Date: Thursday 8 October 2026, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Jacqui Ansell

From shimmering silks to glittering brocades, the paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery provide a treasure trove of information about fashionable clothing and the activities, interests and appearance of people from different time periods.

Date: Thursday 12 November 2026, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe

Recognising the hand of an artist can be like recognising a friend’s handwriting - an instant certainty that the painting must be by Rubens, El Greco or Rembrandt, for example. This lecture explores what it is in the work of certain artists that is so distinctive.

Date: Thursday 10 December 2026, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Giles Ramsay

One of the most successful writers of his day, Terence Rattigan fell out of favour in the 1950s with the rise of the Angry Young Men such as John Osborne, Harold Pinter and Joe Orton. This lecture examines the stark contrast between pre- and post-war British theatre and how we can reassess which playwrights really stood the test of time.

Date: Thursday 14 January 2027, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Patrick Craig

1685 was an extraordinary year for music. Two of the world’s greatest composers were born 130km and just one month apart. They never met, despite several near misses. This lecture reunites these two giants, tracking their lives across six decades, with a focus on their vocal music.

Date: Thursday 11 February 2027, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Alan Silman

Klee was one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century. Shortly after escaping Nazi Germany as one of the so-called "degenerate artists", Klee developed the rare auto-immune disorder scleroderma. This lecture reviews the life and works of Paul Klee and the impact of his mysterious illness.  

Date: Sunday 24 March 2030, 12.00am

Lecturer: Eileen Goulding

Who were the Nabataeans who suddenly appeared in history, and what was it that allowed these men from the desert to profit so richly from the trade routes? Based in the wonderful city of Petra which they built, their trade network spread far and wide – but why did it disappear? This lecture will provide some of the answers and take a close look at the famous city of Petra.

Date: Thursday 8 April 2027, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Susie Harries

How we should look at animals is one of the eternal questions intriguing artists. Are they our friends or servants, to be depicted for their beauty and for the credit they reflect on their owners? Or are they brute beasts, represented to remind us of the threat they may pose? Most importantly, are they really so different from us?

Date: Thursday 13 May 2027, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Charlie Forman

How did London motivate the great artists who have lived and worked there and how do their paintings enrich our understanding of the city? This lecture takes five periods between 1750 and 1920 and five pairs of artists to compare and understand their take on London.

Date: Thursday 10 June 2027, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Imogen Corrigan

Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known as The Greek (El Greco), became one of Spain’s most successful Mannerist painters. Some have criticised his work, wondering if he was insane or had an eye disorder. Others have been unable to resist the intense spirituality of line, his towering, flame-like figures and jewel colours.

Date: Thursday 15 July 2027, 8.00pm

Lecturer: Roger Mendham

Monopoly is one of the world’s most popular and enduring board games. This talk starts with the original Landlord’s game of 1903 and its evolution into the game we know today, then takes a photographic journey around the locations on the classic 1936 London version of the Monopoly board. Expect some surprises!