Moving, Teaching, Inspiring: The National Trust

A Lecture Series

Over the past three years the Humanities Division at Oxford has developed an exciting relationship with the National Trust, culminating in the Trusted Source Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

Celebrating our collaboration, this interdisciplinary lecture series will explore and interrogate the many challenges and opportunities facing the higher education and heritage sectors in the 21st century, and highlight the many points of connection between our two institutions from a number of perspectives; from caring for collections and landscapes, to gaining support through brand and marketing.

The lectures are FREE but spaces are limited – please RSVP to alice.purkiss@history.ox.ac.uk to reserve

LECTURES: Open to Oxford University (staff, students and researchers) and National Trust staff only.

VENUE: St Luke’s Chapel, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG

9th February: History, Vision, Ambition – 5.30pm

In this introductory lecture Dame Helen Ghosh, Director General of the National Trust, and Professor Karen O’Brien, Head of the Humanities Division, discuss the history, current vision and future ambition of their respective organisations.

23rd February: Land, Outdoors & Nature – 5.30pm

Join Peter Nixon, the National Trust’s Director of Land, Landscape and Nature and Professor Heather Viles, Head of The School of Geography & the Environment as they discuss the challenges and opportunities we face today in caring for and studying the natural environment.

9th March: Our Collections & their Audiences – 5.30pm

Join Simon Murray, the National Trust’s Senior Director of Strategy, Curatorship and External Affairs, and Dr Xa Sturgis, Director of the Ashmolean Museum as they discuss heritage and audiences, exploring the need – and means – of making historic collections relevant in the 21st century.

4th May: Heritage as Business – 5.30pm

Join Hilary McGrady, Director of Operations & Consultancy at the National Trust, and Dr Pegram Harrison, Fellow in Entrepreneurship at the Said Business School as they discuss the business of heritage and explore the challenges and opportunities such organisations face as businesses in supporting their charitable causes.

11th May: Supporting our Causes –  5.45pm

Join Jackie Jordan, the National Trust’s Director of Brand and Marketing, Susan Foster, the Trust’s Fundraising Director, and Liesl Elder, Head of Development at Oxford University, as they discuss the ways in which fundraising and branding are fundamental to supporting both the National Trust and Oxford University.

PUBLIC DEBATE – All welcome

1st June: The Future of Heritage  -  5.30pm 

Join our panel of experts as they discuss the opportunities and threats facing heritage today, and debate their own visions of a sector fit for the 21st Century and beyond.

Confirmed speakers:

Dame Helen Ghosh – Director General, National Trust

Carole Souter – Master, St Cross College, University of Oxford (formerly Chief Executive of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund)

Sandy Nairne – National Trust Trustee & Former director of the National Portrait Gallery

Professor Peter Mandler – Professor of Modern Cultural History, University of Cambridge

John Orna-Ornstein – Director of Museums, Arts Council England (Chair)

VENUE: St John’s College, Garden Quad Auditorium.

This event is FREE and open to all, but reservation is required – RSVP to alice.purkiss@history.ox.ac.uk