Rsa Events

2023 sees the 20th anniversary of the repeal of Section 28, the UK legislation that banned the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality, stopping schools from discussing same-sex relationships and depriving generations of young people from an inclusive education.To celebrate this anniversary and LGBT+ history month’s 2023 theme of ‘Behind the lens’, the RSA welcomes a panel to discuss what can be learned from successful movements for inclusive education in the UK in the past twenty years, exploring what has been achieved and how, and, specifically, what role the arts played, and continues to play, in telling LGBTQI+ stories and fighting for human rights.Join Georgia Oakley, director of the upcoming Bafta-nominated film Blue Jean, author and academic Paul Baker, National Teaching Fellow Catherine Lee and deputy headteacher Bennie Kara for a timely look at how far we’ve come in building a truly inclusive education, alongside their visions and hopes for the future.BLUE JEAN | Official Trailer | Altitude Films#RSAInclusiveEd

As a former Chief Selector of the England cricket team, Ed Smith has developed a unique framework for identifying and maximising talent, spotting team weaknesses, and communicating ideas that lead to stronger leadership, clearer judgements and, ultimately, improved performance.At the RSA, he joins chief executive Andy Haldane to share insights from the very top flights of professional sport, arts and business, and to argue that putting the human back into decision-making is essential to navigating a fast-changing and increasingly data-reliant world, whatever the field.#RSAdecisionsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

How should we reimagine and redesign our economic models to better reflect and serve human needs and wants, and the flourishing of all life on our one planet?It is often said that the world faces challenges that are complex and systemic. But in fact, the world is a complex, interconnected “system of systems”. These complexities and interconnectivities amplify the global challenges facing us, whether economic, social or environmental. They also mean that a deep understanding of the behaviour of these systems is critical to solving these problems for the long-term.Leading evolutionary theorist David Sloan Wilson and influential economist Dennis Snower have long advocated for an improved understanding of economics as a complex system.Across a recent series of major articles, they argue for a paradigm shift away from the orthodox, neoclassical model of economics, which focuses on individual challenges to be tackled through decisions by individual decision-makers and views ‘externalities’ as a phenomenon to be ‘co

From 2009 to 2014, Baroness Catherine Ashton was the EU’s first High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She faced the challenge of representing the views and values of 28 nations during one of the most turbulent periods in living memory. From Russia’s invasion of Crimea to the Iran nuclear negotiations, she faced the challenge of solving immediate problems while constantly asking ‘and then what’ and keeping long-term solution building at the heart of these conversations. Here with the British diplomat Sir Robert Cooper, Catherine takes us inside the world of modern diplomacy, sharing the realities of long negotiations, hard-won triumphs, and conversations with far-reaching impact. While reflecting on the broader work and operations of the EU and Britain’s historic role in that, Catherine will also offer crucial insight into the political situation across Europe today.#RSAdiplomacy Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Event

Awe is a complex and mysterious emotion. Summoned by the extraordinary, it can be inspired by the divine, the beauty of nature or the force of human achievement. Awe stimulates curiosity and allows us to see the deep patterns in life. It can boost our mood, social connections and improve our life satisfaction.  Yet in our modern world, we have become awe deprived. Our culture has become more materialistic and less connected to others. We spend more time on our phones and less time outdoors. In an inspiring conversation at the RSA, Dacher Keltner, the foremost expert on the science of emotions will explore ways that we can all find more wonder in our lives. To show how awe can transform our minds, bodies, and social connections for the better, Dacher will draw on cutting-edge research and deeply moving personal stories from people all over the world. #RSAWonderBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_e

We all know that innovation, invention, and change are essential to economic and social development. But innovation can also fuel inequality, decimate livelihoods, harm mental health and destroy the planet. How can we uplift the benefits of innovation while reducing its potential harms?How can we uplift the benefits of innovation while reducing its potential harms?The answer: Inclusive Innovation. Join the authors of a ground-breaking new study to learn just what Inclusive Innovation is and how incredible changemakers around the globe are making it the centre of their practice.An essential event for any entrepreneurs, business leaders and workers looking to innovate and do business in a more ethical, regenerative, and inclusive way.To learn more visit http://inclusiveinnovation.io#RSAinnovationBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike

This December, BBC World Service launches a major new audio dramatisation of Susan Cooper’s classic family novel The Dark Is Rising.Commissioned by Simon Pitts for BBC World Service, co-produced by Complicité and Catherine Bailey Productions, and adapted by writer Robert Macfarlane and actor/director Simon McBurney, the story - set in the depths of winter - follows young Will Stanton on an epic quest to drive back the rising forces of darkness.In an extra special midwinter event at the RSA, Simon and Robert will discuss their collaboration in conversation with RSA head of education, John McMahon.Together, they’ll reflect on the work’s powerful and sharply resonant themes of elemental crisis, fate, free will, trial and resistance. What lessons does it hold for our age of conflict and climate emergency? And what is the purpose of storytelling when the dark times draw near?The Dark is Rising will be available as an immersive podcast best experienced on headphones. Available in 12 daily episodes on BBC World Serv

In its 100 years on air, the BBC has witnessed huge cultural change, reported on major political moments, and evolved alongside a digital revolution. Its broadcasting has acted as a mirror to British culture, politics and society and it has become a true national treasure.BBC programming has also shaped domestic routines and united people in their homes and across great distances – especially at Christmas. From the royal address to iconic Christmas specials, BBC broadcasting has become a central part of the British Christmas experience.At the RSA, broadcast historian, David Hendy, looks back on a hundred years of the BBC’s cultural impact, moral mission, and social significance. With Christmas celebrations on the horizon, we will also explore how BBC TV and radio have become such fixtures of the festive season and what this can reveal about the power of broadcasting to bring people together.#RSABBC100Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events

We see colour everywhere we look. From the bright green of a soda can, the deep red of Valentine’s roses, to the green and black of power tools. But have you ever stopped to think why we associate certain colours with certain feelings, objects and flavours? We know that girls’ toys are often pink and boys’ are often blue, but why these colours? What is the social impact of these colour choices and who is making these choices for us?  At the RSA, internationally renowned graphic designer Riccardo Falcinelli dives deep into the story of colour and how it has shaped the modern gaze, from the industrial revolution to the internet age.#RSAcolourBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join 

On 26 March 2020, a new law appeared that confined us to our homes. Passed under a state of emergency that was meant to be short but lasted 763 days, this law was one of over 100 lockdown laws that were never debated in parliament. Though certainly justified by the rapid spread of Covid-19, these laws increasingly confused the public and restricted our freedoms more than ever before.New laws like the Public Order Bill are bringing in limitations to free speech and our right to protest. Just like laws made during the state of emergency, this Bill has been criticised as a threat to our freedoms, human rights and democracy.Here at the RSA, one of the UK’s leading human rights barristers, Adam Wagner, will reflect on these laws and their impact on our human rights. Adam will explore how these laws are passed in parliament, understood by the public, enforced by the police, and why we should never take our rights for granted.#RSAfreedomsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://

From Roe v Wade and Black Lives Matter to gun control and immigration, US politics in 2022 looks as partisan as ever, with debates framed in moralistic terms and parties focusing on mobilising the faithful rather than wooing the sceptical. People increasingly write one another off instead of seeking to win one another over. In this age of continued polarisation, democracy looks close to breaking point.But while it’s easy to fall into despair, there are grounds for hope, if we look close enough. Across America, there are those working round the clock to heal wounds, bridge divisions, change minds and create new political possibilities. Best-selling author Anand Giridharadas takes us to the frontline of this new battle, introducing us to the activists, politicians, educators and citizens striving to build more inclusive movements, and answer the urgent question: how can democracy be saved, and who is going to save it?#RSApersuadersBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://ut

Raj Chetty, professor of public economics at Harvard University will share the findings from research analysis of Meta data on the relationship between the social connections of individuals and economic mobility in the US. Research led by Harvard’s Opportunity Insights used large-scale privacy-protected social network datasets to study social capital in neighbourhoods, schools and colleges.Professor Chetty is joined by Lucy Makinson, head of policy at the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) to explore the findings in more detail.What are the key implications in this US data for other countries and regions? How can these findings be further developed, and policy recommendations suggested to help improve social connectivity and economic mobility? What interventions could be made to enable these actions – and do they extend to the services themselves?The UK leg of this work is being taken forward by a coalition of partners including the RSA, BIT and Neighbourly Lab.#RSAconnectBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://ut

Our capacity to survive, adapt and flourish relies on designing a future that is concurrently sustainable and resilient. Whereas sustainability is accepted as a key tenet of good design, resilient design is still in its infancy seeking greater understanding and definition.Dame Jo da Silva RDI has earned global recognition as an engineer who has applied her knowledge and design expertise to improve safety, promote inclusivity, and enhance resilience of communities, cities, and infrastructure globally. Her talk will focus on her personal journey and growing understanding of what resilience means in practice based on her experiences working with vulnerable communities, ‘building back better’ following crises and exploring what makes cities resilient.Prior to the Address, 5 new Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) and 4 new Honorary Royal Designers for Industry will be welcomed to the Faculty.The title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ is awarded annually by the RSA to designers of all disciplines who have achieved sus

The Grenfell Tower disaster was the worst residential fire in Britain since World War II and it didn’t have to happen. The fire climbed up cladding as flammable as solid petrol. Fire doors failed to self-close. There was no alarm to warn sleeping residents and no evacuation plan. As smoke seeped into their homes, all were told to ‘stay put’ and 72 people would lose their lives.Five years on, many of the resulting public inquiry’s recommendations remain unmet. Many high-rise buildings have yet to have the same dangerous cladding removed. Peter Apps is deputy editor of Inside Housing and the only journalist to have followed the story of Grenfell from the start. At the RSA, he looks at how such a disaster could take place in the wealthiest borough in the wealthiest city in one of the wealthiest countries in the world and asks: what needs to be done to prevent a tragedy like Grenfell from ever happening again?#RSAhousingBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBF

Black African communities have had a seismic impact across British culture, sports, politics, and more. Immigration from countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe has created many vibrant communities across Britain, especially in London. Across food, faith, and culture, the nation's capital has become a melting pot of ideas of what it is to be Black, African, and British. What can the eclectic nature of African London teach us about ties that bind immigrant communities together and to their home countries? How are these communities shaped by ongoing racial discrimination between White and Black communities and between Black Africans and Afro-Caribbeans?  At the RSA, writer, editor and restaurant critic, Jimi Famurewa shares stories of time spent immersed in the culture, tradition, food, and politics of Black African London and explores what this can teach us about the nature of modern London, modern Britain, and modern diaspora life.#RSAjourneysBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to Th

Small change can have a big impact on our lives. Through knock-on effects and cumulative action, little shifts have the potential for great harm and great good. And when it is easy to feel overwhelmed at the scale of change needed to solve big, structural problems, we need to recognise the value of practical change we can enact on a daily basis.In recent times, the twin plagues of Covid-19 and anti-Black police violence have caused Ruha Benjamin to rethink the importance of these every day, individual actions across our lives and societies - from the impact of the chronic stress of racism and inequities in our health care system to the power of community organisers who are fostering mutual aid and collective healing.Here at the RSA, Ruha Benjamin will demonstrate the impact of these micro-changes, drawing on her personal experience and professional research on race, technology, and justice. Alongside the chair of the discussion, Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, Ruha will offer an inspiring an

When the economist Ha-Joon Chang arrived in Britain in the eighties, he was struck by how bland and homogeneous the British diet was. But it wasn’t just the food – in mainstream economic thinking too, there seemed to only be one item on the menu – the Neoclassical tradition.  Whilst our diet has expanded and diversified since then, our economic preference has remained stubbornly singular. Chang argues that just as a nourishing and appetising diet needs a variety of flavours and nutrients, our economics also needs to borrow from different traditions and ways of thinking in order to produce the best results for the greatest number of people.   Discover more about how economics affects every dimension of our lives - check out Ha-Joon Chang's RSA Animate here.#RSAeconomicsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: ht

Is there scope for the introduction of a universal basic income as a transformative public health intervention?As part of an academic partnership, funded by Wellcome, the RSA is exploring the potential for a UBI, how it could work in practice and what its impacts might be. The research brings together new analysis which shows that even a fiscally neutral UBI could have a significant effect in reducing poverty and insecurity and bring health benefits to those benefiting from the scheme. Speakers to include report authors Matthew Johnson, Northumbria University and Hannah Webster, RSA; and guest speakers Ruth Lister CBEand Professor Guy Standing.The event marks the launch of a new RSA report exploring the health and wellbeing impacts of a universal basic income.Read our interim report on a UBI and mental health#RSAUBIBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twit

Households, businesses and even essential services are feeling the pressure, with the poorest in our society most harshly affected.To add to the burden, wages and salaries have failed to rise in line with inflation. The past summer saw several sectors push back on this, as train operators, posties, barristers, dock workers and more went out on strike. Some success was achieved, but for many, their battle is ongoing. With cost of living pressures expected to worsen over the winter, what kind of support is needed now from employers and from the government? And what can the ‘summer of discontent’ teach us about the power of collective action and how people can best make their voice heard in the workplace and wider society?Hear representatives from Citizens Advice, the Living Wage Foundation and the Trades Union Congress as they explore these urgent questions and their potential solutions.  #RSAdiscontentBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events

Rejecting both New Labour’s embrace of free markets and the statism of Corbynism, Blue Labour thinking sought to reconnect Labour with its working-class base, and to bring assets, power and dignity back to local communities. As workers' rights and futures - and the future of the places they live - take centre-stage in politics once more, Blue Labour’s founder, political scientist Maurice Glasman, is joined by Shadow Levelling-Up Secretary Lisa Nandy MP to explore what left-conservatism has to offer the Labour Party, and the country, in the post-Brexit, post-Covid era.#RSAcommongoodBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/udI9xDonate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNBFollow RSA Events on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEventsLike RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficialListen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU