Astronomical Society

The College owns a telescope which gives superb views of the moon and the planets. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the rings of Saturn or the craters of the moon with your own eyes! No previous experience or scientific knowledge is necessary – just look through the eyepiece and be ready to be amazed. Keith sets up the telescope near the Chapel on occasional evenings when there aren’t any clouds in the way. If you’d like to receive emails letting you know when this will happen, just email Keith ([email protected]) and ask to be added to the Astronomical Society email list.

Contact:
Keith Eyeons, the Chaplain (kje11)

Board Games

At Downing College Board Game Society we do basically what it says on the box: play games in a chilled environment, with some snacks! Board games is weekly, usually on a Tuesday evening in the JCR, but sometimes we have additional sessions for swaps with other colleges. We also hold special themed nights, with games sharing a theme, such as ‘Spies’ and ‘Mime’ from last year. We are also hoping to offer subsidised evenings at the Box Room Board Game Cafe just outside Downing now and again for a refreshing change of location. We have a wide array of games, including some classics like Articulate and Ticket to Ride, and others like Bohnanza, The Crew, Cascadia, and many more! We are regularly getting new games and are open to suggestions of games people would like us to purchase for the society. DCBGS is a great place to try new games and meet new people in a relaxed and fun atmosphere!

Chapel

Whilst perhaps not a what would usually be called a ‘society’, the chapel is the spiritual hub of the college and welcomes all, regardless of their individual beliefs. It is open for several hours a day and provides a place for quiet reflection and prayer, along with a piano which may be booked for practice at certain times. The chapel is also a focus for music in college, and is often used as a concert venue.

Chapel Choir

The Chapel Choir is a fun loving choir which sings Evensong every Sunday evening and Compline at least twice a term.

It is one of the only choirs in Cambridge entirely run by students. The choristers receive a free Formal Hall after singing Evensong. The Choir has sung in prestigious locations both in the UK and abroad, and in the summer of 2014 made a successful tour of China.

Contacts:
Louisa Denby (lrd23)
Chris Hamilton (ch792)

Downing Dramatic Society

The Downing Dramatic Society is proving to be a major player in the Cambridge dramatic scene. DDS is the home company of the beautiful Howard Theatre in which at least two plays are staged per term. The society also stages shows in different college facilities such as the Heong Gallery and the Howard Building.

Our annual calendar always includes a Fresher's Play in Lent Term, as well as the very successful Festival of New Writing. The festival showcases 9 student written plays to a panel of industry professionals. As of 2022, we have also expanded the festival to include 5 student written short films.