ROMAN OXFORDSHIRE COINS DISPLAY
2025-12-06 - 2026-11-29 | Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
6 Dec 2025 – 29 Nov 2026
Gallery 7
Admission is FREE

Coinage remains one of the best represented and most recognisable elements of Roman material culture.
This display will showcase a selection of Roman coins in the Ashmolean collection that were found in Oxfordshire and tell the story of the region from the Roman conquest in 43 CE to the end of Roman Britain, around 410 CE.
Some of the coins reflect everyday life through trade, soldiers’ pay, or the collection of taxes. Others tell us about Britain’s position in the empire or served as offerings people made to the gods.
Discover a group of Iron Age gold staters buried in a flint nodule around the time of the Roman invasion, known as the Henley Hoard, and various Roman coins from Claudius I to the end of Roman Britain. These historic finds were discovered in local towns and villages, such as Cowley, Dorchester, Asthall, Horton, Shiplake and Childrey, and add to the evidence for coin use and circulation in Roman Oxfordshire.

Map (detail) accompanying the Roman Oxfordshire coins display in the Money Gallery

Roman coins were an important means of communication. They were carried across the empire in purses, spreading images and messages central to Roman society: religion, politics, the Imperial family, or the empire’s prosperity. As with modern money, most Roman coins also had more straightforward messages, showing exactly who held power.
These coins are not always beautiful objects, but each is a small, powerful voice connecting us to the people of Roman Oxfordshire and their place in the wider Roman world.
Header image: Obverse and reverse detail of silver coin of Carausius © Ashmolean Museum

Found anything locally?
Since 1997, the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) has recorded more than 360,000 Roman coins from England and Wales, including nearly 15,000 from Oxfordshire.
If you think you may have found a Roman coin, it’s important to have it properly recorded. Contact your local Finds Liaison Officer at the PAS

SELECTED OBJECTS ON DISPLAY

Silver coin of Carausius

Silver coin of Roman Emperor Carausius, found at Shiplake, with a wolf and the twins Romulus and Remus on the reverse, 286–293 CE © Ashmolean Museum

Copper coin of Nero

Copper coin depicting Nero, found at Dorchester on Thames, 65 CE © Ashmolean Museum

Henley Hoard

Henley Hoard

Henley Hoard

Complete local Iron Age coin hoard of 32 gold staters buried in a flintstone nodule, found in Henley-on-Thames, 55–45 BCE © Ashmolean Museum

Silver coin of Arcadius

Silver coin of Roman Emperor Arcadius, found at Horton, 392–394 CE © Ashmolean Museum

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Song of Myself (Display)
2026-02-23 - 2026-12-31 | Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, England, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom
Song of Myself, 1995, Tom Phillips RA (1937–2022), wire, 360 x 180 cm.
Credit: Estate of Tom Phillips CBE RA
Tom Phillips described Song of Myself as “an attempt to list the various identities that go to make a single artistic life”. The work borrows its title from a poem in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Its beginning is based on the confessional Anglo-Saxon poem, The Seafarer, which Phillips first came across as an undergraduate at St Catherine’s College, Oxford.
Within the work, the alert reader will find further references, direct or cryptic, to Homer, Plato, Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Marvell, Conrad, R. L. Stevenson; to the music of Wagner and Robert Schumann; and to the films of Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles. The text is littered with echoes of Phillips’s own artistic preoccupations: as a painter, calligrapher, user of stencils and maker of books.
Phillips first made a pencil drawing of the text, then worked with the fabricator Leo Verryt to realise the work in wire, as a hanging poem. Other versions of the text exist, one in a series of paintings called Curriculum Vitae (No XX, 1992), and another in Self Portrait in Silver (2004). Phillips writes: “The unity of the piece in which letters are tortured into cooperation hopes to reflect an overall homogeneity in the spirit of its maker”.
The Bodleian Libraries also has the Tom Phillips archive in our collection.

Oxford Cooking Experience
2026-04-10 08:00 - 2026-11-30 17:00 (Europe/London) | England
Overview
Join us in Oxford for a hands-on cooking fun where you’ll whip up delicious dishes with new friends!

Oxford Cooking Experience
Get ready for a hands-on culinary adventure right in the heart of Oxford! Join us in person to explore new recipes, sharpen your cooking skills, and have a blast with fellow food lovers. Whether you’re a kitchen newbie or a seasoned chef, this experience is packed with fun, flavor, and plenty of laughs. Don’t miss out on a tasty day filled with great food and good vibes!

COLONIAL VIEWS OF INDIA
2026-04-11 - 2027-03-14 | Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
FREE EXHIBITION

Opens 11 Apr 2026
Gallery 29
Admission is FREE

This is the first exhibtion to focus on photographs and negatives in the Ashmolean, and as such features previously unseen photographs of India by Colonel Eugene Clutterbuck Impey (1830–1904).
A member of the East India Company, Impey arrived in India in 1851 and took part in military actions during the Indian Uprising of 1857. After the British Crown took control in 1858 following the Uprising, he worked as a political agent until returning to Britain in 1878.

Stereoscopic image of a tiger with tripod shadow, Colonel Eugene Impey, 1858-1865, albumen photographic print on paper © Ashmolean Museum

Impey’s photographs reflect British imperial interests, showcasing portraits of colonial officers and Indians, as well as staged scenes of daily life, clothing, religious sites, animals, and landscapes.
These images often reinforced stereotypes with the aim to justify colonial efforts. Photography, which gained popularity after its debut in 1839, was used to highlight cultural differences. From the mid-1800s British officials documented various social groups in India, often categorising people by ethnicity.
The Impey collection includes 247 glass negatives preserved at the Ashmolean.

SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS ON DISPLAY

Seated girl

1858-1865

Qutub tower

1858-1865

Maharaja Takhat Singh of Jodphur

1858-1865

Four Rajputs with jezails and swords

1858-1865

Snake charmer

1858-1865

Small temple and rope bridge in hilly landscape

1858-1865

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Wonder of Birds
2026-05-02 - 2027-01-03 | Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, England, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom
Inspired by The Book of Birds by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane, Wonder of Birds celebrates the splendour of the birds around us at the same time as recognising the steep decline in bird populations across our skies in recent decades.
Following the ‘Seven Wonders’ of birds – nest, egg, beak, song, feather, flight, migration – this exhibition pairs the words and art from The Book of Birds with Oxford ornithological research and Bodleian collections to explore the beauty and mystery of these extraordinary creatures.
Highlights include John Gould’s Birds of Great Britain, John James Audubon’s Birds of America, and never-before-displayed glass-plate negatives from naturalist Emma Louisa Turner.
The exhibition will also include a sound environment created by sound artist and nature beatboxer Jason Singh, as well as a collaboration with the artist Daniel & Clara.
Celebrate the wondrous creativity birds have always inspired in us from small acts of observation to soaring images of flight.
Image: White-Tailed Eagle, 2020 © Jackie Morris

Curatorial acknowledgements
“Wonder of Birds” with Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane, curated by Antonia Harrison. Based on The Book of Birds by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane. In association with Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Books.

APHRODITE THE MAKING OF A GODDESS
2026-10-08 - 2027-04-11 | Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, OX1 2PH, United Kingdom
Step into the world of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and desire – later worshipped by the Romans as Venus.
Today she is thought of as a symbol of passion and beauty, but her story is far older and more complex.
This major exhibition will explore Aphrodite’s beginnings on the island of Cyprus, where she was worshipped as an all-powerful goddess over 3,000 years ago, and will trace her journey through the Greek and into the Roman world, where she became Venus.
The exhibition will reveal how, over the centuries, Aphrodite evolved into an iconic figure symbolising love and beauty as her myths and images flourished – inspiring art, literature, and imagination from the Renaissance to the present day,
Featuring more than 200 extraordinary objects – from sculpture and bronzes to gems and terracottas from Cyprus, Greece, and Italy, dating back from around 1400 BCE to the 21st century – this exhibition will uncover the making of a goddess whose legacy still shapes our ideas of love and beauty today.

Pets & their People
2026-11-28 | Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, England, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom
11 March – 27 September 2026
ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library
Free admission, no ticket required
About the exhibition
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 bring us back to our wild roots?
Curators
Charles Foster, Fellow of Exeter College and bestselling author of Being a Beast
Acknowledgements
Pets & their People is made possible with generous support from the John S Cohen Foundation.

Brokenness and repair exhibition
2026-11-28 09:00 - 17:00 | Oxford Brookes University, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxfordshire, OX3 0BP
Venue:

The Glass Tank, Oxford Brookes University

Date(s):

Monday, 26 January 2026 to Friday, 6 February 2026

Timing:

9am – 5pm

Cost:

0

Inspired by the sublime beauty of techniques of visual repair across cultures, these works invite reflection on brokenness and why it matters.
In recent years, the traditional Japanese technique of repairing broken pottery using lacquer, often embellished with gold or other precious metals, known as ‘kintsugi’ has fascinated and inspired not only contemporary artists, but also pscyhologists, philosophers, scientists and archaeologists. But the idea of caring for something that is broken and finding beauty in its imperfection resonates much more widely. Whether we are living with the painful yet precious memories of loss, or trying to reassemble places of belonging from the remnants of abandoned buildings, brokenness and repair speak to our fundamental ways of being in the world.
Through sculpture, sound, images, and pottery, this exhibition creates a space of dialogue between Japanese aesthetics of brokenness and repair and those of other cultures. Each piece invites visitors to reflect on the complex, sometimes challenging beauty of brokenness, and the care and attention involved in repair.
The exhibition includes original works from Rob Simpkins, Katie Taylor, Johanna Tulloch, Dan O’Brien, Natasha Durie, Juliet Eccles, and Rachel Barbaresi, as well as kintsugi pieces by Iku Nishikawa (Oxford Kintsugi).
All are invited to join us to meet the artists and organisers over wine and refreshments.
This exhibition and reception was made possible through the generous support of the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

Further Information

Contact Details:

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/…
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brokennes…
dobrien@brookes.ac.uk

Recycled Extravaganza
2026-11-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Thame Museum, 79 High Street Thame, Oxfordshire, OX93AE, United Kingdom
Venue, Timing and Cost

Venue:

Thame Museum

Date(s):

Saturday, 7 February 2026 to Friday, 20 March 2026

Timing:

During opening hours Wed. Fri. Sat. 10am-4pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm-

Cost:

Free admission

This exhibition has been created by the talented art students of Lord Williams School Thame. Exhibition Gallery Thame Museum

Further Information

Contact Details:

Yvonne Maxwell, publicity@thamemuseum.org.
Thame Museum, 79 High Street Thame, OX93AE
www.thamemuseum.oirg

A day retreat with Yanai Postelnik
2026-11-28 10:00 - 17:00 | Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
A day of meditation practice and reflection with Yanai Postelnik

Saturday 28th November 2026 10.00am – 5.00pm UK time, in person and online
We are very happy to welcome Yanai Postelnik to lead this one day retreat for Oxford Insight Meditation. The day will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, meditation instructions and dharma teachings. The day will be primarily in silence, but will include time for sharing our experience. The retreat is suitable for beginners and those who have some prior experience of meditation practice. We ask that you commit to staying for the full day.
Yanai Postelnik first encountered the teachings of the Buddha while travelling in Asia in his early 20’s, and has been teaching Insight Meditation and Buddhist practice internationally for most of his adult life. He is much inspired by the Thai forest tradition, and the transformative power of the natural world. Yanai is a member of the Gaia House Teacher Council, and a Core Faculty member of Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Since 2018 he has devoted a significant amount of his time to activism and peaceful non-violent civil disobedience, calling for an appropriate response by government, to the climate, ecological and social justice crises of our time. Having grown up in New Zealand, with parents of European and Asian heritage, Yanai lives with his wife Catherine McGee in Devon, England.
Listen to talks by Yanai on Dharmaseed
Dana: In the spirit of generosity, our teachers offer their teaching freely. We invite you to make a ‘dana‘ donation to support Yanai in continuing to offer the teachings in this way. There will be an opportunity to offer dana on the day if you are participating in person. You can also make donations to Yanai via this Paypal link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/yanaipostelnik
Please note we are unable to process donations for our teachers through Eventbrite.
Booking fee: The fee for online participation is £5/£3/£0 (freely given) and for in person participation £15/£5/£0 (freely given). The fee covers general running costs of the online and in person retreats, including Zoom costs, Eventbrite fees, hall hire and teachers’ travel + accommodation expenses. Our teachers receive no payment from the booking fee, instead you will be invited to offer a donation to our teachers in the ancient tradition of dana.
We invite you to pay the full rate if you are reasonably able to do so, as this supports the continuation of our retreats. We also offer lower rate tickets to those who are unemployed, full-time students, on a low income, or are otherwise finding it difficult to meet the full cost. To ensure that these days are accessible to everyone. we also offer freely given tickets for which there is no fee.
Cancellation and refunds: Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel your place on a retreat – otherwise, someone else may be turned away unnecessarily. Please contact oxfordinsightmeditation@gmail.com to let us know that you can’t be there. We offer refunds up to 24 hours before the retreat. Please see instructions here for how to claim a refund.
For those participating online:
Zoom link: This will be emailed to those who have registered, shortly after registration. It will also be emailed one week before the retreat, 24hrs before the retreat and 1 hour before the retreat begins. Please check your junk mail if you have not received these emails.
For those participating in person:
Please arrive for registration between 9.15 and 9.45am.
Venue: St Margarets Institute, 30 Polstead Rd, Oxford OX2 6TN
The hall is wheelchair accessible and has an accessible toilet. There are two disabled parking bays directly outside the venue. Please contact us if you need any support on the day to enable you to attend.
See here for a map of the location and for public transport travel information. Please allow plenty of time to travel so that you can arrive at the hall between 9.15 and 9.45 for registration.
Parking: there is no street parking in the area without a permit, except for two disabled parking bays, which are immediately outside the venue. We have made an arrangement for use of the car park at Makespace, a short walk from the venue. Makespace is at 1 Aristotle Lane, Oxford OX2 6TP. There will be space for 4 cars. Please note: the Makespace car park can only be accessed via Frenchay Road and Hayfield Road, and not via Polstead Road. If you park at Makespace, we ask that you make a donation equivalent to the cost of parking for a day in Oxford, which we will pass on to Makespace.
What to bring: The hall is heated, but uncarpeted, and some windows will be open for ventilation, so please bring warm clothing and blankets, and a mat or rug, plus meditation stool or cushions if you wish to sit on the floor. We will ask you to remove your outdoor shoes when in the hall, so you may also wish to bring slippers or warm socks. There are chairs available, you may wish to bring a cushion or two for padding.
Lunch: will be held in silence. We invite you to bring your own vegan or vegetarian packed lunch. A selection of teas, herbal drinks and plant milk will be provided. There is also a fridge where you can store your lunch.
All are welcome: We are committed to creating an inclusive retreat space. We welcome people irrespective of religious or political beliefs, ethnicity, class, sexuality, gender, age, ability and culture.
Contact: Please get in touch if you have any questions or need to cancel, or change your booking at oxfordinsightmeditation@gmail.com

Out of the Deep
2026-11-28 11:00 - 13:00 | Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, England, OX1 3PW, United Kingdom
Join us for family-friendly specimen handling and explore the underwater world of marine reptiles. Suitable for all ages.
*Except 27 December.
Please note Out of the Deep will not be running on Saturday 7 March and Saturday 4 April.

Accessibility information

Wheelchair accessible?
Yes

Hearing loops?
No

Seating?
Yes

Refreshments?
No

Flashing lights?
No

Loud noises?
No

New Work 2026 at the West Ox Arts Gallery in Bampton
2026-11-28 11:30 - 16:30 | Ox Arts Gallery, Bampton, Market Sq, OX18 2JH
Venue, Timing and Cost

Venue:

West Ox Arts Gallery, Bampton.

Date(s):

Saturday, 14 February 2026 to Saturday, 14 March 2026

Timing:

Tues to Sat 11.30 – 4.30, Sun 2 – 4, Mondays closed

Cost:

free

West Ox Arts is delighted to present New Work 26, an exhibition celebrating the breadth and diversity of work created by its members. Taking place from 14 February to 14 March 2026, the exhibition will be held at the WOA Gallery, a distinctive and well-established venue in the heart of Bampton, Oxfordshire.
Visitors are invited to explore an inspiring range of contemporary art and craft, including painting, sculpture, glass, jewellery, textiles, wood, and wirework. The exhibition reflects the richness of artistic practice within the West Ox Arts community and offers something to engage every visitor.
Highlights include:
* Meet the artists – Learn about their inspirations, creative processes, and the stories behind the work.
* Discover new talent – Find emerging and established artists, uncover unique pieces, or simply enjoy the pleasure of artistic exploration.
* Support local creativity – Your visit helps sustain and encourage the region’s vibrant artistic community.
Artists interested in exhibiting in our member exhibitions are warmly invited to enquire about West Ox Arts membership. For further information, please contact: gallery@westoxarts.com
We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery.
Visitor Information
* Free entry
* Opening Times:
* Tuesday–Saturday: 11:30am – 4:30pm
* Sunday: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
* Monday: Closed
* WOA Gallery,Market Square. Bampton, Oxfordshire. OX18 2JH

Further Information

Contact Details:

Email: gallery@westoxarts.com
Website: www.westoxarts.com
Instagram: @westoxarts
Facebook: WestOxArts
Telephone: 01993 850137

Venus & Adonis
2026-11-28 14:30 - 15:30, 2026-11-28 19:30 - 20:30 | Oxford Playhouse, 11-12 Beaumont St, Oxford, OX1 2LW
Directed by Sir Greg Doran
Puppets designed and created by Lyndie Wright

Former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and renowned Shakespearean, Greg Doran, revives his celebrated production of Venus & Adonis, Shakespeare’s great narrative poem.

Animated by a team of world-class puppeteers, this unique production blends comedy, tragedy and Shakespeare’s incredible poetry to bring the famous story of Venus and her obsession with the handsome Adonis thrillingly to life in a rich, immersive theatrical experience.

Drawing inspiration from the bewitching artistry of Japanese Bunraku puppets and the Jacobean Court Masque, this spellbinding production tells the story using marionettes, rod, shadow and table-top puppets.

This is an exclusive and rare opportunity to witness, close at hand, this powerful erotically-charged story of unrequited love.

Ozric Tentacles
2026-11-28 18:30 - 22:00 | Oxford, England, United Kingdom
One of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK’s festival scene and the creative vision of multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne, Ozric Tentacles’ uniquely trippy soundscapes connect fans of progressive rock, psychedelia and dance music culture.

The Rhythm of Life
2026-11-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Oxford Playhouse, 11-12 Beaumont St, Oxford, OX1 2LW
Tickets £19.50*
Interval
Yes
Venue
Oxford Playhouse

Travel from Oz to Seville, step onto 42nd Street, tumble down the rabbit hole, and raise the barricade — all in one exhilarating evening.
Join Oxford Operatic Society (OXOPS) this July as they present The Rhythm of Life, a staged concert with heart, humour and high-energy performances. This fast-paced production brings together beloved classics and contemporary favourites in a joyful tribute to the stage.
From the timeless wit of Gilbert & Sullivan to the soaring drama of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the golden age of Rodgers & Hammerstein to modern West End and Broadway hits, there is something here for every generation of theatre fan. Featuring music from Wicked, Les Misérables, Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Company and more, the programme is packed with iconic songs that have defined musical theatre for decades.
And this year makes it even more special.
As OXOPS celebrates its 80th anniversary, we’re marking eight decades of bringing musical theatre to Oxford. Since 1946, we’ve been staging ambitious productions, building a vibrant community of performers, and sharing the joy of live theatre with audiences across the city. The Rhythm of Life is both a celebration of the genre and a tribute to the company’s extraordinary legacy.
Whether you’re a lifelong musical theatre devotee or just looking for a genuinely uplifting night out, join us for an evening packed with music, movement, and moments you’ll be humming long after the curtain falls.
