The Iris Project
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theirisproject.bsky.social
The Iris Project
@theirisproject.bsky.social
Iris runs innovative initiatives exploring the ancient world in state schools and communities. We run a Classics Centre and Rumble Museum at Cheney School.
Thank you to Prof Gary Snapper for this review of The Birder, inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses and set in Oxford, in "Teaching English"! You can get hold of hardback, paperback and ebooks of The Birder in Blackwells Bookshops or on amazon here: tinyurl.com/f77v6tx9
November 20, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Our new mural is starting to get marked up on the stage in the Library, ready to be painted... Teeming with characters from early editions of speculative fiction and fantasy we have been kindly donated, with some classical myth in there too! Watch the forest as it grows!
October 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
We are very grateful for the time taken for two recent reviews of The Birder from Dr Mai Musie and Flora Carnwath! Birder available in Blackwells Bookshop and on Amazon here: tinyurl.com/f77v6tx9
October 25, 2025 at 11:51 AM
For those keen on classical reception on pop and rock music, The Divine Comedy have recently released a new song called "Achilles" which they opened their Oxford set with on Thursday evening!
October 25, 2025 at 11:50 AM
You can find out all about the Minoan inspiration for Flower Gatherers in this new blog post on @aceclassics.bsky.social
at tinyurl.com/4kp8xveb!
October 4, 2025 at 8:15 AM
We're gearing up for our Fest of Ancient Writing @ox.ac.uk by starting to fill our classics centre with ancient scripts! tinyurl.com/mrez7fuy
September 27, 2025 at 8:53 AM
6th form Classicists @Cheney_School were able to explore papyri fragments detailing aspects of ancient childhood this week, from a horoscope at the birth of a baby, to an apprenticeship letter for an 18 year old. Thanks to Peter Toth and Rosie Sharkey @bodleian.ox.ac.uk!
September 21, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Our Corinthian helmet and aspis shield all ready for Y12 Class Civ yesterday, where the students tried both on, as we talked about the duel of Paris and Menelaus!
September 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
e repainted our labyrinth @Cheney_School
this afternoon, so it's all ready for our Minoan dancing and labyrinth escapology shows at our next big festival on 11th November! tinyurl.com/mrez7fuy
September 7, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A very big thank you to everyone who took part in our Minoan-themed classics summer school this year! We've had such fun welcoming everyone, and are very grateful to our amazing teachers and helpers!
August 21, 2025 at 3:33 PM
We can't wait to meet everyone on Monday for the first day of our Minoan-themed Summer School @Cheney_School
. We've been making preparations over the past week!
August 16, 2025 at 6:59 AM

Iris director Lorna & illustrator Lydia have teamed up to create another book - inspired by the Minoans, it blends archaeology and imagination in a story of discovery and loss. tinyurl.com/ywscpsus
July 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The next phase of our Rumble Museum's toys and games locker project began today, as the amazing designs made by our students from Y8 to 11 start to be put into the lockers! At least two of the games can be traced back to the ancient world!
April 5, 2025 at 5:31 PM
In today's Classics & Creative Writing Cafe, we explored the story of Demeter and Persephone, with versions from Persephone, Hades and Helios, a poem, and even a sequel to the story many years on. Thank you to everyone who came. The cafe will be back again in May - see you then!
March 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
We had a fun, thought-provoking creative writing cafe on Narcissus this afternoon, which produced a poem about spring flowers and unrequited love, and re-imaginings of Narcissus! We're back 22nd March - come along for drinks, biscuits, ancient myths, chat and writing!
March 8, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Our fourth creative writing and classics cafe is this Saturday and we'll be exploring the story of Narcissus! Come along to have a go at writing, or just read and chat in an atmospheric setting. Find out more here: tinyurl.com/45eszf26
February 19, 2025 at 9:58 AM
We had a wonderful special one off workshop at our classics and creative writing cafe yesterday with Efi Spentzou from RHUL Classics exploring the myth of Ceyx and Alcyone! At the end of the workshop we created a board of words and sentences imagining being a bird too!
February 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM