Free, just drop in

Channel the spirit of ancient Greece in this evening celebration of the mind, body and soul in antiquity.

Ancient Greece mind, body and soulFriday 8 May, 18.00–20.30

Level -1

Level 1

Level 0

Northstairs

West stairs

Activity – see programme for details

Court Café

Great Court Shop

GrenvilleRoom

Gallery Café

Montague Place entrance

Main entranceGreat Russell Street

Members’cloakroom

Southstairs

CollectionsShop

FamiliesDesk

Eaststairs

Anthropology Library and Research Centre

Level 0

Great Court

North stairs

Up to Members’ Room via West stairs & lift

Level 0

Level 0 Down to 25

Down toBP Lecture

Theatre

Down toBP LectureTheatre

Level 0

Level 1Up to 95 and 67

Level 0

Level 1

Level -1 & 0Up to 24 and Great Court or down

to the Montague Place entrance

Down to 77Up to 20a

33 33

33c

24

30

17

21

15

18

18

18

1

1

1

F

Ground floor This map shows the locations of the events and activities. You can pick up a free map of the whole Museum at the Information Desk in the Great Court.

All information correct at time of print.© The Trustees of the British Museum 04/2015

Related exhibition

Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art

Until 5 JulyExperience the brilliance and diversity of ancient Greek art in this major exhibition focusing on the human body. For centuries the ancient Greeks experimented with ways of representing the human body, both as an object of beauty and a bearer of meaning. The works of art in the exhibition range from the abstract simplicity of prehistoric figurines to the breathtaking realism of the age of Alexander the Great. The exhibition features over 120 objects, including some of the most beautiful Greek sculpture to have survived from antiquity.£16.50, Members/ under 16s freeSponsored by Julius BaerAdditional supportIn memory of Melvin R SeidenMrs Jayne Wrightsman, OBE#DefiningBeauty

Food and drink

Food and drink will be available to buy from a bar in the south-west corner of the Great Court. Enjoy wine, beer, soft drinks and themed snacks including traditional Greek salad, pitta bread with tzatziki, yoghurt and olives.

Join in online

#DefiningBeauty

Sign up to the Museum’s enewsletter at britishmuseum.org

Cover: A figure of a naked man, possibly Dionysos. Marble statue from the east pediment of the Parthenon. Designed by Phidias, Athens, Greece, 438–432 BC.

Marble statue of a discus-thrower (discobolus) by Myron. Roman copy of a bronze Greek original of the 5th century BC.

Marble statue of a naked Aphrodite crouching at her bath, also known as Lely’s Venus. Roman copy of a Greek original, 2nd century AD. Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015.

Additional supportIn memory of Melvin R Seiden Mrs Jayne Wrightsman, OBE

Sponsored by

Performances

PAKAW! (south-west) 19.00–20.00

Enjoy a performance by the all-female musical combo that pushes the boundaries of the traditional. With Greek music at its core, these five women excite with their sultry vocals and versatile musicianship.Free, just drop in, standing room only

Aphrodite: tales of the great red goddess

18.15–18.35, 19.00–19.20 & 19.45–20.05Aphrodite is running towards you crushing aromatic flowers with her naked feet. Is your red heart strong enough, your black heart deep enough to share her starry secrets? After all, they’re just foam on the wave… Storyteller Xanthe Gresham Knight tells tales of the great red goddess.Free, just drop in, limited seating

Demonstrations

As fragrant as the gods 18.15–18.35,

19.00–19.20 & 19.45–20.05Myth meets perfume when you join fragrance expert Odette Toilette for an olfactory tour through the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses. Discover how flowers and their scents became loaded with symbolism relating to archetypes, the body, metamorphosis and sexuality. Be ready to sniff and sample.Free, just drop in, limited seating

Past and present: interpreting the Parthenon sculptures

18.00–20.00Join artist Carles Bartolomé Ibars as he studies the Parthenon frieze and demonstrates a variety of drawing techniques to create a new work of art, representing a dialogue between past and present. Drop in to watch his interpretation of the sculptures develop over the course of the evening.Free, just drop in, standing room only

Eros and Psyche: a tale of love, beauty and betrayal

18.15–18.35, 19.00–19.20 & 19.45–20.05Merging myth with philosophical dialogue, performance storyteller Tania Batzoglou introduces the iconic love story of Eros and Psyche. This powerful performance of spoken word and sound explores the concept of the pursuit of happiness, questioning ideas of love and notions of beauty.Free, just drop in, standing room only

‘The most beautiful of any sight’: songs from Sappho

18.00–18.30 & 19.00–19.30The poetess Sappho (c. 630–570 BC) wrote some of the most hauntingly beautiful verses in Greek literature, mingling desire and melancholy with stunning imagery drawn from nature. Emma Hetherington and Rebecca Vucetic perform their own settings of these songs in new translations by writer David Stuttard and poet Josephine Balmer.Free, just drop in, limited seating

Introducing the Parthenon sculptures

18.30–18.45 & 19.30–19.45Senior Curator Ian Jenkins, British Museum, gives an overview of the history of the Parthenon sculptures as unrivalled examples of classical Greek art.Free, just drop in, standing room only

Savage beauty: the beautiful in Greek literature

18.30–19.00 & 19.30–20.00The Greeks’ response to beauty is seen not only in art and sculpture but in literature. Fenella Fielding and Mark Katz read a selection of extracts from Greek authors translated by David Stuttard, exploring the power of beauty – both creative and destructive – to give a tantalising glimpse into the feelings and desires of a lost civilisation.Free, just drop in, limited seating

Photography will take place at this event.

Venue key Room number Great Court BP Lecture Theatre

Odette Toilette with Greek aromatic motifs. © Holly Revell.

Marble metope from the south side of the Parthenon showing the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths. Designed by Phidias, Athens, Greece, 438–432BC.

Xanthe Gresham. Photo: Mishko Papic.

Terracotta busts of Eros and Psyche embracing.

Colossal statue of a woman from the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos. Greek, from Bodrum (in modern Turkey), c. 350 BC.

Minerva Bath Novel collage, Jessica Palmer.

Armand D’Angour.

Jules Evans. Photo: Tim Willcocks.

Workshops

A classical superman (south-east) 18.00–20.15

Drop in and sketch one of Herakles’ 12 labours – from slaying the Nemean lion to battling the Lernaean hydra – before adding your illustration to a giant 3D vase. Led by David Allsop.Free, just drop in

Drawing the Parthenon frieze 18.00–20.00

Explore the Parthenon frieze in this drawing workshop led by British Museum illustrator Kate Morton. Using pencils, charcoal and rubbers, capture scenes of Athenians and animals processing during the Panathenaic festival.Free, just drop in

The human face in focus: mask making

18.00–20.15Transform yourself into an Olympian god, supernatural being or mere mortal in this workshop led by paper artist Jessica Palmer. Drop in and create a striking mask using paper collage techniques.Free, just drop in

Talks

What was beautiful about ancient Greek music?

18.15–18.40The ancient Greeks believed that music could captivate and enchant people’s souls. But how did it actually sound? Greek poetry – Homer’s epics, Sappho’s love poems, the odes of Pindar, and more – were originally sung music. Using papyrus evidence and instrumental performances, Armand D’Angour’s research reveals some of the amazing effects of ancient Greek song.Free, just drop in

Socrates and reason 19.05–19.35

Jules Evans, author of Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations, looks at how Socrates invented a whole new approach to human existence, in which humans can learn to take care of their souls using their reason. He explores how Socrates inspired later movements like the Stoics and Sceptics, and how his rational approach inspired modern cognitive therapy.Free, just drop in

Dionysus and ecstasy 19.50–20.20

Jules Evans, author of Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations, considers the irrational aspect of ancient Greek culture, and the idea of ekstasis, an altered state of consciousness achieved through religion, intoxicants or art. He looks at how Greek sculptures, including pieces in the exhibition Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art, have inspired ecstatic experiences in people up to the present.Free, just drop in

All activities are first-come, first-served. Entry to the exhibition Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art is limited, so you may want to book ahead to see it on another date.