Few aspects of creative filmmaking are as shrouded in mystery as the work of the film editor. What do they do? How does it work? Film editors will usually say their art is intuitive – magic, instinctive, inexpressible. But this lecture explodes the myth that good editing is invisible, and reveals what goes on in the edit suite to save movies, tell stories and make thousands of bits of footage into coherent and compelling films.

British people and visitors to the UK still find themselves amongst the infrastructure created by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century. He changed the face of the British landscape with his ground-breaking projects including railways, bridges, tunnels, ships, and grand buildings such as the magnificent Paddington Station. He merged art with engineering and science and was a pioneer and a revolutionary. And he was brilliant. We'll look at the man, his background, his work, and his legacy.

This presentation traces NASA’s Space Shuttle program from its ambitious start to its final missions. Through de Vries’ 12-week film shoot at Cape Canaveral and Mission Control in Houston, this documentary offers exclusive footage from unprecedented access to the Space Shuttle, Endeavour—a privilege never before granted. Hear behind-the-scenes stories and delve into the missions and the individuals who made the Space Shuttle program a defining chapter in space exploration.

On visiting Seurat’s studio, Van Gogh marvelled at the “fresh revelation of colour” in Seurat’s work. This presentation invites slow, attentive viewing to appreciate how both artists produced extraordinary, pioneering art. Despite their brief careers, they made remarkable contributions to modern art through distinctive, experimental approaches.

Whistler’s painting, Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl (1862) is both monumental and modern. Though its scale recalls grand portraits, Whistler’s innovative technique and overall treatment of the subject resist straightforward interpretation. In this presentation we will examine Joanna Hiffernan’s role in his art and life. Was she simply his model and lover? Or could she have been an essential collaborator who influenced his artistic vision, assisting him in his development of a new pictorial language?