RSA Events

Ever since Margaret Thatcher’s declaration of TINA ( There Is No Alternative ) in 1980, virtually all policy proposals to fix society’s grave problems work within the dominant framework of growth-based consumer capitalism. What if this framework is the problem? What if there actually is an alternative? To reimagine and reframe the conversation, join us for an evening with George Monbiot and Jeremy...

Bestselling author Lee Child joins award-winning writer Dreda Say Mitchell MBE for a live conversation at The Royal Society of Arts on the 8th of June . Together, they will explore the power of reading to shape and enrich lives and unlock opportunity for all. They will discuss what authors, institutions, and readers need to do to ensure reading remains central to culture, creativity, and human con...

At a time when democracies seem paralyzed by fear and populations are turning inward, award-winning journalist John Kampfner has travelled to ten countries confronting our shared challenges with bravery and imagination.  From Japan’s inter-generational care system to Moroccan solar panels in the Sahara creating clean energy, John Kampfner’s new book  Braver New World  explores how countries across...

We like to think the future is open. That our lives are shaped by choices, chance, and a bit of luck. But increasingly, the future is being predicted, and those predictions are starting to decide things in advance. Whether we get a job, a loan, medical treatment, or even how we’re policed, many of life’s possibilities are now filtered through forecasts about who we are and what we might do next. I...

In the three short years since the release of ChatGPT, AI chatbots have reshaped how millions of people live. But while the technology’s economic and political consequences are widely debated, its social and psychological impacts are only just beginning to come into focus. Mental health is emerging as one of the most pressing – and troubling – frontiers. According to OpenAI’s own data from October...

The Creative Industries are critical to the UK government’s growth plans. To realise the potential, action is needed across education, skills and the creative workforce. This event sees the unveiling of findings from a major new study looking at skills provision across all sectors of the creative industries from museums and music, to publishing and performing arts. Representatives from across the...

Acclaimed royal biographer Robert Hardman takes to the stage at the Royal Society of Arts for an intellectually curious evening exploring the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II. Marking the centenary of her birth, Hardman draws on unrivalled access to offer a subtle, revealing portrait of the woman behind the crown, guided by insights from his new book, ELIZABETH II. The conversation will refle...

Have you ever been curious about how the news agenda is set and why certain stories lead the front page? In a live recording of  The Observer  podcast,  The News Meeting , you’ll get a chance to see and hear how conversations shape the news agenda. You’ll get an insight into how newsrooms around the world decide what leads the news, what follows and in what order during their daily editorial confe...

For 13 years, Sir Alex has led one of the world’s most iconic cultural institutions through a period of extraordinary change. Brexit. A global pandemic that closed theatres overnight. A cost-of-living crisis reshaping audiences and audience behaviour. Few organisations have faced these pressures more intensely, or more visibly, than the Royal Ballet and Opera . In this wide-ranging conversation, h...

Marking 40 years since the Chornobyl disaster, the Ukrainian Institute London and the RSA invite you to reflect on its enduring legacy not only for Ukraine, but for Europe’s environmental security as a whole. This panel discussion will explore how the lessons of Chornobyl continue to shape environmental policy, cross-border cooperation, and societal resilience across the continent. Speakers: Serhi...

The impulse to be creative is ingrained in the human spirit.   We often turn to art not only to capture the beauty of the world, but also to manage its complexities. In an age where art is often devalued in favour of creating capital, will a new generation of artists be able to maintain their creative output? To answer this question, we will be joined by  John Studzinski, philanthropist and Genesi...

In her new book, Being Old , Prue offers a candid look at the highs, lows and unexpected freedoms of ageing. From changing priorities to rediscovered passions, from loss to laughter, she explores how life can open up in surprising ways as the years advance.  Expect a conversation full of warmth, humour and refreshing honesty as Prue shares the lessons she’s learned, the things she wishes she’d kno...

Will you make a stand with us this International Women’s Day? On 4 March, we’ll come together with The Circle to explore how we can protect women and girls in an increasingly turbulent global landscape, and drive change through collective action. Founded by Annie Lennox alongside other leading women, The Circle is a global feminist organisation bringing together women and allies to create a fairer...

Can democracies still function when truth itself is destabilised – and what will it take to restore public trust? Around the world, democracies are being outpaced by a rapidly evolving information crisis. AI-generated deepfakes, automated propaganda, and weaponised synthetic media are now flooding public discourse faster than institutions can respond. What the world is witnessing is a runaway surg...

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-...

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 Magazine Manveen Rana , Journalist and Podcast Host, The Times Lewis Goodall , Journalist, Broadcaster (The News Ag...

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 Uni...

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...

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...

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 U...

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 exclusi...

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...

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...

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...

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...