Since 2012, we’ve undertaken projects of all shapes and sizes. To deliver this program, we’ve collaborated with a huge variety of organisations – from the University, local area and further afield. Find out more about our past ventures here: 

Annual Reviews
Giving an overview of our work in each year, you can read our annual reviews online.
2021-2022 Year in Numbers
2020-2021 A year like no other
2018-2019 Highlights

Operation Survival and Cambridge Codebreakers: The Last Secret
We partnered with Fire Hazard Games to deliver two high-octane digital adventure games across a number of our museums. Imagine head-scratching puzzles and a madcap rush between venues (not in the galleries!). Find out more on our Collections in Action blog:
Operation Survival
Cambridge Codebreakers: turning museum visitors into players
Cambridge Codebreakers: developing a codebreaking adventure across four museums
2017-2019

India Unboxed
To mark the UK-India Year of Culture 2017, we celebrated a shared season on the theme of India - a programme of exhibitions, events, digital encounters, discussions, installations and more within the museums and the city of Cambridge.
Rooted in our collections, the programme explored themes of identity and connectivity for audiences in both the UK and India, with support from Arts Council England. Read the India Unboxed Evaluation Report
2017-18

The Museum as Method
This conference, run in collaboration with the University's Centre for Research in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CRASSH), brought together scholars from disciplines interested in material culture and curators from across the arts and sciences, to reflect on both questions of methodology and public policy.
2016 

Curating Cambridge
Curating Cambridge: our city, our stories, our stuff was a collaborative arts and cultural season which took place over October and November 2014. Read the Curating Cambridge Evaluation Report
2014

Artist in Residence, North West Cambridge Development
The Artist in Residence programme at the North West Cambridge Development ran throughout the development of the site, with three artists being appointed each year. 
2014-2016

Discoveries: Art, Science and Exploration
In 2014, Discoveries, the first major show to bring together the fascinating collections from all eight University of Cambridge Museums, took place at London's Two Temple Place and the Fitzwilliam Museum.
2014

House Guests
From March to July 2013 specimens, objects and artworks from the University of Cambridge Museums and collections took up residence at Kettle's Yard. The 'guests', from butterflies to Inuit carving, invited visitors to see Kettle's Yard in a new light and to discover more about the University of Cambridge Museums.
2013

Thresholds
In 2012 Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy invited ten of the best UK poets writing today to take part in a series of residencies at the University of Cambridge Museums. Each poet spent time in their host museum or collection, exploring the collection and working with young people, helping them to develop their critical thinking skills as well as their writing.
2012-13

What's On

07 Jun 2019

Create your own aquarium-themed jam-jar lantern.

Learn how to cut glass and create your own piece of kiln-fired art.

Learn how to cut glass and create your own piece of kiln-fired art.

Make your own acrylic suncatcher.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

A special storytelling session with Creative Movements Cambridge.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
08 Mar 2019

Find out about the Nightshades, one of the most amazing families in the plant kingdom. 

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
07 Jul 2019

Try out different yoga poses inspired by animals and plants that live in the Botanic Garden.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

Find out about the cool plants that were around at the time of the dinosaurs.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

Come along and help us decorate the Garden. 

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

Hear the story of the lonely little cactus and how he finds friendship.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

Join us on a rare night-time walk for families and learn about the fascinating world of bats. 

Learn to programme a range of LEDs

Learn how to write in code to control a vehicle.

08 Jan 2019

How did people communicate before computers?

07 Jun 2019

Create a basic roaming robot.

09 Aug 2019
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How do you program a computer using a strip of paper?

14 Aug 2019
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Is it possible to make a radio which doesn't use electricity?

16 Aug 2019
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Join gaming experts to guide you through the history of videogames.

19 Aug 2019
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Learn how to create a 3D building.

21 Aug 2019
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Build a hand-held, pocket sized 'brain' game. 

23 Aug 2019
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Discover an ingenious device called Makey Makey.

Add function, fashion and fun to clothes and soft toys. 

Join the Museum for some coding fun 

Discover what it's like to be an Archaeologist for the day.

Make your own printed or collage picture using natural materials.

 

08 Jan 2019

Make your own printed or collage picture using natural materials.

07 Aug 2019
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Enjoy Tudor themed activities.

08 Aug 2019
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Enjoy Tudor themed activities.

14 Aug 2019
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Discover the different games and toys from through the ages.

15 Aug 2019
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Discover a range of games and toys from throughout the ages.

Make your own model bird.

Make your own model bird.

Drop-in for a range of harvest time activities. 

Enjoy a range of harvest time activities.

25 Jul 2019
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Create your own marble game in a box.

26 Jul 2019
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Create your own marble game in a box. 

08 Jan 2019

Make a fantastical butterfly or dragon.

08 Feb 2019

Make your own fantastical butterfly or dragon.

07 Aug 2019

Make your own t-shirt to take home.

09 Aug 2019
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Make your own t-shirt to take home.