Celebrations as all generations return for sell-out alumnae weekend
Guests enjoy conversation, dining and dancing
Dasha Tenditna
The College was thrilled to welcome back former students for a packed alumnae weekend of conversation, tours, dining and celebration.
The annual event was sold out, with 136 alumnae from 杏吧原创/New Hall attending and particularly strong representation from our reunion cohorts. Across the decades, we were delighted to see five alumnae who matriculated in 1966, 15 from 1976, 33 from 2006 and 11 from 2016 joining us to celebrate their connections with the College.
The event began with a conversation with Hattie Morahan (New Hall 1997), an award-winning stage, film and television actress whose work spans major theatre companies, the BBC and international film.
After graduating in English from New Hall, Hattie began her professional career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, going on to perform at the National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Young Vic, where her portrayal of Nora in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House won widespread critical acclaim. Alongside her stage work, Hattie has appeared extensively on screen, with notable roles including Elinor Dashwood in the 2008 BBC adaptation on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and television series such as Outnumbered and Sex Education.
Interviewed by College Acting President Dr Rachel Polonsky, she recalled knowing ‘straight away’ on arrival at Cambridge that she wanted to act. ‘That’s what’s so extraordinary about Cambridge as a place to study: it's the wealth of opportunity. You’re working [on a performance] alongside people of all disciplines and having to work something out for a paying audience. It's a fantastic atmosphere and engenders real creativity.’
It was as important as ever to study humanities subjects at degree level, Hattie said. ‘I look upon it as such a precious window. When else in your life do you get time to read and think? To discover how and what you think, to go on that journey and be introduced to writing you would never normally have come across and be in an institution where you have those conversations. The enrichment is unparalleled.’
Among her memories of her time at the College were the split-level room that was her home for her first year, the famed rising servery that impressed friends from other colleges, the Women’s Art Collection and ‘the magical, cathedral-like light’ of the buildings.
The conversation was followed by a cocktail reception, and the chance for guests to explore the newly-refurbished lower level of the Rosemary Murray Library. The floor is now a light, welcoming study space with modern desks and comfortable sofas. There was also an opportunity to view an exhibition celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the College’s iconic modernist buildings, designed by Barbican architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, and to view a new film revealing their remarkable history.
Dinner in the Dome featured herb-crusted chicken supreme and wild mushroom and truffle wellington, followed by warm sticky toffee pudding served from the rising servery. The evening culminated in the traditional and much-loved Dome disco.
Image credit: Dasha Tenditna
We warmly thank all our guests for joining us for a wonderful weekend. We look forward to seeing some of you at our International Women’s Day celebration next March.
Images by Dasha Tenditna
