Oxford Festival Of The Arts brings world famous artists, free exhibitions and silent films to the city centre

If you thought OXFORD FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS was all about music then think again. Not only does it boast a varied programme of theatre, talks, events and experiences, alongside its extensive music concerts, Signs, Symbols…& Secrets: Oxford Festival Of The Arts’ concerts, exhibitions, film, theatre, art, music and more. What to book now! but it also brings a huge art line-up, bringing world famous artists and exhibitions to Oxford, alongside its sell out silent film scheduling.

Here are the exhibitions and films not to miss! (entrance for all exhibitions is free. no booking required).

James Gemmill, June 5–14, The Kendrew Barn, St John’s College. The Oxfordshire-based artist’s work is held in prestigious collections around the world, and his cinematic work includes the recreation of sections of the Louvre gallery for ‘The Da Vinci Code’; the theatrical set of the film ‘Anna Karenina’, reproductions for ‘The Last Vermeer’, ‘Glass Onion: A knives out mystery’, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sherlock Holmes, to name but a few.

His art is imbued with an underlying humanitarian bent, combined with his own personal interpretation. Physically and texturally, his paintings are layered, while metaphorically there is much to decipher in his complex and philosophical creative process. James never knows what he will be creating from one day to the next, so the size, medium, and location are always in flux, meaning the possibilities are endless and exciting. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/james-gemmill-exhibition/

Qu Lei Lei & Caroline Deane. Exhibition & Installation, June 19 – 28, OVADA. Qu Lei Lei stands as an artist from China campaigning for freedom of expression in the arts with an underlying sense of compassion for humanity. His partner Caroline Deane has exhibited her work both in China and in London and draws inspiration from ancient Chinese philosophy. Which is why this is an exhibition with a message, that aside from our geo-political position, social status and ethnicity, we share one thing: we are all human.

Here the duo examine humanity in its simple, modest, and most genuine form and its affiliations with greed, war, corruption, abuse of power, and voracious environmental destruction, versus our resilience, courage, and ability to constantly pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down, through the annals of history. Throw in today’s environment of largely unregulated, escalating development in global science and technology, uncertainty in governance and chaos, they ask whether our grip on reality and integrity are corroded by misinformation. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/qu-lei-lei-caroline-deane-exhibition-installation/

White Bouquet: A Labyrinth of Symbolism in the work of Oleksandr Dubovyk, July 1 – 10, The Kendrew Barn, St John’s College. Dubovyk stands among the most distinguished figures of contemporary Ukrainian art – an original thinker whose intellectual and artistic trajectory spans nearly a century of cultural history. Emerging from the unofficial artistic milieu of the Soviet era, he developed a highly individual visual philosophy that he termed “suggestive realism” – a language of signs through which images transcend representation and open toward deeper metaphysical meanings.

The ‘White Bouquet’ is Dubovyk’s most recognisable and enduring motif, his canvases unfolding as visual palimpsests (historical manuscripts scraped or washed clean to be reused) – labyrinths of signs where abstraction, memory, and philosophical reflection intertwine, inviting the viewer to navigate between symbols and secrets, between visible form and hidden order. FIND OUT MORE HERE

Kids and Art for Ukraine, July 1 – 10, The Kendrew Barn, St John’s College. The charitable project launched in the summer of 2022 in response to the ongoing war on Ukraine to support children affected by the conflict by providing humanitarian aid, medical assistance, educational resources and psychological and therapeutic relief from the harsh realities of war.

The idea behind the project is simple but powerful: to help children from art schools in Ukraine continue their education and express themselves through painting, singing, playing instruments, and dancing. Art not only offers mental health benefits but also provides a vital escape from the daily horrors of war. Each piece tells the unique story of the children of Ukraine. These artworks are not just expressions of creativity, they are symbols of resilience and hope. FIND OUT MORE HERE

Oxford Festival of the Arts has also announced a series of silent films with improvised music on the Grand Eule Organ played by David Bednall at Magdalen College antechapel, which so far have sold out.

Next up is The Hunchback of Notre Dame on June 22 at 9pm, set in Paris in 1482, where Quasimodo, the isolated, disfigured bell‑ringer of Notre Dame, is drawn into a dangerous chain of events when his master forces him to abduct Esmeralda, a kind‑hearted Roma dancer. After she is rescued by Captain Phoebus, tensions rise between the city’s aristocracy, the underworld led by Clopin, and the church. As jealousy, political ambition, and forbidden love collide, Esmeralda seeks sanctuary in the cathedral, setting the stage for a looming showdown around Notre Dame. https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-silent-film/

This is swiftly followed on June 29, by The Phantom of the Opera (1925) at 9pm, which follows Christine Daaé, a young singer at the Paris Opera House who becomes the obsession of a mysterious masked figure dwelling beneath the theatre. Known only as the Phantom, the disfigured genius manipulates events from the shadows—coaching Christine’s voice, terrorizing the new opera managers, and committing murder to advance her career. When Christine discovers his true identity, she becomes trapped between fear and compassion, while her suitor Raoul races to save her. As the Phantom’s desperation grows, the opera house descends into chaos, leading to a dramatic final confrontation in the catacombs below Paris. Book now

Oxford Festival Of The Arts runs until the end of July. Go to https://artsfestivaloxford.org/whats-on/