1 hour
E-voucher
English
Overview
Explore the ‘uncomfortable’ side of the Ashmolean Museum.
This tour highlights the contentious histories within museum spaces, bringing forward discussions about colonial origins, object transferal networks, and requests for repatriation. It encourages critical thinking and engagement with the Ashmolean Museum, its collections, and its displays. Delving into the intricate layers of history behind the exhibits, this tour will provide insight into the imperial connections that led to the development of the first public museum in England.
Through the questioning of labels, displays, and exhibits, this tour asks participants: What is the purpose of a museum?
All our tours are led by university researchers who have completed our official Uncomfortable Oxford training programme. Our guides combine expert knowledge and performance, ensuring each tour is a fun and educational experience.
The tour has been developed in collaboration with the Ashmolean Museum staff and curators.
Operated by
Uncomfortable Tours
Ratings & Reviews
Average Rating
4.83
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6 traveller ratings
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Highly recomended!
H2644XPjg, Jan 2025
This is a really informative, and engaging, tour. It provides critical insights into the origins, curation, and mission of the museum. Our guide, Devika, did a great job of encouraging reflection and discussion. I would highly recommend it to all.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to write a review; we are delighted that you found the tour and your guide, Devika, enagaging and informative. We hope to see you on another tour in the future.
Knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide makes this a visit not to be missed.
suegJ5098ER, Oct 2024
I know the Ashmolean well, but the guide Jonathan really made it come to life and taught me many new things about the exhibits, the curation of the museum and its history. He was incredibly knowledgeable, but more than that, his love of the subject really came through. The tour was more like a conversation where all views were accepted and discussed. I recommend this tour very highly for anybody who wants to think about museums and the provenance of objects in a different way.
This tour makes you look critically at how museums display & label items in their collections & how you feel about that
U3427OWameliaw, Jan 2024
This was the third Uncomfortable Oxford tour I did and it certainly lived up to the other 2! I had been finding myself feeling more conflicted about museums but this tour brought up things I had not considered yet. The tours encourage discussion among participants and this really added to the experience as it was fascinating to see how different people responded to the items we looked at. The tour made me see how much labelling is dedicated to the money - the people who paid for various exhibits are often more prominently labelled than what the item is and where it is from! It was especially interesting to be discussing marble sculptures and casts given the conversation around the Parthenon Marbles was in the news that very week. I will definitely be visiting museums with an even more critical eye in the future. Thanks so much to Charlotte and Georgia for being such great tour guides.
The amazing knowledge of...
Michael_G, Nov 2023
The amazing knowledge of the tour guide...The beautiful way everything was presented. The ambience of the Museum.????????????
Itinerary
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Take a full guided tour of the Ashmolean Museum with one of our Uncomfortable Oxford™ trained guides. Meet at the Statue Gallery, near the Main Entrance.
5 minutesAshmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
We begin our tour in the Ashmoelan Story Gallery, discussing the historical origins of the museum and the legacies of early colonial collecting practices.
10 minutesAshmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
In the Cask Gallery, we raise questions about the focus on Greek and Roman culture, enslavement practices, and esthetics in ancient sculpture.
15 minutesAshmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
In the Hellenistic World, discuss the ethics of excavations, display, and replicas.
15 minutesAshmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Examine and discuss the display on colonialism and repatriation designed by the museum.
15 minutesAshmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Finish the tour in the Egyptian Galleries, discussing mummies and human remains as display items.
15 minutes
Experience
Inclusions
- Uncomfortable Oxford™ Trained Guide
Additional Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Guide Languages
English
Cancellation Policy
A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.