Jacqui Ansell gained her Art History degree from Essex University before specialising in History of Dress at the Courtauld Institute and establishing a career as writer and tutor for the Open University and lecturer at the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and Christie's Education.

Art and fashion in the age of Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) were defined by the opulence, Restoration-era extravagance, and heavy French influence that followed the return of Charles II in 1660.  As a meticulous diarist and son of a tailor, Pepys’s personal record provides an intimate look into this period, documenting his own obsession with status-signaling, high-end clothing and the vibrant, often anxious, culture of 1660s London

Dr Antonia Gatward Cevizli is an independent art historian specialising in both Italian Renaissance art and Ottoman art. She gained her PhD from the University of Warwick. Her publications focus on cultural and diplomatic exchange between the Italian city-states and the Ottomans. Antonia has lectured for a number of institutions including Sabanci University, Istanbul; Sotheby’s Institute of Art; the National Gallery; the V&A Academy and The Courtauld summer school. Her interests are wide-ranging and she also worked across the collections of both Tate Modern and Tate Britain as a professional guide. She has lived in Siena, Venice and Istanbul.

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul stands as the definitive, stone-carved manifestation of Ottoman state philosophy, serving as the primary imperial residence and administrative nerve center for nearly 400 years (from the 1460s to 1853).

Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople, the complex was designed not as a single massive building, but as a series of four courtyards and functional, interconnected structures that reflected the power, privacy, and religious authority of the Ottoman Sultans.

Stuart Harvey is a “History and Art Communicator” of 30 years' experience. He is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide (qualified in 1998 - awarded “New Guide of the Year”) and also a Guida Turistica Abilitata della Provincia di Roma (qualified in 2010). Since 1992 he has lead study tours all over Europe. Living in Rome since 2003, Stuart has developed a great love for the Eternal City and its many treasures. In addition to his primary career as full-time Rome tourist guide, Stuart’s entertaining, lively lectures and virtual tours bring the rich artistic and historical wealth of Rome’s 28 centuries to life for people all over the world. 

The Grand Tourists of the 1700s changed the art world. Rome was now filled with wealthy travellers, many from Britain, not only visiting the great works of art and architecture, but also looking for portraits, miniatures, mosaics and ancient sculptures to purchase for their family collections. This lecture will highlight some of the most famous visitors to Rome, including many artists who came to study, and will introduce some of the fascinating characters that catered to them in Rome, as we look at how the art world in Rome adapted to this lucrative new market.

Bertie Pearce has a BA (Hons) in Drama from Manchester University, and a Diploma Internationale from the École Internationale du Théatre, Jacques Lecoq. A member of the Inner Magic Circle, with Gold Star. Past experience includes lecturing and performing on cruise ships, and to U3A, historical societies, festivals, schools and colleges. In addition, has toured the world with a magic cabaret show and a one man show entitled All Aboard. Has written articles for newspapers and magazines on entertainment and theatre.

This lecture recounts the extraordinary tale of how a small bronze statue, which had sat in his Grandfather’s garden for 40 years, was discovered as a master piece and ended up in the Getty Museum, California. Adriaen De Vries (c.1556-1626) was a Northern Mannerist sculptor born in the Netherlands. A technical virtuoso, he created spectacular bronzes for the most discerning patrons of his time, including the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II of Prague.He excelled in refined modelling and bronze casting and in the manipulation of patina and became the most famous European sculptor of his generation.

Simon Seligman, former head of communications at Chatsworth, presents a lecture titled "'Debo' – Mitford, Cavendish, Devonshire Duchess, Housewife". It profiles Deborah Cavendish (1920–2014), the youngest Mitford sister, who transformed Chatsworth House into a successful tourist destination. The talk covers her life as an author, businesswoman, and chatelaine.

From 1988 to 2014Timothy Walker was the director of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden.  Between 1992 & 2000 the Garden won 4 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show London.  In 2010 he presented a 3-part series of films on the history of botany on BBC4. Since 2014 he has been a tutor in Plant Biology at Somerville College, Oxford.

This lecture captures a growing, interdisciplinary movement that merges botanical research with creative practice. This intersection, often termed "Plant Humanities" or "Bioart," treats plants not merely as subjects for observation, but as active participants in creating new knowledge

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Caroline Levisse is an art historian currently based in London, where she teaches art history at the Workers’ Educational Association. In her doctoral dissertation she studied the different ways in which art and religion interact today in Scandinavia (“Art et religion en Scandinavie depuis 1990", Université Paris 8, 2013).

Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot was a French painter, printmaker and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists.