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About Us
Alice's Day
Join us Saturday 1 July 2023 for a frabjous day of delight!
DOWNLOAD THE AT A GLANCE PROGRAMME HERE
Alice’s Day, Oxford’s city-wide celebration of all things Alice in Wonderland, is back on Saturday 1 July 2023. Join us for theatre, puppetry, crafting, trails, dance, games, lectures and more! This year’s theme is The Great Outdoors. Explore Artizani’s amazing installation of bee hives each hiding a unique, unexpected interior world or fall down the rabbit hole and explore magical creatures of Wonderland - bread and butterflies, talking flowers and more! There’ll be plenty to enjoy at The Story Museum with storytelling and crafts and at venues across the city. Curiouser and curiouser!
ALICE'S DAY 2023 - PROGRAMME
The Story Museum
09:30-17:30 Kids go free to The Story Museum Galleries
Adults £12. Booking in advance essential.
10:00-16:00 Wonderland Insects in the Courtyard
Explore the insects of Wonderland and then create your own Rocking Horse Flys and Bread-and-Butterflies in our magical craft activities.
11:00 & 12:30 Professor Slug's House of Bugs in the Woodshed
Professor Slug's House of Bugs is a show all about bugs. Professor Slug is an eccentric expert on invertebrates who helps bugs out with their buggy problems - and you can too! Get as strong as an ant! Teach a bee how to buzz! And help a dung beetle make a pooey perfume for its big date…
This interactive show is packed full of colourful puppets, catchy songs, and educational info about the wonderful world of bugs. The puppets are designed by Georgia Hill (CBeebies) with music written by Catriona Gisby (Elle & the Pocket Belles). The show is also partnered with wildlife conservation charity Buglife. Click here to book.
Free with museum entry. Booking in advance is essential.
14:30 Family Choir Club
Join the Family Choir Club at The Story Museum! Explore songs celebrating stories and the natural world leading to a mini performance on Alice’s Day. Led by Bella Brown, Family Choir Club help parents and carers who want to bring music into their family life, by removing the fear of "getting it wrong" and providing a safe space to play, sing, and enjoy quality time together.
Tickets: £9 for an adult + child ticket Click here to book
15:30-17:00 Oxon Junior Chess
Challenge an Oxon Junior Chess King or Queen to a game of chess in the Link Room. Small chess-themed prizes available to anyone who, like Alice, emerges victorious. Drop in.
Bodleian Libraries
10:00-15:00: Alice's Day at the Bodleian Libraries
Join us at the Weston Library for a day of free family fun: play flamingo croquet, create fantastical hats and crowns, make a magical sunprint and flick through illustrated Wonderlands in our pop-up mini library.
Free event, just drop in! https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.u...
Christ Church Library
10:00-16:00 Christ Church Library Tour
An opportunity to visit the beautiful Upper Library at Christ Church, where Charles Dodgson - better known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll - was a mathematics tutor and also Sub-Librarian. In 1856 Dodgson became friends with Henry Liddell, the new Dean of the college, and his family. His friendship with the Liddell children led him to create one of the most famous and enduring children’s stories, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. There will be an special exhibition of manuscript and other rare material relating to Dodgson and to the Liddell family. Please be aware that the Upper Library is on the first floor and is accessed by a staircase. There is no lift access.
Oxford Botanic Garden
10:00-18:00: A Walled Garden Wonderland
Join us for Alice's Day where Oxford Botanic Garden's Walled Garden will be transformed into a magical Wonderland. WhatNot Theatre will share three unique, educational and immersive performances in collaboration with Groovy Su, the queen of environmental art and recycling. Get creative and learn to dance the Lobster Quadrille, take part in the Queen's Croquet Match, or find out Who Stole the Tarts with a treasure hunt and tart decorating. Featuring WhatNot Theatre, Groovy Su and The Mad Hatter.
Book tickets: https://www.obga.ox.ac.uk/event/alices-day
18:00-19:00: Mad Hatters Cocktail Class
An exclusive event in the Conservatory: Drink me! At 6pm, as the children make their way home, the grown-ups get their chance to learn a skill with the Mad Hatter's cocktail class. Transform your mixology methods using Oxford Physic Gin in our bespoke recipes.
Book tickets: https://www.obga.ox.ac.uk/event/drink-me-the-mad-hatters-cocktail-class
Alice's Shop
11:00-13:00 onwards: Alice's Day at Alice's Shop
Alice’s Shop Sheep Shop Mad Jumble Sale of seconds. This is for children to pick up an Alice souvenir at a very sheep price. Restricted to one purchase per person. Starts at 11am till 1pm or as long as stocks last. Also puzzle giveaways
Lewis Carroll Society Talks at Weston Library
10:30: Alice in Waterland: Once upon a time in Oxford - a virtual River Thames cruise
Local historian and author, Mark Davies outlines the fundamental importance of Lewis Carroll's rowing trips with Alice and her sisters: the real people, places and events on or alongside the river which influenced Carroll's composition.
11:15: The Psychogeography of Lewis Carroll: Walking through Wonderland and beyond
Lindsay Fulcher, Chairman of The Lewis Carroll Society follows Alice down the rabbit-hole and through the looking-glass into landscapes of the imagination, where she visits royal gardens, enters enchanted forests and explores the sea shore.T
12:00: Filming the Hunting of the Snark - What is true and what is nonsense
Director, Simon DaVison talks about his new surreal, steampunk expedition into the mind of Lewis Carroll, revealing how he made the film and the ideas behind it - especially Carroll's constant prodding of logic versus nonsense - What I tell you three times is true! The full film will be screened at 6pm at Ultimate Picture Palace.
Free events, just drop in! https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.u...
Museum of Oxford
10:30-11:30, 12:30-13:30 & 14:00-15:00: Alice's Animlas at MOX!
Gryphons, Bread-and-butterflies and Mock Turtles, oh my! Help turn our museum into Wonderland by creating your very own weird and wonderful animals, and then enjoy our range of Alice-themed crafts and activities.
Tickets: £6 per child. Book here
Recommended age: 5+
Alice's Day Alice Celebrates Eid - Street Party
12:00 - 16:00, Street Party, Events Square, Broad Street
This year the History of Science Museum is marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha on Oxford's annual Alice's Day. So join us to find out how Alice celebrates Eid!
- Drop by for a cross-cultural tea party on Broad Street with face painting and henna tattoos
- Off with their heads! The Queen of Hearts and her cuddly Dodo will stop by for a chat (and a scratch)
In partnership with The Story Museum
More to explore in the History of Science Museum
Pop into the Museum to:
- discover Islamic objects in our collection
- get hands-on with craft activities
- follow an Alice-themed family trail.
It's free entry so just drop by.
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
12:00-15:00: A Brimful of Butterflies
Find out how caterpillars transform into butterflies and see some real British butterflies from the Museum's collection. Get crafty and make a butterfly life cycle or a butterfly wristband.
Oxford Water Walks
14:00-16:00: A LyrAlice Walk through City, Suburb and Meadow - This walk is already fully subscribed, but see the Festival of the Arts walks below for another one to Binsey on 2 July
A three-mile urban-to-rural walk with local historian and author, Mark Davies through the Oxford of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’ and that of Philip Pullman’s ‘Lyra’. Oxford has inspired both authors in different ways, and the walk will pass numerous places of fictional and of actual relevance, including college and university buildings, the Victorian suburb of Jericho, the Oxford Canal (watch out for ‘gyptians’!) and the wide expanse of Port Meadow to reach the treacly hamlet of Binsey, where all’s well that ends well.
Note: sturdy footwear recommended and there is no public transport from Binsey: participants will need to make their own onward/homeward arrangements. In partnership with Oxford Festival of the Arts, The Lewis Carroll Society and Oxford Children’s Book Group.
Ultimate Picture Palace
18:00: The Hunting of the Snark
A surreal and beautiful film of the famous nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll, in which a rag-bag steampunk crew land on an island to hunt for the enigmatic Snark. The poem was published in 1876 shortly after Darwin’s Origin of Species. For Victorian England it was a time of huge existential questions about the origins of humanity and the age of the Earth. There will be a Q&A with the director Simon DaVison and actor Corinne Furman following the screening.
In collaboration with The Lewis Carroll Society, The Story Museum, and Alice’s Day.
Running time: 90’ | PG
Tickets £10, £8, £5 Book here
Around town
11:00-12:30 & 13:30-15:00: The Bees
Wander amongst a honey-perfumed colony and discover multiple hives, each hiding a unique unexpected world. Prepare to be delighted and surprised - a delightful multi-sensory atmospheric experience. At Oxford Castle and Prison.
12:30, 14:00 & 16:00: Wonderland Characters & Cards
Help Alice find the White Rabbit in the streets of Oxford, shuffle a human pack of cards or seek advice from the Caterpillar - Curious Company bring their unique brand of quirky and delightful street theatre to Alice's Day.
13:00-13:30, 14:00-14:30 & 15:00-15:30: The Red Queen Dodo Rider
Red Queen and her Dodo wow Alice’s Day with a rare appearance! “Where did you come from?” said the Red Queen. ”And where are you going? Look up, speak nicely, and don’t twiddle your fingers all the time.” Splendid Street Theatre from Dizzy O’Dare.
Sunday 2 July: Family Fun, Facts and Fables with Alice at the Treacle Well, 14:30-16:00
The Oxford Children’s Book Group is holding a free family event on Sunday 2 July, at the Treacle Well in Binsey. As well as the chance to explore the well and listen to extracts from Alice and other stories, there will be a range of activities and crafts, such as: Queen Alice crown-making; Fishing in the Pool of Tears; Queen of Hearts badge-making; Pinning the Tail on Cheshire Cat; Dressing up; and more….Come dressed as a character from Alice, if you wish!
NB. Limited parking is available but please try to avoid car use if possible.
At a glance
| TIME | ACTIVITY | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
09:30-17:30 |
Kids go free to The Story Museum Galleries |
The Story Museum |
10:00-15:00 |
Alice's Day at the Bodleian Libraries |
Weston Library |
10:00-16:00 |
Wonderland Insects |
The Courtyard at The Story Museum |
10:00-10:30 |
Library Tour |
Christ Church Library |
10:00-18:00 |
A Walled Garden Wonderland |
Oxford Botanic Garden |
10:30 |
Gifts and souvenirs |
Alice's Shop |
10:30 |
Lewis Carroll Society Talk: Alice in Waterland: Once upon a time in Oxford - A Virtual River Thames Cruise |
Weston Library |
10:30-11:30 |
Alice's Animals at MOX! |
Museum of Oxford |
11:00 & 12:30 |
Professor Slug's House of Bugs |
The Woodshed Theatre at The Story Museum |
11:00-11:30 |
Library Tour |
Christ Church Library |
11:00-12:30 |
The Bees |
Oxford Castle and Prison |
11:00-13:00 |
Alice's Shop Sheep Shop Mad Jumble Sale |
Alice's Shop |
11:15 |
Lewis Carroll Society Talk: The Psychogeography of Lewis Carroll - Walking Through Wonderland and Beyond |
Weston Library |
12:00 |
Lewis Carroll Society Talk: Filming the Hunting of the Snark - What is true and what is nonsense |
Weston Library |
12:00-12:30 |
Library Tour |
Christ Church Library |
12:00-15:00 |
A Brimful of Butterflies |
Oxford University Museum of Natural History |
12:00-16:00 |
Alice Celebrates Eid Street Party |
Broad Street |
12:00-16:00 |
Alice Crafts and Object Handling |
History of Science Museum |
12:30 |
Wonderland Characters and Cards |
Around town |
12:30-13:30 |
Alice's Animals at MOX! |
Museum of Oxford |
13:00-13:30 |
Library Tour |
Christ Church Library |
13:00-13:30 |
The Red Queen Dodo Rider |
Broad Street |
13:30-15:00 |
The Bees |
Oxford Castle and Prison |
14:00 |
Wonderland Characters and Cards |
Around town |
14:00-14:30 |
Library Tour |
Christ Church Library |
14:00-14:30 |
The Red Queen Dodo Rider |
Broad Street |
14:00-14:45 |
You're Nothing But a Pack of Cards! |
Starting from The Story Museum |
14:00-15:00 |
Alice's Animals at MOX! |
Museum of Oxford |
14:00-16:00 |
A LyrAlice Walk through City, Suburb and Meadow |
Walk |
14:30 |
Family Choir Club |
The Story Museum |
15:00-15:30 |
Library Tour |
Christ Church Library |
15:00-15:30 |
The Red Queen Dodo Rider |
Broad Street |
15:30-17:00 |
Drop in Chess Workshops |
The Story Museum |
16:00 |
Wonderland Characters and Cards |
Around town |
16:00-16:45 |
A Croquet Procession - Get To Your Places |
Starting from The Story Museum |
18:00 |
Screening of The Hunting of the Snark |
Ultimate Picture Palace |
18:00-19:00 |
Mad Hatters Cocktail Class |
Oxford Botanic Garden |
Fringe Programme with Oxford Festival of Arts
To continue the Alice-themed fun after Alice's Day check out these other activities...
Guided Walks
Oxford Water Walks guided walks led by Mark Davies, Oxford local historian, author and trustee of the Lewis Carroll Society, to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's death, and Alice's Day 2023.
Alice in Waterland Walk
Saturday 24 June, 11:00
A circular walk of 90 minutes (circa 1.5 miles) around beautiful Christ Church Meadow to highlight in particular the all-important role of the River Thames in the creation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, as well as referencing other classics of fantasy fiction.
Start and end at Alice’s Shop, St Aldates.
Walking 'to' Treacle
Sunday 2 July, 14:00
A riverside stroll of 2+ miles from Osney, following the route of the famous boat trip of 1862 on which the story of Alice was first told. The walk will end at the Treacle Well at Binsey, where the Oxford Children’s Book Group will be hosting a range of activities thoughout the afternoon. Note that there is no public transport from Binsey: participants will need to make their own onward arrangements. Starting point will be advised at time of booking.
Alice in Wanderland Walk
Sunday 9 July, 11:00
A meandering route through some less-visited locations associated with Lewis Carroll. Passing by or through a cemetery, a park – expect Pleasure and Delight! – a river, and a museum, the two-mile walk will end at the University Press in Jericho, where the first editions of Alice’s Adventures were printed in June 1865.
Start: Botanic Garden; end Walton Street, Jericho
'King of all Balloons' Pie in the Sky
Saturday 15 July, 11:00
A 90-minute, short city-centre walk in the footsteps of James Sadler, the High Street pastry chef who became the first Englishman to build and fly an air balloon in 1784. The walk will include the main sites associated with this extraordinary aeronautical pioneer, who also made significant achievements in the fields of engineering, munitions, and as a naval chemist.
Start at Magdalen College School; end at Broad Street.
How it all began
One golden afternoon on 4 July 1862, Charles Dodgson, an Oxford don, took the 10-year-old Alice Liddell and her sisters on a boating picnic up the River Thames from Folly Bridge in Oxford. To amuse the children he told them a story about a little girl, sitting bored by a riverbank, who finds herself tumbling down a rabbit hole into a topsy-turvy world called Wonderland.
The story so delighted Alice that she begged him to write it down – the result was the 1864 handwritten manuscript Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. This original manuscript, which was prepared as a gift for Alice Liddell, is now in the British Library and is available to view on their website. The following year the manuscript was published as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland under the pen name Lewis Carroll, with illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. A sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, was published in 1871.
Alice’s Day commemorates an important moment for children’s literature and for Oxford. Alice became one of the most popular, most widely quoted and most widely translated children’s book ever written, with editions even in Esperanto and shorthand. It marked the birth of modern children’s literature. After Alice, children’s books became less stuffy and more entertaining. Oxford became a world centre of children’s stories and inspirational home to many authors and illustrators including Kenneth Grahame, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and Philip Pullman.
Alice's Day 2023 is sponsored by Great Western Railway.
Travel to Oxford with GWR and you’ll be in Wonderland in no time
There are two direct trains from London per hour, and frequent services across the network with a change at Reading or Didcot Parkway. Don’t delay, book your tickets now and make sure you’re on time for the White Rabbit!
