Arts, Drama and Theatre

drama , and theatre - Elspeth Knight

Starting university is a perfect chance to try something you have never done before. It is so important to make sure you don’t get stuck in the habit of being at the library all day just stressing about deadlines; part of your degree is to enjoy your time at Oxford, so get out there and explore the city’s amazing arts scene!

arts One of my favourite things to do when feeling overwhelmed is to explore Oxford’s galleries; the Ashmolean Museum has free entry for students and a wide range of permanent exhibitions. They have new exhibitions every season: currently they have a Pre-Raphaelite exhibition on until November, which I highly recommend. The Pitt Rivers Museum also has free entry and is right next to the Natural History Museum.

For more contemporary artworks there is the Modern Art Museum, and in Gloucester Green there is a creative pop-up space that features a range of local artists and hosts community events. But best of all are the student art shows! Follow facebook pages like Oxford Uni Arts Hub to make sure you never miss the latest event (and they usually have free drinks, too).

Drama

Before coming to Oxford I was a bit intimidated by student drama, but you will soon discover there are so many different productions out there that you are bound to find something you enjoy! Each production offers a range of opportunities to get involved, from acting, directing, and producing, to the more creative side like costumes and props. It caters for everyone, from beginners shows, to musical theatre and comedy, and each summer most colleges put on a Shakespeare Garden

Play. The Oxford University Dramatic Society is a great place to look if you are 54 unsure where to start.

If you would rather watch than act, there are plenty of theatres. The Oxford Playhouse hosts major productions, whilst the Burton Taylor Studio usually leans towards intimate student shows. There are plenty of cinemas, too, with multiple Odeons and the Phoenix Picture House, an indie cinema tucked away in Jericho which sometimes gives away posters from the films they are showing.

Because the arts scene is so broad, there are always reviewers needed for student journalism pieces! Try your hand at writing for the newspapers such as The Oxford Blue (which we obviously recommend), or explore more creative magazines such as Isis or Onyx. For each publication, there are also opportunities for illustrators and photographers to contribute to articles. At The Blue, we send out weekly commissions on a range of different sections. It doesn’t matter about experience, we encourage everyone to write for us! As well as quickly developing your skills in writing and editing, it is also a great way to meet new people and find out more about Oxford.