Best Ashmolean Museum Podcasts (2024)

1
Meet You at the Museum: National Museum of Scotland 19:45

4M ago19:45

19:45

If you’ve enjoyed delving into museums with our celebrity guests on Meet Me at the Museum, then our new spin-off show, Meet You at the Museum, should be right up your street, as we get the lowdown from museum visitors themselves. Join host JP Devlin as he explores the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and hears fascinating first-hand stories…

1
Meet You at the Museum: Imperial War Museum London 20:36

5M ago20:36

20:36

If you’ve enjoyed delving into museums with our celebrity guests on Meet Me at the Museum, then our new spin-off show, Meet You at the Museum, should be right up your street, as we get the lowdown from museum visitors themselves. Join host JP Devlin as he explores Imperial War Museum London and hears fascinating first-hand stories from visitors abo…

1
Meet You at the Museum: National Museum Cardiff 22:47

6M ago22:47

22:47

If you’ve enjoyed delving into museums with our celebrity guests on Meet Me at the Museum, then our new spin-off show, Meet You at the Museum, should be right up your street, as we get the lowdown from museum visitors themselves. Join host JP Devlin as he explores National Museum Cardiff and hears fascinating first-hand stories from visitors about …

1
Meet You at the Museum: Ashmolean Museum 17:48

7M ago17:48

17:48

If you’ve enjoyed delving into museums with our celebrity guests on Meet Me at the Museum, then our new spin-off show, Meet You at the Museum, should be right up your street, as we get the lowdown from museum visitors themselves. Join host JP Devlin as he explores the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and hears fascinating first-hand stories from visitors…

1
Meet You at the Museum: Victoria and Albert Museum 19:42

8M ago19:42

19:42

If you’ve enjoyed delving into museums with our celebrity guests on Meet Me at the Museum, then our new spin-off show, Meet You at the Museum, should be right up your street, as we get the lowdown from museum visitors themselves. Join host JP Devlin as he explores the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and hears fascinating first-hand stories from …

1
Special episode: highlights from Scotland 23:15

11M ago23:15

23:15

In this special episode, we delve into the Meet Me at the Museum archive to pull out highlights from some of our visits to Scotland, including journalist and broadcaster Kirsty Wark at V&A Dundee, ‘Succession’ star Brian Cox at the National Gallery of Scotland, DJ and broadcaster Edith Bowman at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, and ac…

1
Special episode: highlights from museums by the sea 22:46

1y ago22:46

22:46

In this special episode, we delve into the Meet Me at the Museum archive to pull out highlights from our visits to museums near the coast, including writer and art historian Katy Hessel at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in St Ives, author and podcaster Robert Diament at the Turner Contemporary in Margate, and actor and comedian Ma…

1
Special episode: highlights from Wales 27:02

1y ago27:02

27:02

In this special episode, we delve into the Meet Me at the Museum archive to pull out highlights from our visits to Wales, including comedian Miles Jupp at Tredegar House, broadcaster Owain Wyn Evans at St Fagans Museum of National History, singer Kizzy Crawford at National Museum Cardiff, and friends and fellow comedians Lloyd Langford and Matt For…

1
Special episode: highlights from north-west England 28:29

1y ago28:29

28:29

In this special episode, we delve into the Meet Me at the Museum archive to pull out highlights from our visits to the north-west of England, featuring comedian Russel Kane at the Whitworth Gallery, BBC favourites Jane Garvey and Fi Glover at Tate Liverpool, comedian Tez Ilyas at the National Football Museum, and DJ Mark Radcliffe at the Science an…

1
Owain Wyn Evans at St Fagans National Museum of History 40:26

1+ y ago40:26

40:26

Broadcaster Owain Wyn Evans takes his husband Arran to St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff, where lovingly preserved buildings from different historical periods and contemporary exhibitions bring the story of Wales to life. As they explore the grounds, they uncover the extraordinary tales behind places like the Workmen’s Institute and p…

1
Alexei Sayle at the Cartoon Museum 32:28

1+ y ago32:28

32:28

Comedian and author Alexei Sayle meets his friend, graphic novelist Oscar Zarate, at the Cartoon Museum in London, where they explore highlights from a collection of thousands of cartoons. Picking out some of their favourite artists, they follow the evolution of the art form, from William Hogarth and Thomas Rowlandson’s depictions of Georgian socie…

1
Amber Butchart at Braintree Museum 39:45

1+ y ago39:45

39:45

Dress historian Amber Butchart takes her partner, illustrator Rob Flowers, to Braintree Museum in Essex, where they uncover the area’s strong textiles heritage and explore what fabrics and design can tell us about society over time. As they discover an exhibition of book illustrations and pore over luxury velvets in the neighbouring Warner Textile …

1
Kemi Lawson at the Museum of the Home 32:35

1+ y ago32:35

32:35

Creative director of lifestyle brand The Cornrow, Kemi Lawson enjoys a family visit to the Museum of the Home in London with her mum and daughters. Together they explore the museum’s recreations of different rooms through time, and what they reveal about the way people live. From a ‘space-age’ TV to an early games console, hand-crafted furnishings …

1
Amy Liptrot at the Brontë Parsonage Museum 36:52

1+ y ago36:52

36:52

Writer Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun and The Instant, takes her friend, poet Zaffar Kunial, to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire. Together they explore the former home of the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne – and see where some of their most famous novels were written. From the dining table where the sisters shar…

1
Nabihah Iqbal at Leighton House 37:41

1+ y ago37:41

37:41

Musician, DJ and broadcaster Nabihah Iqbal invites her friend, fellow musician Lexy Morvaridi, to visit Leighton House in London, the former home of 19th-century artist Frederic, Lord Leighton. As they explore the unique interiors of this architectural gem, which Leighton filled with art from around the world, they reflect on the role of the artist…

1
Coming soon: Meet Me at the Museum – series 8 1:12

1+ y ago1:12

1:12

Join us for series 8 of Meet Me at the Museum from 17 November, where familiar faces take someone special to a museum they love. Join musician and DJ Nabihah Iqbal at Leighton House in London; writer Amy Liptrot at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth; Kemi Lawson, creative director of The Cornrow, at the Museum of the Home, and many more. Be the…

1
Special episode: London highlights with Rob Crossan 37:15

2y ago37:15

37:15

In this special episode, broadcaster Rob Crossan takes a look back over some of our London-based episodes, including Siobhán McSweeney at the Wellcome Collection, Lolita Chakrabarti at the Horniman Museum & Gardens, Mel Giedroyc at Pitzhanger Manor, and Lemn Sissay at the Foundling Museum. Wherever you go in London this autumn there is so much to l…

1
Testament at Manchester Art Gallery 37:42

2y ago37:42

37:42

Poet and hip-hop MC Testament takes his good friend Hannah Taylor Jackson to Manchester Art Gallery during Art Assembly, a day celebrating art and creativity across the city of Manchester which took place on 18 June 2022. Together they explore some of the inspiring work commissioned for the day, including David Blandy's installation 'Lost Eons', wh…

1
Special episode: Meet Me at Art Assembly Live 50:36

2y ago50:36

50:36

Join comedian Russell Kane, poet and hip-hop MC Testament, plus artists Olivia Glasser, Raheel Khan, David Blandy and Suzanne Atkinson, for a special live episode of Meet Me at the Museum for Art Assembly in Manchester. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at HOME in Manchester on 18 June 2022 as part of Art Assembly 2022, a day-lo…

1
Join us at Meet Me at the Museum Live at Art Assembly 2022 1:11

2y ago1:11

1:11

Join comedian Russell Kane and hip-hop MC and poet Testament for a special live recording of Meet Me at the Museum for Art Assembly at HOME in Manchester on 18 June 2022 at 11am. Tickets to the recording are just £10 (£5 for National Art Pass members) and are available via https://homemcr.org The live episode will be available to listen to here a f…

1
Suzi Ruffell at Bletchley Park 44:59

2y ago44:59

44:59

Comedian Suzi Ruffell takes her pal, fellow comedian Jenny Bede, to Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes – once the top-secret home of Britain’s codebreakers during the Second World War. Together they take a look inside Alan Turing’s office and get up close to the Enigma cipher and Bombe codebreaking machines, explore the stories of the women who worked…

1
Robert Diament at Turner Contemporary 44:26

2y ago44:26

44:26

Robert Diament, co-host of the Talk Art podcast, explores Turner Contemporary in Margate with his friend Naomi Evans, co-founder of Everyday Racism. As they bring their perspectives to different exhibitions in this visually striking gallery, they discuss their love of Margate, how the arts scene has developed in the town, and how their work and int…

1
Poppy Jay at the V&A, London 41:24

2y ago41:24

41:24

Podcaster and director Poppy Jay is joined by her friend Martin at the V&A in London, where they indulge their love of sharing art and culture together among the museum’s vast collection. Pieces of design such as the Refugee Nation flag spark conversations about identity, migration and empire, while other works of art such as Tippoo’s Tiger – one o…

1
Isy Suttie at Creswell Crags 42:55

2y ago42:55

42:55

Comedian, actor and writer Isy Suttie takes her friend Caroline to Creswell Crags – a place that’s very special to them both. As they explore the museum, caves and limestone gorge, they share their memories of visiting when they were younger and why this unique location is so close to their hearts. In the museum they discover some of the fascinatin…

1
Siobhán McSweeney at the Wellcome Collection 43:28

2y ago43:28

43:28

Actor Siobhán McSweeney takes her pal Kevin Brady to one of her favourite places in London, the Wellcome Collection. Together they explore exhibitions and items that shed light on the connections between science, health, life and art. They meet an astronaut, see a moving piece of art that prompts reflections on the pandemic, learn about humanity’s …

1
Brian Cox at the Scottish National Gallery 39:48

2+ y ago39:48

39:48

Actor Brian Cox shares some of his favourite works of art at the Scottish National Gallery with fellow Dundonian actor Ava Hickey. The two explore some of the most iconic paintings in Scotland’s art collection, meet the Monarch of the Glen, and discuss their shared experiences of making creative work during the pandemic. As they look at work by art…

1
Coming soon: Meet Me at the Museum - series 7 0:56

2+ y ago0:56

0:56

Join us for series 7 of Meet Me at the Museum from 14 April, where our star presenters discover fascinating stories at some of their favourite museums across the UK. Join actor Brian Cox at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh; Derry Girls’ Siobhan McSweeney at the Wellcome Collection in London; actor and comedian Isy Suttie at Creswell Crags…

1
6. Competitive Collecting and Suspicious Shipwrecks 38:39

2+ y ago38:39

38:39

Fingerprints Episode 6 The country’s first major art and antiquities collection now sits in the Ashmolean Museum. It reveals untold stories from the ancient world including shipwrecks, competitively collecting, underhand dealings and how classical art was used by aristocrats at the royal court to boost their status and standing. Join lecturer Aliso…

1
5. Hunting the Minotaur 45:32

2+ y ago45:32

45:32

Fingerprints Episode 5 Curator Andrew Shapland shows us a tiny fragment which reveals the story of the man who set out to hunt down the mythical minotaur. Sir Arthur Evans went on to become known as the father of archaeology, but his journey reveals a culture war between empires in the Mediterranean. Find a transcript of this episode here Read more…

1
4. A King from the Trenches 38:12

2+ y ago38:12

38:12

Fingerprints Episode 4 Curator Paul Collins takes us on a journey with a 3000 year old king uncovered by an Indian soldier digging a trench in World War I, and explore what he has to tell us about the formation of Iraq as a nation state. Find a transcript of this episode here Read more Read more about the sculpture here or see an image here Speaker…

1
3. Displaying People 34:15

2+ y ago34:15

34:15

Fingerprints Episode 3 Mallica Kumbera Landrus, the Ashmolean’s Keeper of Eastern Art, takes us on a journey with 200 clay figures from India, displayed alongside a human zoo at the Colonial and India Exhibition of 1886, and later used to teach young British colonial officers at Oxford’s Indian Institute. Find a transcript of this episode here Read…

1
2. The Looted Masks 59:38

2+ y ago59:38

59:38

Fingerprints Episode 2 Dan Hicks takes us on a journey with three bronze masks from the West African city of Benin, through the hands of soldiers, collectors, and curators, and along with special guests considers the responsibility that European museums have towards looted art in their collections. Find a transcript of this episode here Read more V…

1
1. A Place For Questioning 1:01:52

2+ y ago1:01:52

1:01:52

Fingerprints Episode 1 Join the Ashmolean Museum’s director, Xa Sturgis, as he questions what a museum is for. He introduces us to Powhatan’s Mantle, one of the museum’s founding objects, and one inextricably linked with British colonial history. From there, he traces the Ashmolean’s story to the present day, as special guests explore how we can tr…

1
Subscribe to Fingerprints, a new Ashmolean podcast 2:01

2+ y ago2:01

2:01

Every object in the Ashmolean has passed from hand to hand to reach the Museum. In a new podcast, we uncover the invisible fingerprints left behind by makers, looters, archaeologists, soldiers, rulers, curators, and many more. These stories of touch reveal the ways in which the forces of conflict and colonialism have shaped Britain’s oldest Museum.…

1
Subscribe to Fingerprints, a new Ashmolean podcast 2:01

2+ y ago2:01

2:01

Every object in the Ashmolean has passed from hand to hand to reach the Museum. In a new podcast, we uncover the invisible fingerprints left behind by makers, looters, archaeologists, soldiers, rulers, curators, and many more. These stories of touch reveal the ways in which the forces of conflict and colonialism have shaped Britain’s oldest Museum.…

1
Fingerprints trailer – a new Ashmolean podcast starting 21 January 2:01

2+ y ago2:01

2:01

Every object in the Ashmolean has passed from hand to hand to reach the Museum. In a new podcast, we uncover the invisible fingerprints left behind by makers, looters, archaeologists, soldiers, rulers, curators, and many more. These stories of touch reveal the ways in which the forces of conflict and colonialism have shaped Britain’s oldest Museum.…

1
Mark Radcliffe at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester 39:56

2+ y ago39:56

39:56

Broadcaster and musician Mark Radcliffe takes his friend and bandmate Paul Langley to the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, where they explore how the ‘rainy city’ has been a place of ideas and invention through time. As they take a deep dive into an exhibition about one of Manchester’s most famous outputs, Factory Records, they discuss ho…

1
Deborah Frances-White and Russell Tovey at the Design Museum 34:44

2+ y ago34:44

34:44

Comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast Deborah Frances-White takes her pal, the actor and Talk Art podcast co-host Russell Tovey, to the Design Museum in London, where they explore how art and design are integrated into the way we live. Together they discover how great pieces of design can become iconic and how today’s designers are worki…

1
Caleb Azumah Nelson at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery 37:04

2+ y ago37:04

37:04

Writer and photographer Caleb Azumah Nelson visits Bristol Museum & Art Gallery with his partner, theatre-maker and poet Esme Allman. Together they encounter art that speaks to Bristol’s radical history, explore an exhibition of work by one of their favourite artists, Ghanaian photographer James Barnor, and discover how a project led by the museum’…

1
Lolita Chakrabarti at the Horniman Museum & Gardens 33:27

3y ago33:27

33:27

Actor and writer Lolita Chakrabarti takes her friend, artist Sara Shamma, to the Horniman Museum & Gardens in London, where they explore a collection that’s full of surprises. As they wander the galleries and grounds, the unusual items they discover prompt conversations about their inspirations as artists, the stories we tell about the past, and me…

1
Jack Lowden at the National Museum of Scotland 38:08

3y ago38:08

38:08

Actor Jack Lowden takes his friend and fellow actor Andrew Rothney to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, where they indulge their passion for Scottish history and explore the stories of key people and events, including Mary, Queen of Scots and the Jacobite uprisings. Together they discuss how meeting at drama school led to a shared love …

1
Coming soon: Meet Me at the Museum - series 6 1:23

3y ago1:23

1:23

Join us for series 6 of Meet Me at the Museum from 7 October, where our star presenters discover fascinating stories at some of their favourite museums across the UK. Join actor Jack Lowden at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh; actor and writer Lolita Chakrabarti at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London; writer and photographer Caleb…

1
A Miniature Masterpiece 13:47

3y ago13:47

13:47

Join Mallica Kumbera Landrus, the Keeper of Eastern Art, as she introduces us to a tiny drawing made by a child genius. This scrap of paper tells a story of cultures embracing each other across vast distances and the curiosity of one exceptional 13 year old boy in Mughal India, 421 years ago. Christ on the Cross, Albrecht Dürer, 1511 - Find out mor…

1
Toad Vaccines and Magical Jewellery 8:04

3y ago8:04

8:04

Join curator Matthew Winterbottom as he explores ancient beliefs about disease testing and vaccines, through the Ashmolean’s collection of toadstone rings. These bizarre pieces of jewellery have a lot to tell us about the human effort to find hope in the face of illness and uncertainty, even when it involves the strangest superstitions. And at the …

1
Rules for Life 9:55

3y ago9:55

9:55

In this episode we take a look at an understated little painting by the artist Gwen John, which hides complex depths. Gwen was one of the greatest and least known artists of the 20th century, who lived a life according to her own rules – literally. Her memos to herself are a guidebook for finding joy in solitude, and living largely and deeply on yo…

1
Opening the Box 16:57

3y ago16:57

16:57

Join teaching curator Jim Harris as he peers inside a tiny tortoiseshell box. The little box holds a secret portrait of a woman, with a lock of her hair. The tiny empty space inside is stuffed with hidden stories, about wealth and the often ugly means of making it. This polite and pretty little box has so much us to tell us about memory. Portrait o…

1
Devilry and Pink Ribbons 14:13

3y ago14:13

14:13

Join An Van Camp, the Assistant Keeper of Northern European Art, as she lifts the lid on some strange boxes in the Museum's stores. Some contain witches, others devils, others letters of the alphabet wrapped in pink ribbons. They all belonged to the same man – the eccentric Francis Douce. Dürer drawing of two witches – Find out more Portrait of Fra…

1
Soaring Above the Clouds 12:30

3y ago12:30

12:30

Join Clare Pollard, the Curator of Japanese Art, as she gives us a tour of Japan’s first skyscraper, through a vibrant and intriguing print, with some hidden surprises. It tells a story of a turning point in Japanese history, and also doubles as a board game. Ryōunkaku Tower Game – Find out more If you want to take a closer look at the woodblock pr…

1
Ancient Egyptian Family Feud 8:10

3+ y ago8:10

8:10

Meet Naunakhte, an Ancient Egyptian mother who has a bone to pick. There are only a handful of surviving records of the voices of Ancient Egyptian women, and here in the Ashmolean, we have one of them. Her last will and testament reveals a story of a family argument which still sounds familiar over three millennia later. Naunakhte's will – Find out…

1
Benjamin Zephaniah at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery 38:25

3+ y ago38:25

38:25

Writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah explores Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery with his friend Robert, where they reminisce about growing up in the city, the people who’ve shaped it, and Birmingham’s cultural and political history. Together they look at Benjamin’s first-ever typewriter, where his journey as a writer began, artefacts from important pro…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Ashmolean Museum Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide