Oxford Festival of the Arts

Due to the pandemic, this year’s Field of Cloth of Gold-inspired event is postponed and the planned performances will move to 2021. However the inspiration remains and there is a Tudor/gold flavour to #OFAvirtual, the free digital festival that will run from June 18th – July 5th, even the OFA logo has gone gold! Festival Director Dr Michelle Castelletti has curated an 18-day programme featuring tasters of events that will take place next year and specially created performances. Highlights include: 

· Celebrated tenor Joseph Calleja has recorded two arias exclusively for the festival, together with a selection of other beautiful arias he has performed 

· University of Oxford cultural historian, broadcaster and author Dr Janina Ramirez who will be talking about goddesses, the subject of her latest book 

· Award-winning vocal ensemble ORA Singers perform works by Tudor composer Thomas Tallis paired with new reflections; to complement this there is Talking Tallis a conference-taster (full conference in 2021) featuring talks and insights into Tallis’ work and exclusive preview excerpts of Sir James MacMillan’s new work for 40 voices, Vidi Aquam a reflection on Tallis’ Spem in alium. 

· Oxford East MP and Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds in conversation with BBC Political Correspondent Rob Watson 

· Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, historian, author, broadcaster, and award-winning professor of history at the University of Roehampton presenting ‘Women, Sex and Power in the Sixteenth Century’ 

· An exciting collaboration between OFA, TORCH, Brasenose and Creation Theatre who perform an hour long version of Shakespeare’s rarely programmed Henry VIII 

· Acclaimed cellist Gabriella Swallow will perform a tribute to Jacqueline du Pré in the year that marks the 75th anniversary of her birth. Gabi will combine Bach’s Suite for unaccompanied violoncello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007 with modern pieces including two world premieres.