INSPIRED BY
BLAKE
The William Blake Festival, Oxford
Sun 18 – Sat 31 Jan 2015
INSPIRED BY
BLAKE
The William Blake Festival, Oxford
Sun 18–Sat 31 Jan 2015
www.inspiredbyblake.co.uk
FESTIVAL EVENTS BOOKING
Call 01865 333623 or visit:
Blackwell's Bookshop, 48–53 Broad Street
ENQUIRIES [email protected]
To coincide with the major exhibition,
'William Blake: Apprentice & Master',
Blackwell's Bookshop and the Ashmolean
present 'Inspired by Blake', a two-week
William Blake Festival. The programme
includes talks, panel discussions, musical
and theatrical events and workshops,
encompassing the art, poetry, philosophy
and spirit of William Blake.
William Blake: Man Without a Mask
With Ruth Rosen, performer
Blackwell's, Broad St. Tue 20 Jan, 7‒8pm
One of Britain's leading poetry and prose
performers, Ruth Rosen, reads extracts from every
one of Blake's works. Take an incredible journey
through the mind of this visionary genius, from his
poetry to his prose and his letters. Tickets cost £5,
booking essential.
Blake at Breakfast
Ashmolean Dining Room
Sun 18 Jan, 10‒11.15am
Take in performances of Blake's poetry whilst
enjoying breakfast in the Ashmolean's rooftop
Dining Room. Free entry, no booking required.
Balloon Debate: Blake and his
Contemporaries
Blackwell's, Broad St. Thur 22 Jan, 7‒8pm
William Blake and his contemporaries, including
William Wordsworth, Mary Wollstonecraft and
Humphry Davy, are in a hot-air balloon that is
plummeting perilously towards Earth. Excess
weight will have to be jettisoned. Each figure will
have to argue that they deserve the last place in
the balloon. With leading academics taking on the
roles, join the debate and discover the outcome
of this intriguing scenario. Tickets cost £5,
booking essential.
Inspired by Blake
With authors Philip Pullman, Iain Sinclair and Caspar
Henderson
Sheldonian Theatre Sun 18 Jan, 3‒4pm
This panel discussion examines the many different
aspects of William Blake, including his influence on
culture and his relevance today. The panel features
Philip Pullman as the President of the Blake Society;
Iain Sinclair, author of 'Blake's London'; and Caspar
Henderson, whose forthcoming book 'A New
Map of Wonders' explores what it is that makes
the world so astonishing. Tickets cost £10,
booking essential.
Testament: Blake Remixed
With Testament, poet and rapper
Blackwell's, Broad St. Fri 23 Jan, 7‒8pm
Critically acclaimed poet and rapper Testament
shows off his strong Blakean influences in his
unique brand of British hip-hop, revealing a side of
Blake you have never seen or heard before. Tickets cost £5, booking essential.
Reading in the Spirit of Blake
Dark Satanic Mills
Ashmolean LT Fri 23 Jan, 4.30‒5.30pm
Grounded in an exploration of the relationship
between words and images in Blake's illustrated
books, this lecture will use his work as the basis of
learning to read in the spirit of Blake. Tickets cost
£5/£3, booking essential.
Blackwell's, Broad St. Tue 27 Jan, 7‒8pm
Marcus and Julian Sedgwick's graphic novel, 'Dark
Satanic Mills', tracks a young girl's journey from the
flooded landmarks of London to the vast, scorched
hills of the North. The authors were inspired by the
art and writing of William Blake, which are reflected
in the stunning narrative and design of their novel.
Tickets cost £5, booking essential.
With Saree Makdisi, Professor of English and Comparative
Literature, UCLA
Shared Reading of Blake's Poems
With Barbara Vellacott, of the Blake Society
Ashmolean Atrium Sun 25 Jan, 10.30‒11.30am
Participate in the joy of reading aloud with others
from the works of William Blake, and discover
their vitality and depth of meaning through live
performance. Free, no booking required.
Hear the Voice of the Bard: Poetry Workshop
Blackwell's, Broad St. Mon 26 Jan, 7‒8.30pm
For William Blake, the human voice and the word
were means of divine inspiration. Much of his work
is concerned with the relationship between oral
and written forms of expression. This workshop will
explore ways of preparing a poetry recitation, using
selected poems by Blake. Tickets cost £5 (inc. tea
and cake), booking essential.
With authors Marcus and Julian Sedgwick
Visionary Artist or Artist of Visions?
With Art x Neuroscience
Blackwell's, Broad St. Thur 29 Jan, 7‒8pm
Blake's visions have long been a topic of debate
among scholars, artists and poets. 'Art X
Neuroscience', a creative collective focusing on the
intersection between science and art, invites four
panelists to consider Blake's visions in the light of
modern neuroscientific advances. Tickets cost £5,
booking essential.
FESTIVAL EVENTS BOOKING
William Blake (1757–1827)
Newton, 1795
© Philadelphia Museum of Art
Call 01865 333623 or visit:
Blackwell's Bookshop, 48–53 Broad Street
ENQUIRIES [email protected]
FAMILIES
Tyger Tyger Saturday
Blackwell's, Broad St. Sat 24 Jan, 2‒5pm
Join us for an afternoon of family friendly activities
based around Blake's best-known and most loved
poem, The Tyger. At 2pm have a go at potato
printing for the under-7s; listen to a reading of
The Tiger Who Came To Tea at 3.30pm; and
take part in a poetry workshop for over-7s
from 4pm. There will be prizes for any children
who come dressed as a fearsome tiger!
Free, no booking required.
Heaven & Hell
Fri 30 Jan, 7‒10.30pm
Ashmolean Museum
Heaven and Hell LiveFriday marks the
culmination of the 'Inspired by Blake' Festival.
Taking inspiration from Blake's revolutionary
text 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell', this
edition of LiveFriday will bring the visionary
artist and writer to life through a programme
of live music, performances, workshops and
tours throughout the galleries. Take a thrilling
trip through the museum after dark, and find
out how Blake has inspired writers, artists,
musicians, and scholars through the ages.
William Blake (1757–1827)
Songs of Experience, 1794–1802
© Private collection
William Blake (1757–1827)
Europe a Prophecy, 1794
© Private collection
Find us on Facebook and Twitter
@AshmoleanMuseum
Until 1 Mar 2015
£9 full price/£7 concessions
(£10/£8 Inc. Gift Aid)
Free for members and under-12s
EXHIBITION TICKETS
www.ashmolean.org/blake
“Unmissable”
The Sunday Times
"Thrilling exhibition"
Philip Pullman
PRINTING
DEMONSTRATIONS
Gallery 57
Fri 16 & Sun 18 Jan
Fri 6, Tue 17 & Wed 18 Feb
10.30am‒12pm & 2‒4pm
Join Dr Michael Phillips, guest curator of the
exhibition, as he prints on a 19th-century
printing press, demonstrating the different
stages of the print process.
Free with the price of admission,
no booking necessary
TOURS
Introduction to the Exhibition
Gallery 57 Tue & Thur, 3.30–4.15pm
Free with the price of admission,
no booking necessary
Images: © British Museum, © Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, © Philadelphia Museum of Art, © Private collection
BOOKING FOR VENUES LISTED BELOW
EXHIBITION EVENTS | 13
www.ashmolean.org/tickets
POETRY
Gallery 57 Sat 24 Jan & 21 Feb,
12.30‒1.30pm & 2.30‒3.30pm
Oxfordshire poets share new work
written in response to the exhibition.
Free with the price of admission.
In the Footsteps of Blake
With Nick Owen, poet
TALKS
£5/£4 concessions, booking essential
Towards a New Era in
Printmaking: Innovation
in the 18th Century
With Dr Ad Stijnman FRHistS
Lecture Theatre
Fri 16 Jan, 2‒3pm
Printmaking changed dramatically
after 1700 with the introduction
of new plate-making and plateprinting processes, coloured inks
and state of the art print presses.
Dr Stijnman looks at this era in
which artists, printers, engravers
and publishers produced work
that astonished audiences.
Italian Old Master Prints
Through the Eyes of Blake
and his Friends
With Michael Bury,
University of Edinburgh
Lecture Theatre
Thur 19 Feb, 2‒3pm
In the late 18th-century,
Blake and his contemporaries
developed a distinctive
approach to Italian Renaissance
prints. They paid attention
to printmakers whose work
had been largely ignored or
disparaged in the preceding
years. This talk examines these
artworks and identifies why
Blake admired them so much.
Lecture Theatre
Sat 28 Feb, 11am‒12.30pm
The pairing together of poetry
and illustration has never been as
inspiring or revolutionary as that
seen in the work of William Blake.
partnership
With the digital toolsInwe
have with
today it is easier for us follow in
his footsteps and connect writing
with images. Poet Nick Owen
will discuss these works of art
and encourage you to make your
own illustrated poetry. £5/£4
concessions, booking essential.
WORKSHOPS
£65/£60 concessions,
booking essential
William Blake Printmaking
With Kieran Stiles, artist
Education Centre
Fri 6 Feb, 10.30am‒4pm
Learn about Blake's innovative
relief printing techniques and
study the practical craft of intaglio
engraving on copper plates ‒ a
process Blake used for his
illustrations to the Book of Job.
The workshop also includes a
study session in the Cast Gallery
and a visit to the exhibition.
How to be an Illustrator
With Kerry Lemon, illustrator
CONFERENCE
Apprentice & Master:
Conference
With the University of Oxford's
Faculty of English and the Birkbeck
Centre for 19th-century Studies
Lecture Theatre
Sat 24 Jan, 10am‒6pm
Leading academics in the study
of Blake will explore a variety of
perspectives on the exhibition.
The conference includes
lunch and is followed by a
reception and a private viewing
of the exhibition. £35/£25
concessions. NB. To book
tickets please visit: www.
oxforduniversitystores.co.uk
Education Centre
Sat 7 Feb, 10.30am‒4pm
Contemporary artist and
illustrator Kerry Lemon will show
you how to create your own
illustrations inspired by the works
of Blake. You will be guided
through the whole illustrative
process, from the creation of
ideas, to the drafting of roughs
and thumbnail sketches, forming
the final artwork and business
and marketing tips. All abilities
are welcome.This workshop
includes a visit to the exhibition.
FAMILY FUN
Free family trails and activity
sheets are available in the
exhibition. Pick up on the door
or download from our website.
Entry to the exhibition is free for
under-12s.