There is a range of clubs and societies available to UCL staff, a selection is listed below.
UCL Picture Club
The UCL Picture Club was founded in 1960 by 15 academics (from French and Engineering!) and owns nearly 200 contemporary works of art, ranging from bold abstracts in oils to delicate watercolour landscapes. Purchases are funded by members’ subscriptions and revenue from sales.
New members are welcome! Any UCL staff member or department is eligible to join.
Meetings are held once a term in the Haldane Room. Members preview the pictures over a glass or two of wine then a draw takes place. As members' names are called they take their selected picture - if a person or department has more than one subscription their name is called for each membership. There are usually pictures left and another can be chosen. Pictures may be taken home as well as hung in offices, and are then returned to the next meeting.
Artists currently represented include: current and former Slade staff and students such as Jo Volley, Susan Collins, Charlotte Cornish, Barto Dos Santos, Heidi König, Philip Sutton, Anita Klein, Peter Daglish, Anthony Gross and Paula Rego; others include Colin Kent, Donald Hamilton Fraser, Richard Bawden, Brendan Neiland, Sir Terry Frost, Mychael Barratt, Trevor Price, and Richard Bawden.
Please see the UCL Picture Club blog for further information.
UCL Chamber Music Club
The UCL Chamber Music Club, inaugurated in 1952, promotes the playing and enjoyment of chamber music and related repertoire in University College London and its associated institutions, through the provision of facilities for its members and the organising of regular concerts.
Anyone with an affiliation to UCL is warmly invited to join the Club, and uniquely among UCL societies, membership is open to staff (academic, non-academic and retired), students and alumni. While musicians of any kind are an integral part of our membership, we welcome eager listeners as a concert is nothing without an audience!
Concerts are free and open to all. Benefits of membership include the opportunity to perform in our concerts, access to our excellent piano practice room and advance notice of our concerts. We also have a mailing list and a performers list so that members can find other like-minded people to meet and perform with.
If you would like more information, please contact the UCL Chamber Music Club.
UCL Conservation Group
The UCL Conservation Group is an informal, student-led group and membership is open to all staff and students. The group organises a wide variety of events that will be of interest to nature lovers.
- Read about the UCL Conservation Group
- Follow the group on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter)