News

The Museum hopes to attract more visitors than ever before during a special late night opening on 26 November 2010 to celebrate the Ashmolean’s first birthday since it reopened in November 2009.

From 6pm-10pm, visitors will be able to explore the Ashmolean’s permanent collections and enjoy the popular exhibition The Pre-Raphaelites and Italy. A programme of music featuring Christmas carols sung by local school children and the K&G youth marching band from Leiden will run throughout the evening.

To mark the first anniversary since the Museum’s transformative redevelopment, the Director, Dr Christopher Brown will be leading the crowds in a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’, before cutting a giant birthday cake, which will be available to guests in the Café after the singing.

Other activities on the evening include a preview of new photography by Ashmolean Photographer in Residence James Hudson. Change in Form: Metamorphosis at the Ashmolean is a series of black-and-white images which capture the interaction between the Museum’s visitors, the collections, and the new architecture. It will be shown in a beautiful, large-scale projection in the atrium from 8pm. The photographer is based in Oxford and his work is often inspired by the complexity, randomness and the sheer variety of everyday life.

For young children and families, there will be a Christmas Decorations Workshop in the Education Centre – where the kids can take inspiration from the collections and make their own decorations to take home. And for those wanting to party on into the night, the 9-Ton Peanut Smugglers will be performing a live set of swinging ska and rhythm ‘n’ blues in the Ashmolean Café until 11.30pm.

The Ashmolean Café will have mulled wine and minced pies for those wishing to warm up and take a break, and The Ashmolean Dining Room will be serving a special celebration menu.

Event: Happy Birthday Ashmolean & the Oxford City Christmas Light Night festival

Date: 26 November 2010

Time: Museum open 6-10pm; Café and Bar open 6-11.30pm

Venue: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH

Cost: Admission free; Exhibition £8/£6 concessions; paid bar