Art at the Festival of Britain



Overview

The major event at the 1951 Festival of Britain was the ’60 for ’51’ competition where major artists were given a large canvas to create a work of art. There were winners and losers in this ‘incestuous’ competition including Lucian Freud, William Gear and the husband-and-wife pair of Rodrigo Moynihan and Elinor Bellingham-Smith. We will also study the Dome of Discovery, the Skylon, a mural by John Piper and sculptures by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Siegfried Charoux.  

This lecture is part of the 'Art in Britain: 1940 to the Present' lecture series, taking place on Tuesdays from 27 January to 3 March 2026. You can choose to register for individual lectures or may choose to register for the entire lecture series at a reduced price. 

Please note: this lecture will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 30 January 2026.

Fees

Description Costs
In-person event fee (includes tea/coffee and a pastry) £18.00
Virtual event fee £15.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit or are a full-time student in the UK you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees.

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Jan Cox

Tutor

Dr Jan Cox has been awarded a BA (Hons) by Oxford Brookes University, an MA from Bristol, and a PhD from the University of Leeds (Nordic Art). He specialises in nineteenth-century European art and British art of the early twentieth-century.

Application

Please use the 'Book' button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us to obtain an application form.

Accommodation

If you wish to stay with us before and/or after the event, please contact our Residential Centre for availability and discounted rates.

Call +44 (0) 1865 270362 or email res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk

Our accommodation in Wellington Square has been rated as 4-Star Campus Accommodation under Visit England. All bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished with tea/coffee making facilities, Freeview television, private bath/shower rooms and free WiFi. For more details see our accommodation information.

IT requirements

We will be using Zoom for the livestreaming of this lecture series, and you will be able to submit questions via the Zoom interface. Joining instructions will be sent out prior to the start date. We recommend that you join the session at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start time – just as you might arrive a bit early at our lecture theatre for an in-person event.

Please note that this course will not be recorded.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support