Learning for all
As part of one of the world’s most famous universities, the Ashmolean has always placed the greatest emphasis on education – not just serving as a resource for scholars, but seeking to awaken a lively interest in our cultural history in visitors of all backgrounds and ages. The current transformation will enable us to fulfil this role far more effectively than ever before.
Our new Education Centre will allow us to improve the quality scope of the programmes on offer, encouraging a more diverse audience to use the Ashmolean. Extra office and storage space will support our educational outreach initiatives in the region. A separate entrance and after hours access will make the Centre a hub of community activity
Three new study centres, focusing on specific aspects of our collections, will further strengthen the Ashmolean’s reputation as an international centre for research. In particular, hands-on access to our collections will be dramatically increased – a highly significant improvement, since the Ashmolean is one of the few great museums in the world where students, scholars and members of the general public can handle rare and historic objects. The new study centres will offer better opportunities for visitors with specialist interests to view archive material, consult curators, and take part in scholarly seminars and symposia.
Our new state-of-the-art conservation studios will provide our team of world-class conservators with greatly improved facilities for their expert work, enabling them to take the best possible care of the Ashmolean’s collections, for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of future generations. A new Conservation Gallery, open to the public, will showcase the interaction of art, science and technology, increasing understanding of our work and widening the appeal of the Museum still further.
