AUTUMN TALKS 2024

Online Autumn Talks at The Stained Glass Museum this October

Find out more and book your tickets online
£6.50 / £5 – Friends of SGM
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Recordings of talks will be sent to all ticket holders.

Douglas Strachan: his Life and Legacy with Juliette Macdonald

Wednesday 16 October 2024, 7pm

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Scotland as a nation has a dramatic history; the history of its stained glass is no less dramatic. The Protestant Reformation led to the destruction of virtually all of Scotland’s stained-glass windows, and the traditions and craft knowledge of stained-glass production fell into decay until the 19th century.

One of the most important figures in the Scottish revival of stained-glass design was the Aberdonian, Douglas Strachan who produced over 350 windows throughout Britain and beyond. His work, which spanned the first half of the twentieth century, continues to inspire and influence designers.

Strachan’s approach to, and innovative use of, glass including early schemes for the Peace windows (1913) in The Hague, Netherlands and Lowson Memorial Kirk (1914) in Forfar, and later work such as the windows in the Shrine at the Scottish National War Memorial (1924-27), Edinburgh and the 1931 East Window, Paisley Abbey, will be discussed.

Dr Juliette MacDonald received her PhD from the University of St Andrews in 2003. She holds the Chair for Craft History and Theory at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests focus on craft, design and material culture and their relationship with creativity, place and identity. She co-organised Identity, Collaboration, Sustainability; an online International Festival of Craft, 2021, is co-editor of Styling Shanghai, Christopher Breward and Juliette MacDonald, (eds) Bloomsbury, 2019, and has contributed chapters, articles and reviews to various Journals and books including: Craft and Heritage, Intersections in Critical Studies and Practice, Susan Surette and Elaine Cheasley Paterson, 2022, In 2020 she received the Hongqiao Friendship Award, in recognition of her role as an envoy for transnational education in Shanghai.

'Drawn to Light' with Grace Ayson

Wednesday 23 October 2024, 7pm

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In this talk, Grace will take you on a journey charting her career so far, from her starting point as a sculptor, through her work as a conservator, to her work as a stained glass artist. Using past projects and commissions, she will explore the techniques and approaches she has used, her influences and inspirations, and ideas about the tradition and craft of stained glass.

Grace Ayson is a stained glass artist, designer and conservator based on the Kent coast in the UK. Her work combines striking modern draughtsmanship with traditional craft and technique. She has worked as an artist for many years, creating drawings concerned with light and its effects on architectural spaces. This interest in the living, moving effects of light and its impact on the viewer has found its ultimate expression in her work as a glass artist. Grace graduated with a fine art and sculpture degree in 1997, she then went on to work in sculpture and historic building and decorative surface conservation which eventually led her to a passion in stained glass. She has worked with stained glass for 20 years, including 15 years at The Cathedral Studios at Canterbury Cathedral, and set up her own studio in 2020. She creates windows and artworks for homeowners, interior designers, churches, public buildings and artworks for exhibition, combining a fresh modern approach with traditional techniques.

From Heaven to Earth - The Stained Glass of Christopher Webb with John Edwards

Wednesday 30 October 2024, 7pm

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Christopher Webb's reputation as a stained glass designer and artist was at its height in the decades immediately before (the 1930s) and after (1946 to 1955) the Second World War; and during his active career from 1920 to 1964 he produced over 400 windows with a distinctive character and style, as well as designing a wide selection of other church art. Now that his work has been comprehensively listed, and a large collection of design sketches, full-size cartoons and other material given to the Stained Glass Museum, it is timely to reassess his work and its contribution to English stained glass in the 20th century.

Canon John Edwards is a retired Anglican priest in the Diocese of Oxford. Since 2015 he has been researching Webb's work and his circle of friends, collaborators and fellow artists, and has lectured and written extensively about them.

VISITS AND TOURS

Spotlight Tours

Join us on Monday and Wednesday at 12:30 to enjoy a short 'Spotlight Tour' of the gallery with a member of our team.

These award winning tours focus on one or two panels within the gallery, exploring them in more detail.


Spotlight tours are included with your usual admission and are subject to availability

Study Tour

Leicestershire 27-30 April 2025
More information coming soon.

PAST EVENTS

The Stained Glass Museum runs a variety of events throughout the year.

View a list of past events.

Events Archive


Cancellation Policy - General Events
The Stained Glass Museum operates a cancellation policy for events bookings (for cancellation of workshop bookings please see our Cancellation Policy).

Refunds & Cancellations
For cancellations made more than 28 days in advance we offer a full refund of your ticket price.
For cancellations made between 14 and 28 days in advance we will offer a 50% refund.
For cancellations made less than 14 days in advance we are unable to offer a refund, although you are welcome to transfer your event booking to someone else.

Please bear in mind that the Stained Glass Museum is a registered charity (No.1169842) and in order to operate successfully it’s important that we adhere to this policy.

Cancellation of events by the Museum
Under rare or exceptional circumstances the Museum may have to cancel events. If a cancellation is necessary, we will do our utmost to contact you by phone or email as soon as possible before the event. You will be offered a full refund. Please note The Stained Glass Museum is not liable for any costs associated with travel or accommodation. Please bear this in mind when booking travel or accommodation in advance.