New concert hall and auditorium on our doorstep

If you ever wondered about the value of troops of sometimes bored-looking teenagers wandering round Oxford, here’s some reassuring news. As a 15-year old, Stephen Schwarzman visited Oxford on a ‘teen tour’ in 1963 and and it made a huge impression on him. So much so that as the CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms, he has just made a £150-million donation for the establishment of a new Centre for the Humanities in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter.

This will include a new institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence - looking at the assumptions behind all the algorithms and machine learning that are steadily taking over many aspects of our lives.

In addition it should also benefit businesses and residents in Jericho since the new facilities will include a 500-seat concert hall and a 250-seat auditorium. There will also be flexible performance and exhibition spaces for music, dance, and art.

The University statement on the project also says: “These venues will feature programming from Oxford students and faculty, local community-based organisations, and leading international artists. They also will provide much-needed space for the public to gather at Oxford for festivals and other cultural celebrations.”