Join us for a programme of musical performances, talks, craft activities and workshops based on the 17th century Broadside ballads from Bodleian Library, with the award-winning 100 Ballads project team.

Broadside ballads were the pop music of the 17th century, selling in their thousands for a penny a piece in the market place. Their subjects were love, politics, battles, crime, folk tales, and sensational accounts of monsters and disasters. The ballads were sung to the hit tunes of the day, and many of them survived as folk songs into the 20th century. The Bodleian Library houses one of the most important collections of Broadside ballads in the world. Throughout the day Vivien Ellis, John Kirkpatrick and The Carnival Band will bring a selection of them vividly to life with an array of instruments, full vocal harmony and an infectious sense of fun. Christopher Marsh, a leading expert in the field and the lead researcher of the award-winning 100 Ballads project will give short talks on the ballads and their background.

There’ll be a special session for younger children too as well as some family-friendly activities and keep-sake printing for all ages, using the Victorian printing press in Blackwell Hall with volunteers. See our website for more information: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/events-exhibitions#/

The Bodleian Libraries

The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford is the largest university library system in the United Kingdom. It includes the principal University library – the Bodleian Library – which has been a legal deposit library for 400 years; as well as 27 libraries across Oxford including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, over 80,000 e-journals and outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera. Members of the public can explore the collections via the Bodleian’s online image portal at digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk or by visiting the exhibition galleries in the Bodleian’s Weston Library. For more information, visit www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. 

• Disabled access: There is step-free access to all public areas of the Weston Library. The entrance to the Weston Library has automatic doors. Our access guide includes images and detailed information about accessibility in the Weston Library.
• Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome in our spaces. No other dogs or animals are allowed on our site.
• The Weston Library has an accessible toilet. To find it, enter Blackwell Hall from the main entrance and turn left. The toilet block is straight ahead of you through the café area, and the accessible toilet is on the left-hand side. There are also standard men’s and women’s toilets.
• Weston Library Café will be open.
• Children's activities: There will be some keep sake printing activities for all ages in Blackwell Hall, as well as some children’s craft activities, some and music and singing activities
• Toilets available