The annual OPT Shakespeare Birthday Parade is back for 2024 on Tuesday 23 April! Save the date for this opportunity to see the Great and the Good of Oxford parade in their finery from outside Oxford Castle & Prison, along Queen Street and up to the Painted Room on Cornmarket.

We are hoping this year will be the biggest and best yet and in order to increase engagement with the event and the Painted Room especially, we have a series of Shakespeare themed events throughout April.

And to add to the excitement the Painted Room has recently undergone renovation work, to freshen the space up. We removed remnants of when the space was used as the OPT office, grubby office carpets, big electric lights and conduiting, refitted the kitchen and decorated throughout. Today you will see beautiful wooden floors, a new stair carpet and elegant light fittings. We are grateful to the William Delafield Charitable Trust and the Eyre Estate, who funded this work, and to Richard Ward Ltd who undertook it to such a high standard.