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Exhibitions and events

19 events

Pieces of paper laid out on the floor on top of each other.

Artists making books: poetry to politics
. Free .

This intriguing new show explores the history of artists taking on the medium of books.

Watercolour in pale green, red and brown with view of camp with huts, watchtower and telegraph poles, vegetation and mounds.

Klaus Friedeberger: drawings from an Australian Internment
. Free .

The drawings and watercolours in this display record daily life in an internment camp in outback Australia in the 1940s.

Black and white print showing map of Venice with chreub-like heads in clouds and boats in the water surrounding Venice.

Venice 1500: Jacopo de’ Barbari and the rise of printmaking
. Free .

This display showcases the innovation and variety of printmaking in Venice during the High Renaissance.

Japanese festival float model teaser 1

Japan’s Festival Floats
. Free .

For centuries, summertime in Japan has centred around spectacular local festivals with costumes, singing, dancing and incredible floats.

A close up photograph of a silver griffin. The griffin has curled horns, a beak and gold details including its wings.

Luxury and power: Persia to Greece
. Book now .

Drawing on dazzling objects, this exhibition explores how luxury shaped the political landscape of Eurasia in the first millennium BC.

Ink and colour picture showing the head and shoulders of an elderly Chinese woman with her hair tied back. She is wearing green earings and a blue jacket decorated with gold leaves around the neck.

China’s hidden century
. Book now .

In a global first, the resilience and innovation of 19th-century China is revealed through the stories of its remarkable individuals.

Two young people in the British Museum at night.

3 Jun 2023–4 Jun 2023

British Museum sleepover: 300 sleepy Spartans
. Sold out .

Experience the Museum after dark and discover the awesome ancient civilisations of Greece and Persia, through crafts and storytelling.

Five women posing for the camera at Notting Hill at Carnival.

Festivals & special events / Family activity

4 Jun 2023

Windrush 75: Jamaican sound system culture
. Free .

Join us for a special day curated by Linett Kamala celebrating the gift of sound system culture from the Windrush generation.

Close up of painting depicting woman wearing ear muffs, a figure standing behind facing away and a third figure wearing grey.

Lectures & discussions / Study days & courses / Research event

£40
8 Jun 2023–9 Jun 2023

China's 1800s: material and visual culture
. Sold out .

A two-day conference about the material and visual culture of the last century of imperial China.

Empty view of the Japanese gallery.

9 Jun 2023–28 Jul 2023

The way of tea
. Free .

Discover the history of tea drinking and gathering in Japan in this free demonstration of a Japanese tea ceremony.

Colourful kimono-like informal gown with a swooping phoenix on the front. Colours are mainly brown, pink, purple and blue.

Accessible event

15 Jun 2023

Audio-described tour of China’s hidden century exhibition
. Book now .

VocalEyes' Timna Fibert leads this audio-described event, which provides evocative visual descriptions with a guided tour of the exhibition.

On the left, a limestone head of a male statue with curly hair and beard and a wreath of leaves on his head. On the right, a marble portrait of an ageing man with curling beard and moustache.

Members' conference / Members' exclusive

£75 (Members)
17 Jun 2023

Great civilisations: Greece and Persia
. Book now .

Members are invited to this exclusive day-long conference, featuring talks by leading experts on the ancient Greek and Persian worlds.