Members' Christmas Talk with Xa Sturgis

Dr Xa Sturgis, Director of the Ashmolean Museum, is talking about the year ahead in the Headley Lecture Theatre on Wednesday 16 December, from 2pm to 3pm. It's a members-only event, so you'll need to be an Ashmolean Member to get in, but if you are, it's free — you just have to book your place in advance. If you can't make it into the museum that afternoon, there's a live stream on Zoom, so you can tune in from home instead.

The talk is a look at what's coming up for the museum in 2027. Sturgis will be outlining the major exhibitions planned for the year, with Renaissance Worlds: Art and the Senses as one of the big ones. It's the kind of session where you get a first look at the calendar before the rest of the public does, and a chance to hear the Director talk through what the museum is building towards.

He'll also be looking back at 2026. That means reflecting on the exhibitions that have run this year: In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World and Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess. He'll also touch on the Ashmolean NOW display, which has been showing work by Soma Surovi Jannat. So it's a bit of a bridge between the two years — a wrap-up of what's been on the walls and a preview of what's coming next.

It runs from 2pm to 3pm in the Headley Lecture Theatre at the Ashmolean, with the Zoom stream for those who can't get there in person. It's free for members, but booking is essential, so get your spot sorted early if you're planning to go.