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.

➢ Members’ events

Clare Hall Through Your Lens: Community Photo Project |
Wednesday 1 October – Wednesday 10 December 2025

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.

BODIES: Discover Movement Through Contemporary Dance |
Sunday 7 December 2025, 3pm

Discover movement in a new way with three free contemporary dance workshops led by Lisa Valentini (Clare Hall PhD student and GSB Green Officer). These sessions explore body awareness, use of space, and group interaction, and are open to all abilities – no dance experience needed. Movements can be adapted for any level of mobility.

For more information please visit the event page.

Christmas Feast |
Wednesday 10 December 2025, 7.30pm

Join us for a joyous and festive dinner on 10th December!

We are delighted to have the choir, directed by Ben de Souza, performing at the Christmas Feast again this year. Enjoy a new Christmas carol written especially for us by Lucy Walker, along with a selection of other festive music to sing.

🕖 Time: 19:00 Drinks Reception, 19:30 Dinner

📍 Location: Clare Hall Dining Hall

Family Supper |
Friday 12 December 2025, from 5pm

Join us for a festive Family Supper on Friday 12 December! We gather in the meeting room at 5pm and head to the gardens for a treasure hunt, after which we head back to the meeting room where we do a craft activity. This is followed by supper at about 6pm, after which we go back to the meeting room to watch a film together if there is enough demand. 

There’s no need to book – this is an informal event and dinner will be the regular dining hall with usual prices, and half price for children. Family suppers are organised by Chandy Nath and Susanah Salter.

➢ Lectures and talks

Biomedical & Life Sciences SIG |
Wednesday 10 December 2025, 6pm

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 last meeting of the term is a neurobiology/neurology focused session and will take place on 10 December, led by Isabel Conze (PhD student, Clare Hall &MRC LMB)  – The molecular basis of behaviour: Decrypting the multilayer connectome in Caenorhabditis elegans”.

See the full SIG schedule on this page.

Film & Moving Image SIG |
Thursday 11 December 2025, from 6pm

All Clare Hall members are welcome to attend the screenings and events of the new Film and Moving Image SIG. The next screening is: Human Traffic (Justin Kerrigan, 1999) [Blu-ray] + Introduction by Latina & Audience Panel Discussion

A table will be reserved for the SIG in the Dining Hall from 6 to 7 pm for those who wish to have dinner before the screening. The group will then proceed to the event together. Refreshments will be available during the screening.

Find more information on the event page.

End-of-Michaelmas Postdoc Gathering |
Friday 12 December 2026, 7pm

We are delighted to invite you to our End-of-Michaelmas Postdoc Gathering, taking place in the King Room on Friday, 12 December at 7pm.

This will be an informal opportunity to get to know each other’s research through short, three-slide presentations. The idea is to keep things light, playful, and accessible — a space where we can share what excites us intellectually without the pressure of a formal talk. If you would like to present, please send your theme. All disciplines and levels of ‘work-in-progress’ are welcome. Contact: Valeria Ramirez –  mvr26@cam.ac.uk.

There will be drinks and nibbles, and plenty of time simply to chat and enjoy each other’s company as we bring the term gently to a close.

Clare Hall Colloquia |
Tuesday 20 January – Tuesday 10 March 2026, 7.15pm

The Clare Hall 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.

Please see the full Lent programme here.

➢ Music

Celebrating Maurice Ravel: The Complete Piano Music |
Saturday 6 December – Sunday 7 December 2025, 7.30pm

Join us for two special concerts at Clare Hall celebrating the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth. Pianist Patrick Hemmerlé will perform all of Ravel’s major piano works – a rare chance to experience the full scope of this extraordinary composer’s artistry. His piano music remains one of the greatest achievements of 20th century music, distinctive by its extreme refinement, perfectionism, and versatility of a composer who never repeated himself, but went on to reinvent his style throughout his creative life.

These concerts include talks that will explain the background behind the music and help to shed light on the shifting styles of this cameleon-like composer.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite: General Admission – £20 (one night only) or £30 (both nights); Clare Hall members – £15 (one night only) or £22.50 (both nights); students – £5 (one night only) or £7.50 (both nights).

Christmas Concert |
Sunday 21 December 2025, 4pm

Join us for an informal Christmas concert on Sunday 21st December at 4pm in the Clare Hall Dining Hall! All are most welcome, children especially.

The programme will include a performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with a Christmas music interlude, followed by carols and readings. No tickets are required, and admission is free. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served.

Please register using the sign-up form. 

➢ Art

Paintings and monoprints by Benita Kevill-Davies |
Friday 28 November 2025 – Thursday 8 January 2026, 10am-3pm

Clare Hall is pleased to present an exhibition by Benita Kevill-Davies, from 28 November 2025 to 8 January 2026. The exhibition is open for public viewing, 10am to 3pm, on weekdays.

Learn more about the exhibition here.

The Bell Collection of British Studio Pottery, 1920-1980 |
Ongoing

A rotating display of some 400 pieces of studio ceramics. Learn more at https://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk/bellcollection/

➢ University events

Cambridge Botanic Lights |
Friday 28 November – Tuesday 23 December 2025, from 4:30pm

Cambridge Botanic Lights returns this month with a new theme, new installations, more food and drink and even more opportunities to visit! The spectacular lights display showcases the wonderful world of plants and will illuminate Cambridge University Botanic Garden into a stunning trail of light and sound, creating the perfect opportunity to unwind and spend time with family and friends.

Clare Hall has 12 corporate passes to the Botanic Garden available for members to borrow from the Porters’ Lodge. These are shared passes, not individual memberships, and are available to all members of the Clare Hall community. If you would like to borrow a pass, please see the Porters’ Lodge. We kindly ask that passes be returned within 2 days so that others may also enjoy this benefit.

➢ Activities and Societies

Yoga Sessions |
Thursdays and Sundays, 21 September – 11 December 2025

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.

Taiji (Tai Chi) and QiGong Sessions |
Wednesday 1 October – Wednesday 10 December 2025

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.

Pilates Sessions |
Mondays, 6 October – 8 December 2025

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.

Choir Practice |
Various Dates

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.

Clare Hall Families |
Various Dates

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.

Find a full range of events at https://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk/events