Life at Queen’s is about more than academic study. Whether you want to play sport, make music, get involved in drama or just try something new, there are plenty of ways to take part in College life.
You don’t need to arrive with experience, either. Queen’s students range from complete beginners trying an activity for the first time to experienced musicians, performers, and athletes competing at University level (some start off as the former and finish as the latter in just three years!). College clubs and societies offer a friendly way to meet people across different years and subjects, develop new interests, and take a break from studying.
Sport
Many of the sports facilities at Queen’s have been updated and refurbished in recent years. Everyone can have a go at something if they wish. We are home to Oxford Blues as well as those simply playing and participating for fun, exercise, and a break from study.
I learnt to row at Queen’s in first year and haven’t looked back since.
Charlotte, Women’s Lightweight Rowing Blue
What sports can I play at Queen’s?
Queen’s has its own rowing, football, rugby, cricket, hockey, athletics, tennis, squash, netball, badminton, basketball, lacrosse, cycling, and croquet clubs. Sport at Queen’s is run by the Amalgamated Clubs Committee and you can get involved whether you’re an experienced player or have never tried the sport before.
What sports facilities does Queen’s have?
- Sports ground: football, cricket, tennis, netball, clubhouse with bar
- Boathouse: rowing and training facilities
- College gym: free for College members, includes rowing machines, exercise bikes and weights
- Squash courts: two heated courts at Cardo
Can I play sport if I’m a beginner?
Yes, absolutely. We all have to begin somewhere and many of our new students arrive never having played a particular sport before and then it becomes a regular pastime or even a passion for life.
What if I want to compete at a high level?
Facilities for many other sports are provided by the University, which also caters for particularly talented sportsmen and sportswomen in sports mainly pursued at college level.
Is there financial support for playing sport?
Sports Subscription Grants are in place to help cover some of the subscription costs associated with joining University sports teams. Students have used the grant to take part in sports ranging from basketball, Ultimate and TaeKwon-Do to clay pigeon shooting. For some, it has helped them try something completely new; for others, it has supported competing at University level, including in Varsity matches.
Because I was confident that Queen’s would help sponsor my interests, I felt free to step out of my comfort zone and explore some of Oxford’s more unique sports. Taking a risk to try out a sport you have never played before is a great opportunity to become part of a community and find a new passion.
Current student Chase
Drama
Queen’s is a significant contributor to Oxford’s vibrant student drama scene. The College has its own drama society, known as The Eglesfield Players, named after the College’s founder. The aim of the society is to make drama more accessible.
Do I need acting experience to get involved in drama at Queen’s?
The society aims to help any drama enthusiasts, regardless of their experience, get started in the thriving University theatre scene through the inter-collegiate ‘Cuppers’ competition. Each college enters a team of around 10 Freshers to put on a short 20-minute play in 5th Week of Michaelmas Term. The students involved have full responsibility for the writing, directing, acting, lighting, sound, and set of the production so there are lots of ways to get involved. In recent years, Queen’s has done well in this competition, including winning ‘Best Direction’ for their Cuppers performance in 2021.
The opportunities I’ve been afforded within the Oxford drama scene are unique, and utterly priceless.
Current student Eva
Music
Music is a big part of life at Queen’s, with students performing, rehearsing and making music together throughout the year. From orchestras and a cappella to jazz, musical theatre and solo performance, there are plenty of ways to take part.
Please visit the separate choir page to find out more about our world-renowned mixed voice choir.
What musical opportunities are there at Queen’s?
In addition to the renowned Frobenius organ, the Chapel contains a concert grand piano and a fine harpsichord and is acoustically one of the best chapels in Oxford for musical performance. The award-winning Shulman Auditorium houses a fine Steinway piano, and is frequently used for recitals, masterclasses, concerts, and instrumental and vocal teaching during term-time.
Where can students practise music?
Excellent facilities for individual and group rehearsal are available in the two Music Practice Rooms. The practice room in Carrodus Quad is equipped with a grand piano and harpsichord, and the practice room in Back Quad in Main College has an upright piano and harpsichord, as well as a full drum kit.
What is the Eglesfield Musical Society (EMS)
Founded in 1842, the Eglesfield Musical Society is the oldest music society in Oxford and based at The Queen’s College. The society runs around 60 events throughout the academic year, many of which are open to the public for free. The society’s Saturday Recital Series runs every week during term time, welcoming a variety of excellent student and professional musicians to perform in the Chapel or the Shulman Auditorium. Additionally, the society runs an Organ Recital Series every Wednesday lunchtime throughout the academic year.
Can I perform at Queen’s?
EMS runs a wide range of non-auditioned ensembles comprised almost exclusively of Queen’s undergraduate and postgraduate students. The EMS orchestra rehearses weekly on Wednesdays in the Chapel, while the EMS A Capella group rehearses weekly on Thursdays in the same space. Both ensembles perform in the free termly EMS 7th Week concerts, along with soloists and small group performances from other Queen’s students. If jamming and improvisation is more what you’re looking for, EMS also runs ‘Offkey’, a fun, casual, jamming group that perform termly in ‘Fifth Week Blues’, the open-mic jazz night held in the Beer Cellar.
Musical theatre singers at Queen’s can also perform in a termly cabaret concert organised by the society, as well as one of the EMS calendar highlights: the Trinity outdoor musical! The only production of its kind in Oxford, the society stages a fully-fledged musical production in the Fellows’ Garden every summer, with Queen’s students making up most of the cast and crew. Recent productions have included Little Shop of Horrors (2022), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2023).
My favourite thing about Queen’s is the active music scene. We have the oldest music society in Oxford, the Eglesfield Musical Society, which runs an orchestra, acapella group, jazz band and puts on termly concerts, open mic nights, musical theatre nights and the annual Queen’s musical.
Current student Hattie
The EMS summer musical is such an enjoyable production and really showcases the atmosphere that makes Queen’s such a lovely place to be.
Current student George
