Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

13/06/2026

Just one night left to catch Bark of Millions - Taylor Mac, Matt Ray and Machine Dazzle’s joyful celebration of q***rness in all its forms.

Expect a provocative, transformative experience unlike any other, tonight at the Schwarzman Centre, Oxford.

Tickets: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/taylor-mac-and-matt-ray-s-bark-of-millions-in-concert-fmq7

12/06/2026

🌈 Taylor Mac, Matt Ray and Machine Dazzle's Bark of Millions in Concert explodes onto the Schwarzman Centre stage tonight!

Bark of Millions is a provocative, transformative experience, with the fierce elation of a Pride parade - in Oxford for two nights only.

Join the party: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/taylor-mac-and-matt-ray-s-bark-of-millions-in-concert-fmq7 ✨

📸 Ian Wallman

12/06/2026

How do classical theatre and story continue to evolve across contemporary stage and screen?

Next week's Schwarzman Centre Conversations with Samira Ahmed brings together acclaimed actor Toby Jones, Olivier Award-winning actor and Artistic Director at the Globe Michelle Terry, playwright Amy Ng and University of Oxford English Professor Emma Smith, to examine how performers, practitioners and productions reimagine traditional narratives for modern audiences.

Schwarzman Centre Conversations - Stage and Screen: Reimagining the Classics
📅 19:30, 17 June
🎟️ Tickets available now: https://f.mtr.cool/grgchltlxf

10/06/2026

Ready to see the world in a new way?

This weekend, Head Over Wheels brings a joyful circus adventure for families to the Schwarzman Centre. Expect acrobatics, storytelling and plenty of surprises as two performers create a space of curiosity and celebration, rethinking who the world is designed for.

Come along and join the adventure - tickets available now via the link in bio.



📅 14:00, 13 & 14 June
📍 Theatre

BSL interpreted performances

📸 Mark Morreau

10/06/2026

Ready to see the world in a new way?

This weekend, Head Over Wheels brings a joyful circus adventure for familes to the Schwarzman Centre. Expect acrobatics, storytelling and plenty of surprises as two performers create a space of curiosity and celebration, rethinking who the world is designed for.

Come along and join the adventure - tickets available now: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/mummy-what-s-wrong-with-that-man-s-legs-b51d

📅 14:00, 13 & 14 June
📍 Theatre

BSL interpreted performances

📸 Mark Morreau

09/06/2026

For two nights only: experience the Schwarzman Centre as you've never seen it before...✨

On 12 & 13 June, theatre renegades Taylor Mac (MacArthur "Genius" Fellow), Matt Ray and Machine Dazzle bring Bark of Millions to Oxford — an electrifying collision of music, drag spectacle and theatrical invention, featuring a powerhouse cast of 16 international artists, including Le Gateau Chocolat and Mama Alto.


Part epic rock opera, part celebration of q***r history and imagination, Bark of Millions invites audiences into a world of original music, incredible costumes, and collective joy.

Every time Bark of Millions is staged, a new song joins the canon; part of a mission to rebalance the American songbook by writing new works that centre q***r voices. The Oxford performances feature the world premiere of the 2026 song.

Join the party. All are welcome. 💫

✨ 12 & 13 June
📍 Sohmen Concert Hall, Schwarzman Centre
🎟️ Tickets available now: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/taylor-mac-and-matt-ray-s-bark-of-millions-in-concert-fmq7

📸 Photo credit: Jas Lehal/PA Media Assignments

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

5 Minutes With… Anna Clyne and Jody Elff

We caught up with composer Anna Clyne and sound artist Jody Elff during their residency in Oxford, where they had been working with students from Oxford University's Faculty of Music on Looking Glass, which premieres in the Sohmen Concert Hall on 24 June.

Inspired by the magic of Lewis Carroll, who used the looking glass as a metaphor for entering a surreal world, Looking Glass is a soundscape that is both mysterious and playful, classical and contemporary. 💫

In conversation, they reflect on the spark behind the project, their collaborative approach, and how they're exploring new sonic possibilities in Looking Glass.

Anna Clyne: Looking Glass
📆 19:30, 24 June
📍 Sohmen Concert Hall
🎟️ Tickets on sale now: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/anna-clyne-looking-glass-r57m
Anna Clyne
Faculty of Music, University of Oxford

05/06/2026

"I really enjoy listening to music like this... it's a totally different experience." — Kjartan Sveinsson, Sigur Rós

Hear from Kjartan Sveinsson and David Sheppard of Loss﹥﹤Gain as they discuss ÁRA, the new immersive listening experience coming to the Schwarzman Centre this summer.

ÁRA invites audiences to experience the music in a new way — surrounded by its textures, details and emotional landscapes.

Developed with Sigur Rós in collaboration with spatial audio specialists Loss﹥﹤Gain (David Sheppard and John Best), the ÁRA multisensory experience is completed by subtle lighting design from Matt Daw, and ambient scents from Jónsi’s family perfume brand Fischersund, deepening the listening journey and drawing you further into the music.

Watch the full conversation on the Schwarzman Centre Digital Guide.

Sigur Rós: Ára
📅 26 June – 19 July 2026
📍 Black Box, Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities
🎟️ Tickets on sale now: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/sigur-ros-ara-8jzs

Image credit: Garry Fabian Miller. Year One, Samonios 3, 2005.

04/06/2026

🌈 Taylor Mac, Matt Ray and Machine Dazzle's electrifying collision of music and drag spectacle, Bark of Millions in Concert, explodes onto the Schwarzman Centre stage this June! ✨

Celebrate the power of individuality and human connection, as 16 international artists, including Le Gateau Chocolat and Mama Alto, perform a collection of original songs, each inspired by a different q***r person from history - including one specially commissioned by the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Oxford and Schwarzman Center, Yale University.

Bark of Millions is a provocative, transformative experience, with the fierce elation of a Pride parade - in Oxford for two nights only on 12 & 13 June.

Join the party: https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/whats-on/taylor-mac-and-matt-ray-s-bark-of-millions-in-concert-fmq7