Rsa Events

In the past year, AI capabilities have rapidly advanced across fields ranging from coding to higher mathematics. Industry valuations and capital expenditure have soared to hundreds of billions of dollars, and nations are racing to build their own “sovereign” compute capacity. Sceptics warn of an AI bubble, but governments increasingly fear missing out on what could be the most fundamental general-purpose technology since electricity. The Observer’s Global AI Index aims to make sense of this landscape in the 93 countries that invest in artificial intelligence. Now in its sixth year, it’s the leading ranking of countries in their investment, implementation and innovation in artificial intelligence.Hear from The Observer’s data scientists as they discuss the latest rankings, trends and changes, before a conversation led by editor-in-chief, James Harding, about what this means. Speakers: Patricia Clarke, Technology Reporter, The Observer Serena Cesareo, Senior Researcher, The Observer Hannah Schuller, Data Report

From debates over impartiality and political pressure to digital consumption habits and culture-war narratives, this Great Room discussion brings together leading voices to examine what a renewed, resilient BBC could become.Speakers:Alan Rusbridger, Journalist and Editor, Prospect MagazineManveen Rana, Journalist and Podcast Host, The TimesLewis Goodall, Journalist, Broadcaster (The News Agents) and AuthorHardeep Matharu, Editor-in-Chief, Byline TimesChair:Nina Nannar, Arts Editor, ITV NewsDonate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEaBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueembFollow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/Like RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYUJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

In the RSA’s historic Great Room – the home of ideas since the Enlightenment – cognitive scientist Gaurav Suri explores how both human and AI minds emerge from vast, hidden networks of neural activity. A clear, compelling introduction to the science behind intelligence, attention and learning.Speaker:Gaurav Suri, Cognitive Scientist and Psychologist (Associate Professor, San Francisco State University)Chair:David Malone, Documentary Filmmaker and AuthorDonate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEaBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueembFollow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/Like RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYUJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

The 2025 RDI address will be delivered by incoming Master Johanna Gibbons RDI, founding partner of J&L Gibbons and founding director of Landscape Learn.Johanna is a Landscape Architect, Founding Partner of J&L Gibbons established in 1986 and Founding Director of social enterprise Landscape Learn. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and the RSA, and a Research Partner of Urban Mind with Kings College London with an international profile as design panellist, juror and speaker.Jo was awarded Royal Designer for Industry in 2019 for her ‘pioneering and influential work combining design with activism, education and professional practice’. She is respected for routinely and seamlessly incorporating ecology, organismal biology, urban planning, conservation, community organising, the arts, and pedagogy, being driven by a keen awareness of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social need.Her many award-winning, collaborative and innovative designs span over four

As the Government looks to appoint a new Freelance Champion for the creative industries we delve into the findings of the latest State of the Nations report from Creative PEC on Arts, Culture and Heritage workforce.Dr Mark Taylor will unveil the findings and plot the freelancer journey in the creative industries. A panel of guests including Yasmin Khan, Director for Individual Practitioners, Arts Council England, Philippa Childs, Deputy General Secretary, of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union, Amy Tarr, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Creative UK, and Alexander Jacob, freelance television director, will explore how creative freelancers can be better supported and what the priorities should be for the new government champion. Chaired by Bernard Hay, Head of Policy, Creative PEC. Followed by Q&A and soft drinks reception.The new State of the Nations report, Who stays and who leaves?: Mapping arts, culture and heritage careers, will be released and available to download on t

Ufi VocTech Trust and the RSA are delighted to unveil the recommendations of the Digital Badging Commission.Over the past 18 months, the Digital Badging Commission has brought together leading minds across education, technology, policy and employment to reimagine and define the essential steps required for digital badges and credentials to transform learning, recognition, and opportunity in the UK. Our collective vision is clear: now is the time for digital badges and credentials to unlock a more inclusive, dynamic and skills-rich economy. The recommendations offer a clear roadmap to revolutionise the UK’s skills system by using digital badges to: Make skills more visible, portable and economically valuableSupport employers to source and develop the skills they needEnable the government to unlock talent and address the challenges of economic inactivity and regional growthJoin Ufi VocTech Trust, the RSA, Phil Smith and senior leaders from education, industry, politics and technology as we reveal the Commission

Over 13% of 16-24-year-olds in the UK are now classified as NEET – not in education, employment or training – with a growing number also economically inactive and disengaged from the workforce altogether.This crisis is costing the UK economy billions in lost productivity and social support, while placing young people at greater risk of poor mental health, lifelong unemployment, and social exclusion.What’s driving this troubling trend? From falling apprenticeship opportunities and rising school exclusions to an overstretched mental health system and declining entry-level jobs, the challenges are complex and urgent.A panel of leading voices is coming together at RSA House to unpack the root causes of rising NEET rates and outline what cross-sector collaboration can do to build real opportunity for a generation at risk.SpeakersDr Vikki Smith, Executive Director, Education and Standards at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF)Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 GroupJade Azim, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Good Growth Found

Join us for the final event in our global partnership with the UK at Expo 2025.With the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals fast approaching, the UK has made ambitious, mission-driven commitments to integrate climate change measures into national policies and planning and to accelerate a just transition to a net-zero, nature-positive future.Linking speakers in the historic Great Room of the RSA in London and in the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025, this event will feature leading public thinkers, policy influencers and innovators who are driving breakthrough progress on climate action. From pioneering clean energy technologies to powerful, community-driven movements for regeneration and resilience, discover the ideas and solutions that are seeding a flourishing future for people, places, and the planet we all share.Speakers:Prof Masako Konishi, Showa Women’s University, director at WWF Japan, former news presenter and weather forecaster (Osaka)Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales (O

With opportunities for digital connection at an all-time high, and loneliness now a public health concern, are we truly more connected – or just more networked?Join us in the RSA Great Room for a panel exploring whether technology is helping us form meaningful relationships or simply keeping us online.Journalist and founder of The Logging Off Club, Adele Zeynep Walton, shares a Gen Z perspective on stepping back from platforms to find real-world connections. Nicola Gunby, co-founder of friendship app Cliq, offers insight into designing tech that actually brings people together offline. Dr Tom Chatfield, author and tech philosopher, analyses our experiences and understanding of technology, with a particular focus on critical thinking, AI and ethics. The event will be chaired by leading tech strategist and researcher Rachel Coldicutt, guiding a discussion that unpacks the messy, hopeful, and urgent future of human connection.Speakers:Adele Zeynep Walton, Journalist and authorNicola Gunby, Co-founder of CliqDr T

We’re delighted to welcome you to the 2025 RSA Spark Showcase – a month-long exhibition spotlighting the most outstanding ideas in response to RSA Spark’s purpose-led briefs.From reimagining community spaces to innovative solutions for social connection and wellbeing, the showcase captures the energy and potential of the next generation of problem-solvers, creatives and designers.The exhibition is open to the public in Suthers Court at RSA House from 24 September to 23 October, and we’d love for you to experience it in person.Whether you’re an RSA Fellow, an educator, a design enthusiast, or simply curious about bold ideas for a better future, this is a unique opportunity to see innovation in action.In partnership with:Marketing Trust, RMIT University, Network Rail, The Rayne Trust, The Chacegrove Family Foundation, Hammersmith & Fulham, The JJ Charitable TrustDonate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEaBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueembFollow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

With a population of 2 million people and a strategic location at the heart of the UK, the national growth story must include a prosperous East Midlands.Join us at RSA House as we set out the recommendations in the final report of the East Midlands Inclusive Growth Commission, a bold, region-wide economic plan commissioned by Mayor Claire Ward and chaired by Andy Haldane.The East Midlands is a region full of opportunity, but beset by some deep challenges and a history of underinvestment. It is not a typical city region like many of the mayoral combined authorities that were created before it. The East Midlands can act as a model for achieving growth that reaches beyond the city centres and into regenerated industrial heartlands and rural places.At the heart of the Commission’s work is the Opportunity Escalator: a practical new toolkit to help people secure good work and progress to pay better and conditions, regardless of their starting point.From overcoming entrenched barriers such as transport and housing,

As we face the challenges of climate change, inequality, and environmental degradation, we know that simply sustaining is not enough.To achieve this, we need a radical reimagining of our current systems – from economic and political to food and energy. And we need a new collective story for humanity. One that celebrates our fundamental interconnection with all life on Earth and galvanises collaborative action.Linking speakers in the historic Great Room of the RSA in London and the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025, this event will hear from the next generation of disruptors, influencers and innovators who are building new movements to move us from the passive ‘do less harm’ principle of sustainability, to the active ‘do more good’ principle of regeneration, and seeding a flourishing future for people, places, and the planet we all share.Chair:Lucy Siegle, Journalist and Author (London)Carolyn Davidson, UK Commissioner General for Expo 2025 (Osaka)Speakers:Amy Meek, Co-Founder, Kids Against Plastic (London)Tessa Devree

Join us in London, Osaka and online for the second event in our global partnership with the UK at Expo 2025.The UK has a rich history of advancing women’s rights. In 1918, the Representation of the People Act granted voting rights to women over 30, with equal suffrage achieved in 1928. From the Equal Pay Act of 1970 to the Equality Act of 2010, trailblazing women have been at the forefront of building collective movements for progress and justice.But there remain stubborn challenges and barriers to women’s full economic, legal, and social empowerment.Linking speakers in the historic Great Room of the RSA in London and in the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, this event will hear from today’s disruptors, influencers and innovators leading the charge for the protection and advancement of the rights of women and girls in the UK, and internationally – and for a future where everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their full potential.SpeakersPenny East, Chief Executive at the Fawcett SocietySakshi Bansal, Founder

In a world increasingly marked by polarisation and fractured discourse, how can we truly hear each other?Join us in the Great Room of the RSA for a vital conversation between Emily Kasriel, journalist, broadcaster, and author of the new book Deep Listening, and Professor Paul Dolan, behavioural scientist and author of the new book Beliefism. Together, they’ll explore the transformative power of deep listening and belief systems in shaping how we communicate, understand, and disagree.Emily’s pioneering work on ‘deep listening’ reveals how active, empathetic engagement can break down barriers and build trust. Paul’s latest research into belief structures challenges us to understand how and why we cling to our views – and what it takes to listen to different perspectives.This event brings two powerful thinkers into dialogue, sharing fresh perspectives and practical strategies to foster respectful, productive conversations in divided times. As we navigate increasingly complex social and political terrain, this is

What if we designed systems not for top-down control – but for human connection?At RSA House, trust expert and artist Rachel Botsman explores how design thinking and visual storytelling can rethink leadership, power, and trust systems. We often learn something new from studying something old.Anchored in her 2025 London Design Biennale installation Roots of Trust, the conversation returns to a long-forgotten artefact: the world’s first organisational chart, drawn in 1855. From this intricate, organic diagram, we trace the enduring imprint of pyramid structures and hierarchy – and ask what new forms trust might take.Expect light and shadow. Beauty and utility. Roots and branches. For anyone curious about how we might design our way toward a more connected, trusted society, this is a conversation not to miss.Speaker:Rachel Botsman, trust expert and artistChair:Abi Freeman, Organisational Psychologist and Co-Founder of BrinkDonate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEaBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru

Join the RSA, Insulate Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Institute London for a fireside chat with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, in conversation with journalist and author Gillian Tett. Their discussion will explore the cycle of impunity and harsh realities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including cultural erasure, child abduction, and the use of torture. Matviichuk will discuss her work on documenting atrocities and the pursuit of global justice.Opening remarks will be delivered by Dr Olesya Khromeychuk, Director of the Ukrainian Institute London, an independent charity championing Ukrainian culture and advocating for the urgency of global democratic security.Harry Blakiston Houston, founder of Insulate Ukraine, will deliver the closing remarks, and share additional insights on Ukraine and how their team’s award-winning emergency window is redefining humanitarian aid, with over 50,000 installed.Speakers:Oleksandra Matviichuk, human rights lawyer, head of the Center for Civil

In a world on fire, where every system we rely on is buckling under the weight of its own contradictions, it’s time to admit that control is a dangerous illusion. But while politicians and corporations cling to algorithms for predictability, artists, writers, and musicians have always known the truth: chaos isn’t a threat – it’s a gift.At this RSA event, Margaret Heffernan explores how our obsession with stability and ‘solutions’ – now amplified by artificial intelligence – is not only futile but potentially destructive. She invites us to rethink the role of AI in creativity, questioning whether art and innovation can survive when algorithms are programmed to reduce risk and spontaneity.In conversation with prominent figures in arts and culture, Margaret will challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about how we live, work, and create in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Through the lens of those who thrive in uncertainty, she will explore whether creativity can coexist with systems designed for control – and how

Join us to celebrate the opening of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and discover the most exciting ideas and innovations shaping our future.At a time when the world risks becoming fragmented and divided, the World Expo represents a unique opportunity to show what humanity can achieve when we come together.The UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 will act as a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation, showcasing our nation’s unique energy, heritage, and make-up. A place where fresh ideas and diverse perspectives are welcomed. A place where exploration and curiosity pave the way for progress. A great place to connect, collaborate, and build the future.At the RSA, the birthplace of the very first World Expo – the Great Exhibition of 1851 – we will gather innovators developing new creative projects and partnerships in both the UK and Japan to inspire us with pathways to a brighter future for people, places, and the planet we all share.Speakers:Sir Peter Bazalgette – Co-chair, Creative Industries CouncilYolanDa Bro

Tony Juniper and Mya-Rose Craig bring together two powerful perspectives on the interconnectedness of equity and the environment. Tony, an esteemed environmentalist and author, draws on decades of experience advocating for a balance between human needs and ecological preservation. His work demonstrates how fairness – whether in resource distribution, climate justice, or community empowerment – is essential for achieving lasting ecological progress.Mya-Rose Craig, also known as ‘Birdgirl’, amplifies the voices of young people and underrepresented communities in the fight against environmental degradation. As a prominent advocate for diversity in nature conservation, she underscores the necessity of inclusive action – ensuring that all communities, especially those most impacted by environmental challenges, are part of the solution.Together, Tony and Mya-Rose offer a compelling vision for how equity can drive environmental change, providing both practical insights and inspirational calls to action for a fairer,

This year’s keynote speaker is world-renowned political scientist Robert D. Putnam, author of the groundbreaking work Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, which has shaped global conversations on the importance of communal ties and social capital.Robert Putnam will be speaking to us about the vital role of social connections in combating the deepening crises of social isolation, political polarization, and economic inequality, drawing on insights from his latest work The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again.Divisions can be healed, he argues. Our fraying social fabric rewoven. By focusing on rebuilding society’s relational foundations, we can create a future where everyone has the connections they need to thrive.Following his keynote address, Professor Putnam will be joined in conversation by RSA CEO Andy Haldane, and partners from the first-of-its-kind Revealing Social Capital research programme, which is exploring how connectedness impacts lif