Newsletter: Events at Clare Hall, Autumn 2025
Dear Clare Hall members and friends,
Please find below a list of events taking place this week and beyond, to which you are warmly invited.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 1 October – Wednesday 10 December 2025
Clare Hall Through Your Lens: Community Photo Project
As Michaelmas begins, we invite all members of the Clare Hall community — students, fellows, staff, and families — to share photos of our beautiful grounds and gardens. Whether it is autumn colours, hidden corners, or favourite gathering spaces, we would love to see Clare Hall through your eyes.
Photos don not need to be professional — good-quality smartphone shots are very welcome. Please note that photos featuring identifiable people cannot be accepted. Selected images will be featured on a rotating display in the College Main Site, as well as on our website and social media, with full credit to the photographer. They will also be permanently preserved in the College Archives as part of our record in this milestone 60th anniversary year.
Find out more and submit your photos on the main event page.
Friday 10 October – Friday 28 November 2025, 2.15pm
The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography
The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography offers a unique opportunity for students and scholars to reflect on some great historical works and engage in discussion with renowned experts.
This term, the seminar will be composed of three meetings, taking place in the Richard Eden Suite, Clare Hall, West Court. To attend, please register via Eventbrite.
Learn more about the seminar here.
Tuesday 14 October – Tuesday 2 December 2025, 7.15-9.15pm
Clare Hall Colloquia
Clare Hall’s Colloquia provide members of the College – especially (but not exclusively) Visiting Fellows and Life Members – with an opportunity to present their research, whether in its early stages or already published, in a friendly setting. They are a great way to discuss your ideas, meet fellow members and to contribute to our vibrant community. Sessions take place on Tuesday evenings during term time, 7:15–9:15pm, in the Clare Hall Meeting Room. Refreshments are provided.
The first session of the term is on 21 October 2025, with speaker Professor Peter Jeffery (Visiting Fellow; University of Notre Dame, USA).
Title: Vestiges of Greek Hymnody in the Medieval “Ambrosian” Rite of Milan
The Greek hymnody of the Byzantine rite was a synthesis of at least two distinct traditions, emanating from Jerusalem and Constantinople. As scholars make progress in untangling the two, we are also paying more attention to some of the other centers where hymns were sung or even composed in Greek. One of the least studied is Milan, which in the fourth century was the capital of the undivided Greco-Roman empire. Surviving vestiges can be classified in four groups: (1) the text and the melody survive in both Latin and Greek, (2) both Latin and Greek texts survive, but musical relationships have yet to be investigated, (3) there are more distant textual relationships between the Latin and Greek, but no known musical relationship, (4) texts survive in Latin only that appear to be translations of lost Greek originals.
Please see the full Michaelmas programme here.
Friday 17 October 2025, 5.30pm
The King Lecture – Professor Bonnie Bassler
We are delighted to welcome Professor Bonnie Bassler as our speaker for the 2025/26 King Lecture, on Friday, 17 October 2025, from 17:30 in the Robinson Auditorium.
Find more information about the lecture and ticket booking here.
Wednesday 22 October 2025, from 7pm
Clare Hall Diwali Formal
Bookings are now open for Clare Hall’s Diwali Formal, taking place on Wednesday 22 October, from 7 pm.
Join us as we celebrate the Festival of Lights, transforming the Dining Hall into a glowing sea of candles and colour. All members of the Clare Hall community are warmly invited to experience the cultural richness and traditions of Diwali.
In keeping with tradition, the evening’s menu will be vegetarian (and vegan) only.
We look forward to welcoming as many of you as the Dining Hall allows for what promises to be a vibrant and joyful celebration.
Thursday 23 October 2025, 6.15pm
Clare College Choral Evensong
All Clare Hall members are warmly invited to a special service of Choral Evensong in Clare Chapel, sung by Clare College Choir, on Thursday 23 October at 6.15pm. The 40-minute service will feature music by Charles Wood, J. S. Bach, Einar Trærup-Sark, and selections from Handel’s Messiah.
A drinks reception for Clare Hall members will follow in the Antechapel.
Saturday 25 October 2025, 7.30pm
An Evening of Piano Quartets with the Rossetti Ensemble
We are delighted to present the second concert in Clare Hall’s Herschel Concert Series 2025/26, featuring the acclaimed Rossetti Ensemble in an evening of piano quartets.
Programme:
- Schubert Adagio and Rondo Concertante
- Brahms Piano Quartet 1 in G minor
- D’Indy Piano Quartet
Tickets: £20 General Admission, £15 Clare Hall members, £5 students (available via Eventbrite).
Saturday 25 October – Sunday 26 October 2025
Academic Writing and Digital/AI Research Skills Workshops
If you are interested in developing your writing skills in academia and honing your essays, dissertation, job applications, proposals, and/or enhancing your research skills with Generative AI, then this is for you!
Academic Writing and Digital/AI Research Skills Workshops by Dr Anthony Harris and Dr Wai Yi Feng will be taking place in the Clare Hall Meeting Room on 25 – 26 October 2025, 9.15am-1.15pm. Optional individual supervisions with the tutors: 2.00-5.00pm.
More information on the workshop and registration is available on the main event page.
Wednesday 29 October 2025, 6-7pm
Biomedical and Life Sciences SIG
All Clare Hall members are welcome to attend the meetings for the Biomedical and Life Sciences SIG this Michaelmas term. Meetings are held on Wednesdays 6-7pm in the Clare Hall Meeting Room.
The next talk will take place on 29 October, led by Dr Adam Reid (Head of Bioinformatics, The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge) – “Biology as a data science”.
See the full SIG schedule on this page.
Thursday 30 October 2025, 5pm
Philosophical Care in AI Research – talk by Professor Lydia Liu
Professor Lydia Liu, Needham Research Fellow at Clare Hall, is giving a talk on Philosophical Care in AI Research on Thursday 30 October, 5-6pm, in Lecture Block Room 1, Sidgwick Site.
Abstract by Professor Liu: One of the common questions from the early days of AI research is this: What is the philosophical ground that AI requires for the kind of formalisation it must implement on the computer? AI practitioners tend to approach the issue in terms of ‘epistemology’ or ‘theories of knowledge.’ Are they confusing ‘epistemology’ with ‘intensional logic’? What exactly are the philosophical stakes in AI research? In my talk, I will tackle these questions by analysing a number of philosophical conversations among early AI pioneers, focusing in particular on the fascinating discussions that took place in the early 1970s at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL). I hope to clarify why philosophy matters to AI beyond the limits of debate imposed by philosophers such as Hubert Dreyfus or John Searle.
This event is free and open to all. Find more information and register here.
Thursday 30 October 2025, 7pm
Genealogy SIG
All Clare Hall members are welcome to attend the meetings for the new Genealogy SIG this Michaelmas term. The next meeting will take place on Thursday 30 October at 7pm in the Clare Hall Meeting Room.
Please contact Kevin Edwards (email: kevin.edwards@abdn.ac.uk) for further details.
Monday 3 November 2025, 7pm
Masters to PhD Progression Event
We will be holding our annual “Masters to PhD Progression Event” in the Richard Eden Suite, on Monday 3rd November from 7.00-8.30pm. The event is for current Masters students at Clare Hall to learn more about the pathway to a PhD through the experience and expertise of current PhD students, the Senior Tutor Holly Hedgeland, and the former Vice-President Helen Pennant, who is also Director of the Cambridge Trust.
Friday 7 November 2025, 9.15am-12pm
Advancing Research Impact for College-Based Academics
Clare Hall researchers are warmly invited to Advancing Research Impact for College-Based Academics – an event jointly organised by Newnham College, Hughes Hall, and Wolfson College, exploring how to raise the profile of knowledge exchange (KE) and impact across all Cambridge Colleges.
Aimed particularly at Junior Research Fellows, Early Career Researchers, and Postgraduates, the session will offer insights and support for developing the impact side of your work. College-based staff who support researchers are also welcome.
The event will focus on the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, though all disciplines are invited to attend.
Find out more information and reserve your place here.
Current Exhibitions
Friday 10 October – Thursday 20 November 2025, 10am-5pm
Everyday Wonder to Revelation
Clare Hall is honoured to host an exhibition of paintings by Alan Caine (1936–2022), running from 10th October to 20th November 2025. Visitors are welcome daily between 10am and 5pm.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Ongoing
The Bell Collection of British Studio Pottery, 1920-1980
A rotating display of some 400 pieces of studio ceramics. Learn more at https://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk/bellcollection/
Activities and Societies
Thursdays and Sundays, 21 September – 11 December 2025
Yoga Sessions
We are delighted to host regular Thursday lunchtime and Sunday afternoon yoga sessions in the Michaelmas term. Yoga is a holistic mind–body practice that combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to promote strength, flexibility, and inner balance.
A full list of dates and the sign up sheet can be found here.
Tuesdays, ongoing through the Michaelmas Term
Mindful Meditation Sessions
Through mindfulness we cultivate attention to the here and now. We aim to witness our thoughts and feelings with detachment. We develop concentration, peace of mind and enjoyment of life with all its challenges.
As a group, we explore different means of developing mindfulness, including relaxation, guided meditation and attention to the breath or to a mantra. The sessions are led by Elizabeth Garnsey, and meet in the King Room on Main Site on Tuesdays 1-2pm. The door is open 1-2 but you are welcome to slip in and out whenever convenient for you. All members of the college and friends are welcome, including students, staff, fellows, researchers and visitors. Please contact ewg11@cam.ac.uk with any questions.
Wednesday 1 October – Wednesday 10 December 2025
Taiji (Tai Chi) and QiGong Sessions
We are pleased to introduce new Taiji (Tai Chi) and QiGong sessions at Clare Hall for the Michaelmas term. The sessions will be taking place in the Richard Eden Suite on Wednesdays during lunchtime, starting on 1 October 2025.
A full list of dates and the sign up sheet can be found here.
Mondays, 6 October – 8 December 2025
Pilates Sessions
We are delighted to host pilates classes at Clare Hall throughout Michaelmas. The classes will be held on Mondays during lunchtime. Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that aims to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility.
A full list of dates and the sign up sheet can be found here.
Monday 3 November 2025, 8pm
Clare Hall Book Club
Join the College’s Book Club as they discuss The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood by Eugenie Fraser. All College members are welcome to attend in-person, meeting in Clare Hall’s Meeting Room, or via Zoom. If you are not on the mailing list and would like to be, please send an email to gloria.carnevali@icloud.com, confirming your Clare Hall connection and putting the following as the email title: I would like to join the Book Club mailing list.
Learn more about the Book Club on this page.
Various Dates
Choir Practice
A reminder that Clare Hall Choir practice takes place in Robinson College Chapel every Monday (in term-time, but not always restricted to the official Cambridge term dates) from 7.30-9pm. New members are always welcome, and no previous singing or musical experience is necessary. The only requirement is that you want to sing and have fun doing it! If you are interested in joining, please email Ben de Souza, the Choir’s Director, who is a Clare Hall Associate, freelance choral conductor and accordionist: bd402@cam.ac.uk.
Recent recordings of the choir can also be found on our YouTube channel.
Various Dates
Clare Hall Families
Clare Hall Families is an informal group that holds events throughout the year, centred around our popular Family Suppers, which take place each term.
Join the Clare Hall Families mailing list and WhatsApp group by filling out the form.
For any enquiries, please contact Chandy Nath at chandy.nath@gmail.com.
