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

Kettle's Yard
06 Jun 2023
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Join us at Kettle’s Yard for an audio-described tour of our current exhibition Lucie Rie: The Adventure of Pottery. 

Kettle's Yard
02 Jun 2023
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Join us for a workshop to explore the history of the Kettle’s Yard artist in residence programme from the 1970s and 1980s.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
30 May 2023
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Enjoy a relaxed morning exclusively aimed at children with sensory sensitivities along with their families, siblings & carers.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
30 Jun 2023
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Go on a journey through the seasons learning about wild flowers with garden historian Twigs Way

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
03 Jul 2023
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Celebrate murderous plants with author Charlot King

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
05 Jul 2023
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Extend your garden design skills with Paul Herrington

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
06 Jul 2023
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Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
25 May 2023
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Learn how to illustrate Composite flowers, and about the anatomy of this family of plants

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
13 Jul 2023
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July is a great time to concentrate on the Asteraceae, or daisy family

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
27 Jul 2023
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Improve your oil painting skills with John Wiltshire

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
07 Sep 2023
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Join Twigs Way to explore the wealth of resources available for researching the history of a garden

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
19 Sep 2023
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Join tutor Ricki Outis to explore the magic of indigo on cotton fabrics

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
21 Jun 2023

A new exhibition at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology explores the traces of where people have lived, worked and died for thousands of years in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
29 Sep 2023
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Go on a journey through the seasons learning about wild flowers with garden historian Twigs Way

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
03 Oct 2023
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Join John Wiltshire for a day's painting in the Botanic Garden

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
30 May 2023
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Learn the basic processes and techniques of paint production from plants

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
24 Oct 2023
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Use the reduction process to create a layered image using two sets of autumnal colour palettes

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
26 Oct 2023
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Join visual artist and printmaker Susie Turner and learn how to transfer line drawings into unique fine art prints

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
27 Oct 2023
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Go on a journey through the seasons learning about wild flowers with garden historian Twigs Way

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
01 Nov 2023
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Gain a greater understanding and appreciation of micro-climates, soil types, plant choices and planting styles

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
13 Oct 2023
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Learn how heaths are shaped by climate and management with Owen Mountford

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
17 Nov 2023
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Go on a journey through the seasons learning about wild flowers with garden historian Twigs Way

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
23 Nov 2023
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Get to grips with the terminology of stems, winter buds and conifer needles and cones with Ros Bennett

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
27 Nov 2023
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Try something new with this perfect sized beginners' project

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
01 Dec 2023
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Go on a journey through the seasons learning about wild flowers with garden historian Twigs Way

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
05 Dec 2023
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Join Head of Horticulture Sally Pettit on this half day course discovering which plants will bring valuable colour to your garden in winter

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
07 Dec 2023
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Start your festive season and make your own garden-inspired festive wreath

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
08 Dec 2023
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Start your festive season and make your own garden-inspired festive wreath

The Polar Museum
25 Sep 2023
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Discover some of the fascinating themes in the museum with our new tea and talk programme for adults. 

 

The Polar Museum
13 Nov 2023
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Discover some of the fascinating themes in the museum with our new tea and talk programme for adults.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
05 Jul 2023
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The Garden opens its gates late on Wednesday evenings throughout July to host a season of open-air music from Cambridge Summer Music.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
12 Jul 2023
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Join us for an evening of live music as we open our gates late to host a month of open-air concerts from Cambridge Summer Music.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
19 Jul 2023
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The Garden opens its gates late on Wednesday evenings throughout July to host a season of open-air music from Cambridge Summer Music.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 
26 Jul 2023
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The Garden opens its gates late on Wednesday evenings throughout July to host a season of open-air music from Cambridge Summer Music.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

Calling all photographers!

Enter your Botanic Garden photographs into the Botanic Garden and International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) free-to-enter photography competition!

Museum of Classical Archaeology
27 Jun 2023
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A  photographic exhibition from Cambridge Community Arts 2022-23 year-long Photography course.

Museum of Classical Archaeology
24 Jul 2023
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Kettle's Yard
08 Jul 2023
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Join us for a special afternoon of talks and discussion about Palestinian embroidery.

Kettle's Yard
20 Jul 2023
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Join us in the galleries for an informal exhibition tour of Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery.