Our Beautiful Universe - In Conversation with Jo Durrant

We are delighted to welcome back Jo Durrant who presents a new series of ‘In Conversations’ with special guests including authors and historians. These informal, interview-style events inspire and inform, spark curiosity, and invite us to look at the past and present world with fresh eyes.

Jo Durrant is the award-winning presenter of the independent arts and science podcast ‘Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe’. She’s a highly respected and accomplished interviewer and event chair, and a familiar face at literature, history, and science festivals. Jo is freelance but for over 20 years was a presenter, producer & reporter with BBC radio and interviewed hundreds of people, from Melanie C to Tim Peake.

Each conversation will be followed by a chance to ask questions and chat over tea and coffee if you wish. Several guests will bring books which you can buy and have signed.

Tickets cost £7.50 standard price, £6 concessions and £5 for Museum in the Park Members - Membership is free to join. Advance booking highly recommended. Book online (click here) or call us on 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 14 March: ‘Women Who Ruled The World’ with Dr Elizabeth Norton

We know the names Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, and Elizabeth II but what about Matilda of England, Tamar of Georgia, and Wu Zetian of China?

Female kings have always been a rarity, an oddity, or an undesirable outcome. In spite of this, women have secured crowns – or fought for them – over several millennia.

In her book ‘Women Who Ruled The World’ historian and archaeologist Dr Elizabeth Norton traces 5000 years of female monarchy, weaving together stories of women rulers throughout the ages.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Elizabeth will be shining a spotlight on some of these remarkable women when she joins Jo Durrant in conversation, as we begin a new series of Our Beautiful Universe.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 25 April: ‘The Dream Factory’ with Dr Daniel Swift

“All the world’s a stage…” is a phrase we have William Shakespeare to thank for. But which theatre made the playwright the legend he became? Clue: It wasn’t the Globe!

Daniel Swift is associate professor of English at Northeastern University, London, and has written books on William Shakespeare, Ezra Pound, and the poetry of the Second World War. His essays and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Financial Times, and the Spectator. In his book ‘The Dream Factory’ Dr Daniel Swift uncovers the remarkable untold story of Shakespeare’s first theatre, which was also London’s first purpose-built commercial playhouse.

Daniel joins Jo Durrant in conversation, to reveal how Shakespeare became Shakespeare, as we celebrate the Bard’s birthday.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 23 May: ‘Black Yanks’ with Dr Kate Werran

While the most audacious seaborne invasion ever attempted was taking place, a very different drama was being played out in the West Country. At the centre of it was Leroy Henry – an African American soldier on death row in wartime Britain, but there was an extraordinary campaign that set him free.

Author Dr Kate Werran joins Jo Durrant in conversation, to shine a spotlight on a little-known story from a famous moment in history.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 13 June: ‘Forgotten Churches’ with Luke Sherlock

What connects St Edward’s Church in Stow on the Wold to St Mary the Virgin in Berkeley? They are just two of the 70 churches to feature in the book ‘Forgotten Churches: Exploring England’s Hidden Treasures’ by Luke Sherlock.

Luke Sherlock has a passion for sharing hidden stories from these extraordinary buildings and has spent years travelling the length and breadth of England. He joins Jo Durrant to reveal some remarkable architectural gems and forgotten tales from these atmospheric places.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 4 July: ‘The Cat’s Tales’ with Charlie Creed

Puss In Boots and Dick Whittington’s Cat are just two famous felines. From being worshipped in Ancient Egypt to being vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe, cats have long been associated with the supernatural. They also appear in countless stories throughout history. Author Charlie Creed joins Jo Durrant to talk about some magical, mysterious, and majestic cats.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 1 August: ‘Harvington Hall: The House of Secrets’ with Phil Downing

Can you imagine having to hide in a tiny space, cleverly concealed in the fabric of a building, and not knowing when you’d get to escape? That’s what a number of Catholic priests in Elizabethan England did, as it was illegal for them to set foot in the country from 1585. The consequences of being found by a priest hunter were often harrowing.

Harvington Hall in Kidderminster has the UK’s finest collection of priest hides, including under the stairs and above a bread oven. Manager Phil Downing has spent years researching these hiding places, and has also spent time locked inside them! He joins Jo Durrant to reveal some surprising stories from the building known as the house of secrets.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

2pm, Saturday 29 August: ‘The King’s Mother’ with Annie Garthwaite

The 15th century Wars of the Roses were among England’s most bitter civil conflicts, which saw the houses of York and Lancaster fight bloodily for the crown. The wars divided both the nation and its most powerful families, setting brother against brother, cousin against cousin.

But who were the women at the heart of the conflict? And what was their role? Greatest among them was Cecily Neville. For the final event in the 2026 Our Beautiful Universe series, Annie joins Jo Durrant to shine a spotlight on an incredible figure – mother, fighter, survivor.

Book online here or call 01453 763394.

This interview-style event series takes place in the Museum’s intimate Walled Garden Pavilion, the glass-fronted room set within the gorgeous ‘secret garden’ borders hidden away at the heart of Stratford Park. Access is via Museum Reception, then via a sloping pathway or steps up into the garden. Tea and coffee included. Advance booking highly recommended.