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Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

What's On

When the Blackbird Sings

An immersive, eye-opening, invitation to travel through time

Presented by the Schwarzman Centre in collaboration with Creation Theatre

25 Sep 2026 - 11 Oct 2026

Info and tickets

Dame Sarah Connolly

Dame Sarah Connolly Recital

Oxford International Song Festival Opening Night

An Oxford International Song Festival and Schwarzman Centre Production

9 Oct 2026 19:45

Info and tickets

The Alonetimes

19 Oct 2026 19:00

Info and tickets

Clara & The Nutcracker

Immersive Experience

A Northern Ballet, 4Pi Productions, and Schwarzman Centre Production

10 Dec 2026 - 24 Dec 2026

Info and tickets

1 Sep 2026 09:00

Open Daily

Marco Brambilla: After Utopia

Digital

No booking needed

Tomorrow 11:00

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE

When the Blackbird Sings

An immersive, eye-opening, invitation to travel through time

12:30

The classic works of Steve Reich in spatial audio

Phase | Pattern | Pulse - The Sextets

A masterclass of resonance, repetition, and radiant sound

Music

16:00

The classic works of Steve Reich in spatial audio

Phase | Pattern | Pulse - Music for 18 Musicians

One of the most important works of American minimalism

Music

17:30

The classic works of Steve Reich in spatial audio

Phase | Pattern | Pulse - Drumming

An immersive journey into rhythm, process and hypnotic repetition

Music

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The news

Unfinished Revolutions: Reflections on our inaugural cultural season

28 Jul 2026 - Unfinished Revolutions was the Schwarzman Centre’s first themed season, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

His Majesty The King officially opens the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at the University of Oxford

10 Jul 2026 - The Centre opened in October 2025 as a world-class hub for the Humanities in Oxford, bringing academic excellence and cultural activity together under one roof.

Nobel laureates explore life, imagination and the search for meaning at Oxford

29 May 2026 - Two Nobel laureates from literature and science came together at Oxford’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities for a wide-ranging conversation on life, imagination, curiosity and the search for meaning.

Archive Dreaming: Behind the scenes

30 Apr 2026 - Producer Jules Hyun shares how Refik Anadol Studio’s immersive installation, Archive Dreaming, now open in the Schwarzman Centre’s White Box, transforms a vast botanical archive into a living, navigable experience.

Schwarzman Centre opens to the public with world-class artists

27 Apr 2026 - 12,000 people visited the building to attend the free day-long Open House event, featuring concerts, dance performances, talks and exhibitions.

5 Minutes With... Cultural Fellow Anna Clyne and sound artist Jody Elff

24 Feb 2026 - Composer and Schwarzman Centre Cultural Fellow Anna Clyne and sound artist Jody Elff were in residence at the Schwarzman Centre this month for the second stage of a three-part development process for their new work, Looking Glass.

Celebrating the construction of Schwarzman Centre for Humanities

12 Feb 2026 - Last week a special concert was held in the Sohmen Concert Hall at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities to celebrate those involved in its construction and successful opening.

Welcome to Untitled

Untitled – the magazine of The Schwarzman Centre amplifies the Centre’s vision of bringing together academia, creativity, and culture to think in new ways about the big questions facing humanity.

In conversation with Stephen Schwarzman

Stephen A. Schwarzman’s record £185 million gift made the Schwarzman Centre possible; we talk with him about his vision, the humanities, and his approach to philanthropy.

The human factor: how AI turns the spotlight on us

AI is powerful, pioneering, divisive and unknown. We ask two people working closely with the technology to share their insight into where AI belongs in humanity…

Hope is the thing with feathers

Taylor Mac – the actor, playwright, performance artist, director, producer, and singer-songwriter – on belonging and loss.

Reflections

What does the opening of the Schwarzman Centre mean to people at the University of Oxford and in the wider community? We asked the question…

Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities opens its doors to the public with a major celebration

5 Feb 2026 - The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre, a new world-class centre for the Arts and Humanities in Oxford, launches its public programme on 25 April 2026 with a free day of events and performances.

5 Minutes With... Sarah Jones

26 Jan 2026 - Ahead of her upcoming show America, Who Hurt You? Live, Tony Award-winning performer, and writer Sarah Jones visited Oxford to meet academics, exchange ideas, and further develop the research behind her new live show.

Europe’s largest Passivhaus university building and world’s first Passivhaus concert hall

22 Jan 2026 - The University of Oxford's Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities has officially achieved certification to the Passivhaus building standard for very-low-energy construction.

Oxford University appoints first Lau Fellow in Creativity and AI

16 Jan 2026 - Media artist and AI pioneer Refik Anadol has been selected as the first recipient of the Lau Fellowship in Creativity and AI at Oxford University’s Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

5 Minutes with Schwarzman Centre Cultural Fellow, Lil Buck

27 Nov 2025 - During his recent visit to Oxford we met with Cultural Fellow Lil Buck, who’s developing 1776 - a new collaboration with dance companies ZooNation and Body Politic.

Centre for the Humanities opens

30 Sep 2025 - The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre, a new world-class centre for the Arts and Humanities will open to the academic community on 13 October 2025 and the public cultural programme will begin in April 2026.

The building

Plan your visit

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities Radcliffe Observatory Quarter Woodstock Road Oxford OX2 6GG

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Opening times:
Monday	08:00 - 20:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 20:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 20:00
Thursday	08:00 - 20:00
Friday	08:00 - 20:00
Saturday	08:00 - 20:00
Sunday	08:00 - 20:00
Our Café and Coffee Bar are open weekdays 08:00 – 16:00. Our Coffee Bar is open weekends 10:00 – 14:00.