Daily schedule
After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).
Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.
Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).
Social programme
We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:
- Croquet on the quad
- Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
- Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
- Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
- River Thames afternoon cruise
- Quiz night in the college bar
- Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)
Seminars
Monday
Lynch’s World: Surrealism and the Uncanny
What makes an image feel strange or unsettling, and why does this fascinate us? Today, we begin by exploring the concept of the uncanny, a feeling Lynch frequently evokes through dreamlike scenes and unusual visual choices. After a short introduction to surrealism and Freud’s idea of the uncanny, we’ll examine clips from Eraserhead and Twin Peaks, and discuss in approachable terms how Lynch creates emotion and tension without relying on traditional narrative logic.
Tuesday
Americana and Darkness
What draws us to idealised images of small-town life, and what lies beneath them?
Using Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks as starting points, we explore how Lynch portrays the contrast between wholesome, nostalgic Americana and the darker impulses that simmer beneath the surface. We will consider why these images resonate with audiences and how his films both critique and celebrate American culture.
Wednesday
Inland Empire and Lost Highway
How does sound influence emotion, expectation, and atmosphere? Today, we shift to sound, one of Lynch’s most powerful tools. Through listening exercises and comparisons between soundscapes, we’ll examine how noise, silence, and music shape our understanding of a scene. Clips from Eraserhead, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive will illustrate how sound can heighten tension or create intimacy.
Thursday
Fragmentation of Identity
Why do Lynch’s characters seem to split, double or drift between dream and reality? In today’s seminars, we look at Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, focusing on how Lynch plays with identity, doubling, and narrative shifts. We’ll explore possible interpretations without insisting on definitive answers. You’ll be encouraged to develop your own readings, supported by discussion and analytical prompts.
Friday
The Lynchian Aesthetic
What makes a film feel 'Lynchia', and how might we create something in his style? Our final day brings everything together as we collectively define what critics call the 'Lynchian' quality; his recurring themes, images, pacing, sound and narrative techniques. We will analyse a new clip together and finish with a light-hearted creative activity imagining a Lynch-inspired scene.
