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Since 2017 I’ve been project managing in collaboration with the British Museum’s Adult Programmes team an annual one-night Late opening takeover of the Museum campus. Normally hosted in June - July each year this annual one-night event normally reflects and responds to the Museum’s flagship exhibition at the time. Over the last three years this has meant that nights have varied in theme and approach, taking as their inspiration notions of the American Dream, Rodin and Manga.

For this event UAL students were asked to respond to the life and career of Auguste Rodin a French sculptor who was mainly influenced by the the works of art and sculptures of ancient Greece. He is most famous for creating ‘The Thinker’ and ‘The Kiss’. As such students were given a complimentary tour of the exhibition accompanied by an introduction by exhibition curator Ian Jenkins. Students responded with a huge variety of ideas from classical re-imagining of the Greek sculptures to critical analysis of the Elgin marbles. They were supported by myself and the British Museum staff to design and realise their idea, given both a materials budget and an artist fee as well as event programme tickets to continue their learning. On the night they gained audience interaction.

2018 British Museum Late; Auguste Rodin - Modern Art, ancient inspiration © Arts SU 

British Museum Late 2018 from Sophie Risner on Vimeo.
Video: Dalonie Graham © Arts SU

Students included in the opportunity:
 DJ She Got Soul / Pink&Hancock / Farrukh Akbar / Alba+Ziegler / Abigail Hammond / Magda Kuca / Ross McCormick / Despoina Zachariadou & Nina Montironi / Kate Meehan / James Land / Ekene Okobi / Michaela Wenkert / Alfie Gibbs / Annabel Ludovici Gray / Emmie Ray & Daniel Beck / Melys Edwards

Programme for the event:




Trailer video for ‘The Seventh Sense’ - a AR experiences to explore modern technological methods for getting audiences interacting and connecting with past artwork and historical artifacts.

Video © Despoina Zachariadou

Zapper story featuring ‘The Seventh Sense’: https://www.zappar.com/blog/how-ar-changing-art-world/

Quote from Chelsea student Ross McCormick on the experience of being involved in the opportunity:

“The British Museum asked me to be part of their Rodin Lates exhibition using this piece of work. The bronze work was exhibited in the relics and religion area of the museum. It was such a rewarding experience and a confidence boost experience receiving interest in my work from this British institution. I was first inspired in the great works displayed by Rodin after a trip to the Rodin Museum in Paris. I saw his sculptures and became immersed in the language and emotion behind his investigations in to the body and form.

UAL story: https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/chelsea-college-of-arts/stories/life-at-chelsea-ross-mccormick-ma-fine-art

Images from the event (scroll):


Images: Dalonie Graham © Arts SU 

British Museum credits
With thanks to the British Museum Adult Programme who collaborated with us for this event - facilitating and budgeting for the activity to happen, believed in the students and supported their vision:
  • Freddie Matthews - Head of Adult Programmes
  • Bryony Smith - Events Manager (2017 - 2020) and all the amazing British Museum volunteers