The Arts Society Dukeries meets on the first Wednesday of most months for a lecture on a specific art topic and members are enjoying an exciting 2025 programme.
As well as these social gatherings / lectures and extra Special Interest Days, members can enjoy a holiday with the Society, trips to local events and theatres, including a Gilbert and Sullivan production at Buxton Opera House and will receive newsletters and a national magazine.
Their upcoming lectures are:
Wednesday 4th June:
‘The Borgias: The most infamous family in history’ by Sarah Dunant
Murder, poison, corruption, and incest: all perfect ingredients for sensational, popular culture. But in an age, known for its brutality and church corruption, were the Borgias really so bad?
This lecture reveals the real family that dominated the Papacy and Italian politics, during the last decade of the 15th century: the charismatic figure of Pope Alexander VI, living inside his sumptuously decorated apartments, the career of his son, Cesare, Cardinal, general, employee of Da Vinci and the model for Machiavelli’s The Prince, and the journey of Lucretia from “the greatest whore in Rome” to a devout and treasured Duchess of the city of Ferrara.
Wednesday 2nd July:
‘160 Years of London Underground, Design and Architecture’ by Mark Ovenden
This lecture covers surprising attempts to create some graphic unity, even in the 1860s, and 1870s, expansion of the underground, and the need to create some cohesion between the different operating companies, Lesley Green’s architecture, and the Arts and Crafts movement, Frank Pick, Edward Johnson’s typeface, Charles Holden’s architecture, and the Streamline Moderne / Art Deco movement. Then moving on to the new works programme, post war austerity / design, the Victoria line, loss of Johnson and rescue by Kono, bringing things right up to date with the Jubilee line extension / architecture, creation of TfL and recent schemes, looking ahead to future works, including the Elizabeth line / Northern line extension to Battersea etc.
The Society meet at the Civic Centre, Long Lane, Carlton-in-Lindrick, S81 9AP. Tea and coffee is available from 10.00am, before Society notices at 10.50am and then the lecture from 11.00am to 12.00pm.
There is free car parking. Members pay an annual subscription and visitors are welcome, paying at the door.
For further details, please contact Chairman Caroline on 01909 531614 or see www.theartssociety.org/Dukeries.