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

The Fitzwilliam Museum
01 May 2019

A selection of the Museum’s Isaac Oliver miniatures (c.1565-1617) have been chosen to showcase some of the recent discoveries made about his work.

Kettle's Yard
09 Jul 2019

From the ancient to the contemporary - whether in a museum, book or auction house - the way we engage with art has revolved around the cult of the individual. But what happens when we don’t know who made something?

Museum of Zoology
05 Nov 2019

Due to unforeseen circumstances in our volunteer team we regret that this tour slot has been cancelled. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. The next tour at the Museum of Zoology will be on the 16th June.

For information on other LGBTQ+ tour dates across the Museums please visit: https://museums.cam.ac.uk/events/lgbtq-tours

Museum of Zoology
06 Jul 2019

From same- sex behaviour among penguins to eroticism in the ancient world, explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in Cambridge collections.

Museum of Classical Archaeology

A family event to discover weird and wonderful creatures around the Museum.

04 Nov 2019

Come and hear about the adventures of Colonel Carrot and his vegetable knights.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences

Travel back 580 million years and make your own sun catcher inspired by some of the earliest forms of life on our planet.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden 

Join the Museum of Zoology as we explore the Botanic Garden for wildlife, counting as many species as we can in 24 hours. 

The Fitzwilliam Museum

Enjoy an after-hours evening at the Museum with talks, performances, late night shopping and wine and tapas. 

Kettle's Yard

Head to Kettle's Yard for free drawing activities over the long weekend. 

The Polar Museum
05 Jan 2019

'Tikiġaq/Point Hope - Life on Alaska's North Slope' explores the long history of what is believed to be the longest continuously occupied settlement in North America, with over 2,500 years of recorded history.

 

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences

Story-making for young storytellers. Come along and play with dinosaurs and volcanoes; make up your own story and craft a small book to keep it in.

Museum of Classical Archaeology

Sketching in the Cast Gallery after-hours, with a glass of wine

Kettle's Yard
05 Feb 2019

Join Jennifer Powell, Head of Collection and Programme, in the galleries for a short introduction to Oscar Murillo: Violent Amnesia. 

Kettle's Yard
04 Apr 2019

Arbury Carnival is not far off.

Create your ‘bedtime story’ themed costume with an artist in our learning studio. 

Kettle's Yard
05 Nov 2019

Join University of Cambridge research fellow Nicola Kozicharow (History of Art), who will respond to the current Oscar Murillo exhibition and its themes. 

Kettle's Yard
05 Nov 2019

An interactive creative afternoon developing ideas around the themes of journeys and movement explored by Oscar Murillo.

Kettle's Yard
05 Dec 2019

Artist led workshop for families.

Kettle's Yard

Eliza Spindel, Curatorial Assistant, discusses the paintings and prints of Alan Reynolds and some of the work he collected. 

Kettle's Yard

Join Jennifer Powell, Nina Williams (Gabo's daughter) and Graham Williams, to find out more about Naum Gabio's artistic life. 

Kettle's Yard

An audio described and touch tour of the exhibition. 

Kettle's Yard

See canvases produced by school children in Cambridge in their classrooms over the last six months as part of Oscar Murillo's Frequencies project. 

Kettle's Yard

A creative development seminar for education professionals inspired by Kettle’s Yard’s partnership with Oscar Murillo’s Frequencies project, with project producer Clara Dublanc.

Kettle's Yard

Artist led workshop for families. 

Kettle's Yard

Join us for an evening of creative workshops, pop-up talks, music and a performance by Oscar Murillo. 

Kettle's Yard
05 Aug 2019

Join us for a workshop with Anna Taylor from Anna's Flower Farm and learn how to make your own flower crown, the perfect accessory for a May Ball, festival, wedding or summer party

Kettle's Yard

Join us for a workshop with Anna Taylor from Anna's Flower Farm and learn how to make your own flower crown, the perfect accessory for a May Ball, festival, wedding or summer party.

The Fitzwilliam Museum
04 Jul 2019

A groundbreaking exhibition featuring the works of British artists William Nicholson and James Pryde - known collectively as Beggarstaffs.

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

This workshop is for teachers or artists looking to lead a long-term recycled art project in their schools or studios. 

Museum of Zoology

Enjoy an exhibition of artworks by Jonathan Kingdon that showcase a lifetime of observations in nature, through stunning paintings, sculptures and drawings. 

Whipple Museum of the History of Science
29 Jul 2019
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Have you got what it takes to join our ship's crew? 

Whipple Museum of the History of Science
12 Aug 2019
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Pack your case and join an expedition around the world...

Whipple Museum of the History of Science
29 Aug 2019
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Scientists and explorers have long concocted methods to manage extreme weather... 

Museum of Zoology
02 Aug 2019
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Discover worms through stories and play. 

Museum of Zoology
06 Aug 2019
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Create mammal skeletons.

Museum of Zoology
15 Aug 2019
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An afternoon of coral-themed activities. 

Museum of Zoology
16 Aug 2019
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Discover worms through stories and play. 

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
30 Jul 2019
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Become a palaeontologist for the morning.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
06 Aug 2019
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Come and learn about dinosaurs and create your own pair of dinosaur feet.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
08 Aug 2019
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Come participate in fossil rubbing.