What’s on this weekend in Bucks & Oxon

ART: Bucks Art Weeks, various locations, 12 – 27 Jun

This annual art fest features over 600 artists and makers across 200 venues, so a staggering amount of stuff on show (and on sale) all across the county! But don’t feel overwhelmed: break it down into manageable trails with these handy maps, and saddle up for a great aesthetic time.

OUTDOOR THEATRE: The Three Musketeers, Oxford Castle & Prison, 11 – 12 Jun

Fancy a dose of classic swashbuckling? This family-friendly re-telling of Alexadre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers will be performed in the castle’s lovely flagstone courtyard – bring a chair or blanket to sit on to watch the show.

EXHIBITION: Memphis: Plastic Field, MK Gallery, Milton Keynes, until 12 Sept

This kitsch-cool exhibition running at the MK Gallery is on the Italian design and architecture group, The Memphis Group. If you’re feeling a little lost, never fear. Here’s your 101: Rebelling against the grey and merlot tones of 1970s interiors, The Memphis Group’s USP was bright colours, bold shapes, and unusual textures. The exhibition, which first ran briefly in December but had to stop for lockdown, displays over 150 of the design collective’s most significant objects.

EXHIBITION: New Liberia, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, until 5 Sept

Examining our society in a different but equally thought-provoking way is New Liberia at the Modern Art Oxford. Sparked by the global Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, this latest and largest exhibition by artist Samson Kambalu playfully imagines a utopia of international racial justice.

THEATRE: Jeeves and Wooster In Perfect Nonsense, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, until 12 Jun

Theatres are back, baby! It’s your last chance to see this slapstick comedy based on the works of PG Wodehouse in our ‘hood before it heads out on the road (read out review here).

EXHIBITION: Doorstop Diaries, MK Gallery, Milton Keynes, until 27 Jun

This photography project, by Milton Keynes-based Stace Photography, started as an open call to households across the town to have their photos taken on their doorsteps during lockdown to bring the community together and spread a little positivity. The exhibition features photos displayed on reclaimed wood as well as a compilation of filmed interviews with local residents. Displayed in the gallery’s Project Space, you can look at the exhibit for free. 

OUTDOOR THEATRE: As You Like It and Alice in Wonderland, Chiltern Open Air Museum, 12 – 13 Jun

Missed out on a bit of high culture over the past year of Netflix and jogging bottoms? Then you’ll want to get yourself tickets to one (or both) or these al fresco performances at COAM.

EXHIBITION: Pre-Raphelites Drawings & Watercolours, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, until 20 Jun

If you’re angling for a bit of traditional art, then Oxford’s esteemed Ashmoleon will still be displaying its rarely seen Pre-Raphaelite drawings and watercolours until June 20. Quick culture 101: The Pre-Raphaelites were a bunch of rabble-rousing artists who spent much of their time in Oxford creating art inspired by nature, stories and poetry. A veritable 19th century Fleetwood Mac, the tales of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll are told through their works.

DRINK: Cocktail Masterclass, Daws Hill Vineyard, 12 Jun

Brush up on your mixology skills with a Cocktail Masterclass at Daws Hill Vineyard, 7:30-9pm on 12 June. This includes a complimentary reception cocktail and three cocktails you’ll then make yourself — not too shabby!

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