Families can enjoy the outdoor play area or dress up as station staff, while the refreshment rooms provide space to relax over lunch or a snack. A visit to the gift shop offers souvenirs to complete the experience. The backdrop of modern railway traffic passing nearby adds contrast, bringing over 180 years of railway evolution together in a single day.

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Admission for 2 people with Tea & Cake – £32.00 (£35.50 with Gift Aid)

Adult Admission – £12.00 (£14.00 with Gift Aid)Senior Admission (65+) – £9.00 (£10.00 with Gift Aid)Child Admission (3 to 15) – £7.50 (£8.50 with Gift Aid) Child Under 3 Admission – Free

Family of 4 Admission (2 Adults and 2 Children) – £35.00 (£38.50 with Gift Aid)Family of 5 Admission (2 Adults and 3 Children) – £44.00 (£48.50 with Gift Aid) Carer Admission – £0.00Visitors may be asked to provide reasonable proof of carer status on the day of arrival.

Admission prices are inclusive of all regular attractions including free train rides on running days.

Child prices apply to children aged 3 to 15

Opening times:

Didcot Railway Centre Discovery Days take place on selected Thursdays and Fridays throughout the season. Discovery Days are open from 10.30am to 4.00pm, with last admission at 2.30pm.

The scheduled Discovery Days are:

02 & 03, 09 & 10, 16 & 17, 23 & 24, 30 & 31 July 2026

06 & 07, 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28 August 2026

03 & 04, 10 September 2026

Please have your original e-ticket ready to show the staff. Please also bring your membership card if you’re a member or your carer‘s ID if you have booked a carer’s ticket.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Good to know:Joining during half term week, will be a visiting engine, Prairie 5199 courtesy of the 5199 Project, and together with our own 4144 and 6106 will be the first time these 3 Prairies will have been seen together in preservation. 5199 is due to come out of traffic shortly as its boiler certificate is running out, so make the most of being able to see this operating while you can!

See the latest pre-arrival advice here.
