Collective Learning Day Course
2026-03-18 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke St, Oxford, OX1 1BP, United Kingdom
Develop critical thinking skills and curatorial approaches for collaborating with communities.
Explore the shifting culture of curating projects with communities, considering changes in practice, language and legacy.
This course initiates a collective learning approach. It takes a systems view on a range of institutional strategies to develop collaborative projects, considering both the assumptions and the bigger picture, the successes and the challenges of programming with local audiences.
What to Expect:
We’ll begin by considering Modern Art Oxford as a site of research, looking at the gallery’s beginnings, its approach to working with communities, and present day programmes in the wider historical narratives of alternative art spaces. How do the viewpoints of the start to consider the different view points of the institution, the practitioner or curator, and the community differ?
We will collectively review our insights from Modern Art Oxford’s archive materials before turning our attention to what it means to use Systems Thinking – a practice which provides a space for practitioners across different disciplines, sectors and from different backgrounds to come together. How can we identify our own assumptions, judgements and boundaried ways of thinking? How do these influence and motivate our responses in each situation, or the systems we build?
£50 (+4.88 Eventbrite Fee)

Young Creatives Socials: Artists Online
2026-03-12 16:00 - 18:00
Join our free Thursday evening Young Creatives Socials for ages 16-18, where you can connect with other young people, work with professional artists and discover your own creativity in a relaxed, fun environment.
In this session:
Gather in the Studio to learn about artist websites and digital portfolios, with a demonstration on making your own. You are welcome (but not obligated!) to bring your own physical or digital portfolio to work on and get feedback from the group.

Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
2026-03-07 13:00 - 13:30
Gain behind-the-scenes insights into our new exhibitions with our free curator-led tours.
Our curators will guide you around Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming. Each tour will start at 1pm and last roughly half an hour.
📍 Meeting Point: Social Space – ask a staff member if needed
Perfect for some lunchtime inspiration!

Young Creatives Socials: Open Studio
2026-03-05 16:00 - 18:00
Join our free Thursday evening Young Creatives Socials for ages 16-18, where you can connect with other young people, work with professional artists and discover your own creativity in a relaxed, fun environment.
In this session:
This workshop is a chance to bring in some of your own art in progress. Bring along whatever you’re working on and use this time and space to continue on it, with a variety of our Studio materials at hand, or come empty-handed and be inspired to create something new!

Young Creatives Socials: Alter Ego Studio Workshop
2026-02-26 16:00 - 18:00
Join our free Thursday evening Young Creatives Socials for ages 16-18, where you can connect with other young people, work with professional artists and discover your own creativity in a relaxed, fun environment.
In this session:
In this textile-based workshop we will create our own alter egos, inspired by Suzanne Treister’s alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. Make a mask, a soft sculpture, or a full costume as you explore collaging with textiles, embroidery, and using a sewing machine.

Make Play
2026-02-24 11:00 - 14:00
Join us for Make Play, a sensory creative space for children aged between 6 months and 5 years to explore with their parent and/or carer.
£4.50 per session, booking essential.
There are two sessions on this date, at 11am and 1pm.
Please note: One ticket admits one child and one parent/carer. To ensure all our visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience, we are monitoring numbers in the building, so if you are one adult with more than one child you will need to book multiple tickets. Bursaries are available – please get in touch if the ticket price is a barrier to your participation in this session.

After Hours: Connect
2026-02-19 18:00 - 19:30
After Hours: Connect

Venue, Timing and Cost

Venue: Modern Art Oxford

Date: Thursday, 19 February 2026

Timing: 6-7:30pm

Cost: £8

Expand your creative skills in a lively, social space.
Join a vibrant community of emerging artists, writers and curators in a welcoming, social space. Each session features a presentation on key industry skills led by the Modern Art Oxford Communities, Practice & Participation team, followed by time to connect with fellow arts professionals.
In this pilot session, we will explore the new After Hours programme and share upcoming commissioning opportunities for collaborations between local creatives
Tickets include: a complimentary drink

We're Going To Need A Bigger Brush!
2026-01-23 - 2026-03-22
Shadowlight Supported Studio.
A powerful celebration of identity, creativity and community, this group exhibition showcases artwork and film by learning-disabled and neurodivergent artists.
Join us for a new exhibition of work by the Shadowlight Artists, in collaboration with Film Oxford. The exhibition title humorously plays on the famous quote from the film Jaws, “you’re going to need a bigger boat!”, reflecting the size of this creative task.
Since April 2025, the group has met weekly to shape the direction of their studio, define shared goals, and co-create artworks in a lively, supportive environment. They have also collaborated with professional artists including Chris Oakley, Poppy Johnson-Doherty and Su Frizzell.
Working across film, photography, printmaking, costume and prop making, the Shadowlight Artists explore themes of identity, transformation and self-representation. Their work embraces alternate personas, reimagined characters and personal narratives, drawing on everything from classic movie posters to everyday materials transformed into costumes and sets.

We offer a range of facilities to ensure we are accessible to visitors. Please click here to find out more about visiting Modern Art Oxford. If you have any questions about your visit, please get in touch at info@modernartoxforg.org.uk.
