Join us for this special event in celebration of our new exhibition, Vanbrugh: The Drama of Architecture.
In conversation with Frances Sands, Curator of Drawings and Books at Sir John Soane’s Museum, co-curators Charles Saumarez Smith and Roz Barr will discuss the style, theatricality and legacy of John Vanbrugh (1664 – 1726), 300 years after his death.
Guests will have the opportunity to experience Sir John Soane's Museum after hours, by candlelight. A drinks reception in our atmospheric drawing rooms will follow the talk.
About the event
Timings for the evening will be as follows:
18:30: Doors open and Museum spaces open for guests to explore
19:00: Talk begins
19:45: Drinks reception
20:30: Event finishes
Your confirmation email serves as your ticket. Please note that we do not issue separate tickets. Tickets are refundable up to 7 days before the event, after which point they are non-refundable or exchangeable.
We are in a Grade I listed, 19th-century building, so access is not always straightforward. If you require step-free access or extra assistance, please contact us in advance of your booking on admin@soane.org.uk or 020 7405 2107.
About the speakers
Sir Charles Saumarez Smith CBE was Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy from 2007 to 2018. Since then, he has written two books, The Art Museum in Modern Times and John Vanbrugh: The Drama of Architecture. He is a trustee of the Garden Museum and Castle Howard Foundation and writes a monthly column on architecture for The Critic.
Roz Barr is an architect and academic who founded her own practice nearly 15 years ago in London. Her work has been recognised both nationally in the UK and internationally for her sensitive and imaginative approach to architecture and the re-imagining of historic settings, often collaborating with artists and makers. She has taught at the Architectural Association and Kingston University and was Visiting Professor at Cornel University, She was RIBA Vice President of Education for three years and currently sits on the RIBA International and National Awards jury.
Dr Frances Sands is Curator of Drawings and Books at Sir John Soane's Museum. She has worked at the Museum since 2010, first as Catalogue Editor, tasked with cataloguing the office drawings collection of Robert and James Adam – a vast project which is still ongoing. In 2016 she was appointed the Curator of Drawings and Books, taking responsibility for the Soane Museum’s wider collection of 30,000 drawings and 7,000 books. She has curated various exhibitions and publishes and lectures widely. Since 2010, Fran has also served as a Trustee of the York Georgian Society, the Mausolea and Monuments Trust, the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, and sat on the advisory committee for the Grinling Gibbons Society’s Tercentenary exhibition.
Banner image: Soane office, Royal Academy Lecture drawings of the work of Sir John Vanbrugh, Blenheim Palace (Oxon), elevation, SM 74/4/8