Oxford – The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at the University of Oxford opens to the public this weekend, marking a significant new chapter for the arts and humanities in the UK. Launched on Saturday 25 April 2026, the Centre will welcome audiences with a free, day-long Open House featuring performances, installations, talks and exhibitions across its newly unveiled spaces.
Designed by Hopkins Architects and funded by the largest single gift in modern times to the University, the building brings together performance venues, exhibition areas and academic facilities under one roof. It also houses seven Humanities faculties, alongside the Institute for Ethics in AI, the Oxford Internet Institute and the new Bodleian Humanities Library.
A launch shaped by performance and experimentation
The Open House programme reflects the Centre’s stated focus on experimentation and collaboration. Across the day, visitors will encounter a wide range of live events, including the inauguration of the 500-seat Sohmen Concert Hall by the Scottish Ensemble, performing works including Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Caroline Shaw’s And the Swallow with the Choir of Keble College.
The new 250-seat theatre will host performances by ZooNation, presenting excerpts from The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, a hip-hop inspired adaptation of Alice in Wonderland created by artistic director Kate Prince.
At the centre of the building, the Great Hall will host a series of pop-up performances and spoken word events curated by poet Yomi Ṣode, alongside contributions from Professor Jieun Kiaer and performances by groups including Head over Wheels, Justice in Motion, Body Politic YOUTH and The Cocoa Butter Club. A bespoke sketch by Richard Curtis, What have the humanities ever done for us?, will be performed by actor Tim McInnerny.
World premiere and new digital commissions
A central highlight of the opening day is the world premiere of 360 Vessels, a new choral installation by artist Es Devlin and composer Nico Muhly. Performed beneath the glass dome of the Great Hall, the work features 360 handmade clay vessels arranged among the audience, with music performed by the Schola Cantorum, Oxford’s chamber choir conducted by Stephen Grahl. The text draws on both early Dominican traditions of humanities study and the writings of 17th-century theologian Thomas Traherne.
The opening also introduces new works by artists working with artificial intelligence. Refik Anadol presents Archive Dreaming: Large Nature Model — Oxford, an immersive installation that transforms a digital archive into a continuously shifting visual environment using AI systems. Meanwhile, Anna Ridler presents A Perfect Language of Images, a screen-based work exploring the relationship between data, natural history and knowledge production.
Exploring AI, culture and society
The programme also engages directly with contemporary debates around artificial intelligence. A panel titled Is there such a thing as ethical AI? will bring together contributors including Kenneth Cukier, Ray Eitel-Porter, Edward Harcourt, Philipp Koralus and Amanda Stent to explore the practical implications of AI ethics.
This intersection between humanities research and technological change is central to the Centre’s mission. As Managing Director Alexandra Vincent MBE stated, the building aims to create “a stage like no other” while welcoming audiences of all backgrounds to engage with its programme.
A year-long cultural programme
Following its opening, the Schwarzman Centre will host a wide-ranging programme throughout 2026, spanning music, theatre, dance, visual art and literature. Confirmed artists include Cynthia Erivo, Nitin Sawhney, Lil Buck, Edmund de Waal, Sigur Rós, Brian Eno and Kae Tempest.
Two themed seasons will shape the programme: Unfinished Revolutions (May–June), examining the legacy of the 1776 US Declaration of Independence, and Utopia Now! (October–November), exploring visions of future societies.
Additional highlights include a staging of Karel Čapek’s R.U.R. by Headlong Theatre, an immersive spatial audio collaboration by Sigur Rós with Loss><Gain, and a day-long exploration of the psalms curated by Edmund de Waal in collaboration with Oxford scholars and the Aurora Orchestra.
A new cultural and academic hub
Beyond its performance programme, the Schwarzman Centre represents a major investment in the humanities at Oxford. Chancellor William Hague described it as an “extraordinary investment” at a time when the insights of the humanities are increasingly important in addressing global challenges such as artificial intelligence, human rights and the environment.
As both a cultural venue and academic centre, the building brings together researchers, artists and public audiences, aiming to foster collaboration across disciplines and to explore what its director John Fulljames describes as “what it means to be human today.”
The Open House on 25 April has offered the first opportunity for the public to experience this new space in full—through performance, debate and artistic experimentation—before a year of programming unfolds.
Visit the https://www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/