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living water

20 March – 5 December 2026Living Water: Poetry, Art and the Fight for Clean Rivers

‘Without living water, we die.’ These stark words from Anglo-Irish artist Barrie Cooke reflect his alarm at the growing pollution of the Irish rivers and loughs he loved...

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Past Exhibitions and Displays

curious cure

Curious Cures: Medicine in the Medieval World

Discover a time when unusual ingredients and questionable remedies mixed with genuine curiosity about how bodies function, creating a complex and intriguing world of ritual healing, herbal recipes, stargazing and surgery.

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murder by the book

Endless Stories: Manuscripts, knowledge and translation in the 17th century

In 1632, Cambridge University Library was transformed by an extraordinary collection of manuscripts in a dazzling array of languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Malay.

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murderbythebook

Murder by the Book: A Celebration of 20th Century British Crime Fiction

Celebrating the richness of twentieth century British crime fiction through a creative lens, from its origins to contemporary best sellers.

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footlights

The Footlights Illuminated

Who are ‘The Cambridge Footlights’, anyway? A new exhibition explores the history and identity of the world-renowned student comedy group.

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Spitting image

Spitting Image: A Controversial History

Savage, grotesque, hilarious: explore Spitting Image, the puppet show that became an icon of 20th century television.

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Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective

Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective

Touring from the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, this exhibition highlights a selection of the illustrator Raymond Briggs’ most significant works.

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darwin

Darwin in Conversation

Discover how Darwin’s global network of correspondents shaped his ideas around the evolution of life on planet Earth

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Samurai: History and Legend

Samurai: History and Legend

Samurai are a well-known image of Japan, but they are as much legend as history.

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Ghost Words: Reading the past

Ghost Words: Reading the Past

Medieval scribes used to recycle old books by scraping the parchment clean and writing a fresh text over the top.

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Samurai: History and Legend

Previous Exhibitions

Browse our past exhibitions: from the Great Collections to Lines of thought.

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Upcoming Events

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19 May
Living Water Events

IN PERSON EVENT | 19 May 5PM TO 7.15PM

Everything Flows: Bernadette Kiely, Siobhán McDonald and Paul Mosse

Three of Ireland's leading artists will discuss their own work and the legacy of their friend, renowned painter, Barrie Cooke.

26 May
The Really Popular Book Club

BOOK CLUB | 26 May 7PM TO 8PM

The Really Popular Book Club: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

We will be joined by special guest, Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson.

28 May
Living Water Events

IN PERSON EVENT | 28 May 5.30PM TO 7PM

Rivers of Film: Screening of Part One

Enjoy films from the Rivers of Film Commission. Hosted as part of the Cambridge Nature Festival 2026.