
The Arts Society Woodford Green (with Bancroft’s) PROGRAMME 2023-24
Lectures take place in BANCROFT’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL’S HALL, on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, unless otherwise stated. LECTURES START PROMPTLY AT 8PM. Please be in your seat at 7.50pm for notices and introduction by the Chairman.
Refreshments are available from 7.15pm.
We are an independent charity & welcome donations from our visitors.
PROGRAMME OF LECTURES 2025
January 14th | The Rivalry between Leonardo and Michelangelo An account of the animosity between two icons of the Renaissance | Dr James Lindow A specialist on the Renaissance, he has lectured and written widely. |
February 11th | The Divine Sunflower in Art and Culture From the Aztecs to Van Gogh and Klimt – how this flower is celebrated | Twigs Way A writer, researcher and speaker – she is fascinated by the role of flowers and the art of gardens. |
March 11th NB 7.30 START | Henry Purcell and the Music of Westminster Abbey England’s Orpheus, how Purcell’s life and music are intertwined with the Abbey The Lecture will be preceded by a short musical presentation by Bancroft’s pupils | Patrick Craig Vicar Choral of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Regular lecturer, choirmaster and conductor. |
April | NO MEETING | |
May 13th | Persepolis: Art, Architecture and Ideology of the Persian Empire An important and vast ancient empire, how its artifacts illustrate its power NB This lecture will now take place in St. Mary’s South Woodford | James Renshaw A teacher of Classics at Godolphin and Latymer, as well as enthusiast of the Classical World. |
June | NO MEETING | |
July 8th | Becoming Jane Austen: the making of a literary superstar: 250th Anniversary ‘I write only for fame’. How Jane Austen became a superstar. | Annalie Talent An expert in romantic and Victorian literature, Annalie has also worked in libraries and literary houses |
August | NO MEETING | |
September 9th | London Bridged: 3,500 years of crossing the Thames How London grew around the Thames, divided and united by the methods of crossing the river. | Charlie Forman A London Tour guide and lecturer, he has a firsthand knowledge of the city. |
October 14th | Dutch Paintings in National Trust Houses How Dutch paintings and artists became status symbols | Jane Choy-Thurlow A University Lecturer and guide at the Mauritshuis, she has been honoured for her work in promoting History of Dutch Art. |
November 11th AGM 7.30pm. | Bad Behaviour: a history of unruly audiences Is the phenomenon of unruly audiences so recent? | Mark Fisher A freelance theatre critic and feature writer, he is a theatre critic for The Guardian and has written about the Edinburgh Festival. |
December2nd N.B. 1st Tuesday | John Singer Sargent: The Private Radical His subjects were the wealthy. Beneath the façade, Sargent had a finger on the pulse of change. | Gavin Plumley A writer and broadcaster, he has a wide range of interests but especially Europe of 19th and 20th centuries. |