The prison reform agenda in the UK has reached a critical stage of development with new legislation expected in the coming months and the expansion of the 'Reform Prisons' model which gives governors greater freedoms. Nils Öberg will join Rachel O'Brien, who has led the RSA's work on prisons, to share his experience in prisons and probation - the results, challenges and what the reform agenda in the UK can learn from this.
The Inclusive Growth Commission was set up in April 2016 to identify practical ways to make inclusive growth a reality. Chaired by Stephanie Flanders, former economics editor of the BBC and Chief Strategist (UK and Europe) for J P Morgan, the Commission is calling on all leaders – in business, civil society, public service and government – to make inclusive growth our working definition of economic success. The UK government has set out an ambitious goal to create an economy that works for every...
Money makes the world go round: but what is it really? And how is it produced? Above all, who controls its production, and in whose interests? Money is never a neutral medium of exchange. Nor are bankers simply go-betweens for savers and borrowers. How can democracies reclaim control over money production? Leading political economist Ann Pettifor visits the RSA to explain the money system – history’s most misunderstood invention. She lays out a blueprint for how we can subordinate the out-of-con...
Spiritual and religious spaces are fundamental features of a place, signifying the value and importance of faith and connection at the heart of a community. In a changing global context, the design, status and use of places of worship evolves to reflect the diverse needs of a wider public. Faith spaces are reimagined to foster a culture of mutuality and engagement, facilitating the growth of social capital. John McAslan CBE and Aidan Potter of John McAslan + Partners are joined by Sophia de Sous...
The pace of modern life is accelerating, and the self-help shelves are groaning with advice on how to keep up – and stay positive in the process. But the demands of life in the fast lane come at a price: anxiety, fatigue and depression are at an all-time high, and our social interactions have become increasingly self-serving and opportunistic. Leading Danish philosopher and psychologist Svend Brinkmann argues that we must not be afraid to reject the self-help mantra. The secret to a happier life...
I, Daniel Blake won the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2016, was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress & Best Director and won Outstanding British Film at the 2017 BAFTA Awards. Following the screening, director Ken Loach discusses the pressing social issues highlighted in his film and how we can move towards a more equal platform from which people can manage their lives.
Politics fractures when policy fails - as events of the last year have shown. Nine years on from the global financial crisis, policymakers are still struggling to find convincing answers to the economic problems it exposed. At the same time, the world faces many significant and complex challenges, from climate change to the problems of managing chronic health conditions, to the challenges of ageing populations, to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. If innovation is part of the answe...
International bestseller and so-called ‘Darwin of technology’ Steven Johnson argues that the pursuit of novelty and wonder has always been a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. He finds that throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused. In describing a vivid history of innovation, Johnson explains how popular entertainment - games, cinema, music, food and fashion – have played a crucial rol...
Self-employment is once again on the rise. The number of people working for themselves has grown by 40 percent since 2000, and is set to reach a record 5 million by the end of the decade.A debate rages as to whether this is a trend to be lauded or lamented. While some hold that the self-employed are just another legion in a growing army of precariat workers, others hail an entrepreneurial renaissance among spirited self-starters. Join us as we launch The Entrepreneurial Audit, a new RSA report t...
People in the West tend to think of corruption as a problem unique to the lower-income countries. But are we fooling ourselves? Development economist and co-founder of Transparency International, Laurence Cockroft and anti-corruption expert Anne-Christine Wegener have analysed the driving forces behind such cases, particularly the role of political finance, lobbying, the banking system and organised crime. In the course of their investigation, Cockroft and Wegener have uncovered why anti-corrupt...
We are living in an age of anger: from American 'shooters' and ISIS to Trump, from a rise in vengeful nationalism across the world to racism and misogyny on social media. Renowned author and essayist Pankaj Mishra visits the RSA to discuss how and why we got to this point.
We are all aware that we are living longer – and for some of us, that’s a scary prospect, especially when we consider that it has been estimated that by 2030 there will be 2 million people aged over 65 without adult children to look after them. And 230,000 of those will be in need of more than 20 hours' care a week and yet will have no informal support. But, what if we lived longer AND with better health? Our expert panel explore what people might do differently in the future to become a healthy...
We are bombarded with more information each day than our brains can process. It’s raining bad data, half-truths, and even outright lies in amongst the facts. But how can we know if we are being sold mistruths? Neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel J. Levitin visits the RSA to help us sort the wheat from the digital chaff.
Could drones, and other robotics, provide an answer to some of the most persistent humanitarian and development challenges? Drones are just one example of a range of new frontier technologies that “tech for good” advocates claim as potentially paradigm-shifting for developing countries. However, even as sources of investment and knowledge-sharing increase, there remain obstacles and concerns – including issues around regulation, privacy and data protection, health and safety, and public understa...
Schools are generally recognised as playing a crucial role in developing citizens of the future, helping to equip young people with the ability to debate and deliberate, to question, critique and understand differences in their communities. But with an already crowded curriculum, do we have to accept that the responsibility for citizenship education can’t – and indeed, shouldn’t - lie solely with schools?
Alex Evans of NYU’s Center on International Cooperation argues that today we have a ‘myth gap’. He visited the RSA to contend that in this time of global crisis and transition – mass migration, inequality, resource scarcity and climate change – it is only by finding new myths that we will navigate our way to a better future. It is stories, rather than facts and pie-charts, that have the power to animate us and bring us together to change the world.
Conflict, refugee and migration crises, an extraordinary US election race - and result, and post-Brexit-vote tumult for the UK and the EU - 2016 has been a year of exceptional, world-changing events. Join us at the RSA as our group of expert reviewers – historian and author of The Silk Roads Peter Frankopan; academic and cultural critic Sarah Churchwell and political scientist Matthew Goodwin - reflect on what has been a turbulent year in national and international political, social and cultural...
In a world increasingly dominated by winner-take-all markets, good fortune and what may seem as trivial initial advantages often translate into guaranteed success over time. Despite this, false beliefs about luck and personal success persist, and can often shape individual and political choices in harmful ways. At the RSA, influential economist and New York Times columnist Robert Frank argues that it is vital that we gain a more accurate understanding of the role of chance if we are to create be...
As a teacher in an inner-city school, Lucy Crehan was exasperated with ever-changing government policy claiming to be based on lessons from ‘top-performing’ education systems. She became curious about what was really going on in classrooms of the countries whose teenagers ranked top in the world in reading, maths and science. Lucy visits the RSA to document some of her journey, weaving together her experiences with research on policy, history, psychology and culture to offer extensive new insigh...
Peter Tatchell is awarded the 2016 RSA Albert Medal for tireless campaigning on human rights and social equality. In his Albert Medal Lecture, Peter Tatchell will speak about the ecology of campaigning for social transformation. In less than 50 years, LGBT rights has gone from the margin to the mainstream. How was this transformation achieved? Peter Tatchell began his LGBT advocacy and activism half a century ago, combining both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary action to secure changes in p...
The nature of work and employment is changing rapidly. In the face of an uncertain economic future, what steps do we need to take, and what new models do we need to build in order to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to engage in work that has meaning and value? Does an increase in the number of companies and organisations that are employee-owned offer a route to a more stable, sustainable and inclusive form of productivity and prosperity? Our speakers explore the relationship between emp...
Economic issues are often moral issues. If you know where a person stands on the left-right spectrum, you can easily predict their preference for economic approaches like austerity or stimulus. One’s moral compass tends to dictate their response to even ‘factual’ matters like whether or not raising the minimum wage increases unemployment. What we believe influences what we perceive far more than we would like to admit to. Renowned social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that most of us stick u...
It may be a post-pollster, post-pundit, post-truth landscape – but can we predict where the world goes from here? An extraordinary US presidential election campaign has resulted in an outcome that few could have predicted at its outset: Donald J Trump will become the 45th US President of the United States. The implications of this historic decision are, for now, highly unpredictable, and for many, deeply concerning, with many questions unresolved around the course of future US policy on the econ...
At a time of low growth and increasing income inequality, innovation-led growth is more necessary than ever. But, just as it needs it most, has capitalism lost its ability to adapt, experiment and invent? Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy Fredrik Erixon and innovation strategist Bjorn Weigel argue that companies and policy makers are actually hindering innovation, and through research and case studies, including Uber and Apple, will reveal both the obstacles to ...
We bring together representatives from civil society, thinktanks, and the media in a panel discussion to explore how we can improve the quality of public discussion about the economy – and, in doing so, change economics itself for the better.
The RSA's Vikki Heywood CBE joined the Bristol Distinguished Lecture Series. Listen back as she discusses her Chairmanship of the Warwick Commission 2015 “Enriching Britain: Culture Creativity and Growth” and examines the strengths of our creative nation in the new world order post Brexit. Watch the pre-address interview as Vikki Heywood answers selected questions: ow.ly/2wA630590R9 For more information about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series and how to attend, visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/bdas...
Best-selling author and TED talk sensation Simon Sinek is fascinated by the people that make the greatest impact in their organisations, and in the world. He has discovered some remarkable patterns in how they think, act and communicate, and the environments in which people operate at their natural best. In his new book Together is Better Simon Sinek has distilled many of these insights into a series of inspiring reflections on relationships, trust, teamwork, and what it means to each play our p...
Using research from neuroscience, psychology, social science, as well as captivating examples of real people doing extraordinary things, renowned ‘Undercover Economist’ Tim Harford explains that the human qualities we value: creativity, responsiveness, and resilience, are integral to the disorder, confusion, and disarray that produce them. Harford visits the RSA to help us understand why unexpected changes of plans, unfamiliar people, and unforeseen events can help generate new ideas and opportu...
Ed Vaizey MP offers six lessons from six years as arts minister, and addresses future challenges and opportunities for cultural policy, and the role of the arts in society. Ed Vaizey was the UK’s longest serving culture minister, serving from 2010-2016 in senior government roles encompassing culture, communications and the digital economy. He remains a vocal champion for the UK’s arts and cultural industries. In the RSA Chairman’s lecture 2016, he reflects on his term of office and the lessons l...
Academics Helen Margetts and Peter John explain how social media are now inextricably intertwined with the political behaviour of ordinary citizens. Margetts and John visit the RSA to show large-scale data and experimentation that explore how such dynamics inject turbulence into politics, which is increasingly characterized by instability, unpredictability and often unsustainability. These patterns of mobilization bring us shocks and surprises (from Jeremy Corbyn to Donald Trump) which tradition...
