A new centre for humanities has been launched at Oxford University as a ceremony took place with artistic performances to mark the occasion.
Spoken word poetry, song and parkour performances took place at the building site for the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities marking two years until the building is completed.
The centre will boost research and teaching in the humanities at Oxford University and provide them with a new home which brings together seven faculties, the Institute for Ethics in AI, the Oxford Internet Institute, and a new humanities library.
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It has been made possible by a £175m gift from Mr Schwarzman, who is the chairman, chief executive and co-founder of the Blackstone investment firm.
The ceremony was held at the Radcliffe Obervatory Quarter site on Tuesday, and building work will continue until the centre is finished in the summer of 2025.
Those who attended the ceremony included Oxford residents, cultural partners and university staff.
The performances were produced and promoted by the Cultural Programme, which puts on a diverse series of live and online events.
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Professor Dan Grimley, head of humanities at Oxford University, said: "The foundation ceremony was marked with some brilliant performances, which reflects the exciting cultural programming that will enliven the new building, for the benefit of everyone living in and around Oxford.”
When the building is completed, many of its venues will be brought to life by performances from the Cultural Programme, which is part of the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford.
The programme aims to welcome audiences and communities into the heart of the research process at Oxford University through public engagement.
It announced:
• Everything is Connected, a programme of environmentally-focused events and performances in October and November 2023.
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• A new website and brand as part of a campaign called “Oxford Is” which aims to place the Cultural Programme at the heart of the university and wider city of Oxford.
As part of the season, residents and visitors in Oxford will be invited to 'experience the air' of five major cities in Michael Pinsky’s Pollution Pods art installation.
John Fulljames, director of the Cultural Programme at Oxford University, said: “Everything is Connected is all about bringing people together for shared experiences.
"Oxford has such a rich cultural life and, by launching this season and our new website, we want to provide a platform to showcase and uplift all that our cultural partners have to offer."
The site is being powered entirely by electricity and recycled vegetable oil, and the building will have heat pumps, high levels of insulation, and promote of biodiversity through green spaces.
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