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

Make a mobile or dream catcher.

Make a mobile or dream catcher.

Create a swirly clay pot

Create a swirly clay pot.

Make your own fabric print picture.

Make your own fabric print picture.

10 Aug 2019
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Come and make an artwork from recycled materials, to tie-in with our contemporary art exhibition "Anthropocene".

24 Aug 2019
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How and why is water kept clean in the modern world? Find out from the experts then try your hand at some craft activities.

26 Aug 2019
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Try out some of the best board games available. Just drop-in and play!

The Fitzwilliam Museum
01 Oct 2019

Aimed at conservators who would like to know more about writing up their work for publication, take part in a one-day course where you'll get an introduction to publishing in conservation.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
13 Sep 2019
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A peek behind the scenes of the Sedgwick Museum's new Geological Collections Store. Taking shape on Madingley Road is an exciting new research resource for earth scientists. Designed to house more than half a million rocks, minerals and fossils, in state-of-the-art conditions available to researchers across the world.  

24 Aug 2019
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Explore the ingenious ways that the Victorians dealt with problems like sewage, recycling and clean water.

Museum of Zoology
06 Sep 2019
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Museum of Zoology
13 Sep 2019
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Exploring fish anatomy with Dr Kate Criswell

Museum of Zoology
14 Sep 2019
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Take a tour around our summer exhibition with its curator, Jack Ashby

Museum of Zoology
17 Sep 2019
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Talk on how the world is coming together to agree a new deal for nature

Museum of Zoology
25 Sep 2019
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An evening of animal inspired board games, a bar, plus the museum at night. Ages 18+

Kettle's Yard
17 Oct 2019
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Join us for the first Chamber Music concert of the 2019/2020 series at Kettle's Yard. The first concert will be the Van Kuijk Quartet.

Kettle's Yard
24 Oct 2019
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Lonarc Oboe Trio playing Beethoven, Triebensee and Horan at Kettle's Yard.

Kettle's Yard
31 Oct 2019
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Giuseppe Guarrera, piano playing Bach, Prokofiev and Scriabin

Kettle's Yard
21 Nov 2019
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Daniel Rowland, violin and Craig White, piano playing Mozart, Debussy and Stravinsky

Kettle's Yard
28 Nov 2019
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Gildas Quartet and Carola Darwin, soprano playing Purcell, Mozart and LeFanu

Kettle's Yard
05 Dec 2019
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Maxwell Quartet playing Haydn, Schubert, and Rukens for The Jim and Helen Ede Concert.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
26 Nov 2019

Food defines us as individuals, communities, and nations: we are what we eat and, equally, what we don’t eat. When, where, why, how and with whom we eat are crucial to our identity. Feast & Fast presents novel approaches to understanding the history and culture of food and eating.

 

The Fitzwilliam Museum
24 Sep 2019

Rembrandt made etchings of female nudes during two distinct periods of his career: in the 1630s, and another two decades later. This exhibition draws attention to the beauty and power of Rembrandt’s treatment of the female form, despite attacks received from critics of the time.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
08 Oct 2019

This exhibition brings together a remarkable range of works from the Museum’s collections to explore the ways in which artists and composers have engaged in a dialogue between sight and sound.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
13 Sep 2019
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A study day in two halves designed to illuminate and engage people with collecting, restoring and making fans.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
26 Sep 2019
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Book for a special viewing of The Greatest Showman (PG). Live music precedes the film, with popcorn and hot dogs available to buy. The screening complements our new exhibition about Giovanni Belzoni - 19th century explorer and circus strongman - also open to view in Gallery 10 before the screening.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
07 Oct 2019
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Join us to celebrate the opening of our newly refurbished Gallery 3 and launch of our new season of programming on the theme of Sensual/Virtual. Speak with artist Nicolas Poussin and poet John Keats – virtually as good as the originals! They can be found next to their in-gallery displays. Explore the upper galleries to the sound of music, and see our recently opened exhibitions Rembrandt and the Nude and Seeing Sound. Treat yourself to a drink from our cash bar, and expect lots of surprises on the night!

The Fitzwilliam Museum
28 Nov 2019
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See our new Feast & Fast exhibition, join pop-up talks, learn more about Christmas food traditions and book for a special screening of Bright Star (PG) – a romantic drama about John Keats starring Ben Whishaw, programmed to complement our Keats display and accompanied by live music. Catch up on your Christmas shopping with cards, decorations and unique art inspired gifts and jewellery in the Courtyard Shop and relax with seasonal treats in the Courtyard Café to live jazz music.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
26 Sep 2019
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To complement our exhibition Rembrandt and the Nude join us for two days of expressive drawing sessions, with expert guidance from our guest artists. All materials provided.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
07 Sep 2019
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Drop-in on the first Saturday of the month and join us for activities and art-making on the theme of ancient Egypt.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
05 Oct 2019
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Drop-in on the first Saturday of the month and join us for activities and art-making on the theme of harvest festival.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
02 Nov 2019
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Drop-in on the first Saturday of the month and join us for activities and art-making on the theme of magic and mystery.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
07 Dec 2019
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Drop-in on the first Saturday of the month and join us for activities and art-making on the theme of festive fun.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
03 Dec 2019
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A private guided tour of the Feast & Fast exhibition with curators Dr Victoria Avery and Dr Melissa Calaresu for individuals and groups, before the Museum opens at 10.00.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
02 Dec 2019
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Tours run between 9.30 – 11.00 & 14.00 – 15.30

Join curator Dr Victoria Avery and dance artist Filipa Pereira Stubbs for this tour with a difference – we will hear stories, share our responses, select soundtracks and then dance! Everyone is welcome, the dance practice is simple and designed for all to enjoy.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
15 Oct 2019
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Join Dr Rebecca Virag, exhibition co-curator, on a private exhibition guided tour for individuals and groups, before the Museum opens at 10.00.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
02 Oct 2019
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A chance to look at paintings of nudes owned by the Founder and the Rembrandt and the Nude print exhibition with Hettie Ward and Elenor Ling, Assistant Keepers, Paintings, Drawings and Prints. The tour is for individuals and groups, before the Museum opens at 10.00.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
04 Nov 2019
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Marking the fifth centenary of Leonardo’s death, this interdisciplinary conference looks at a wide range of Leonardo’s artistic and scientific interests, framing the master’s genius within the historical context of his time.