RSA Events

The provision of care for dependents young and old is one of the great challenges of the modern age.The last 60 years have seen significant shifts in family and working lives with greater choice and autonomy bringing great gains for human freedom.Yet many private and public challenges and dilemmas remain. The social care system faces ever-rising demands and pressures. The vital skilled work of care – for the young, the elderly, the sick – remains undervalued and under-invested in. And women remain over-represented in the domain of care, in both the domestic realm and in the public economy.Amidst challenging demographics, declining birth-rates, and the evolving dynamics of modern family life, can we achieve a policy settlement that respects gender equality, meets the rising social need for care and attention, and properly rewards and recognises those who provide it? How do we provide greater support to the networks of relationships that care relies upon?Join David Goodhart and Vicky Pryce at the RSA to debate care, equality, and social progress in the next decade of the 21st century.SpeakersDavid Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration & Integration at Policy ExchangeVicky Pryce, economistBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

In his annual RSA Chief Executive's Lecture, Andy Haldane examines the profound socio-economic consequences of eroding social capital, a theme famously explored by Harvard political scientist Bob Putnam in Bowling Alone. While macroeconomic advancements helped address past crises like the Great Depression, today’s challenge lies in confronting the "Great Division”, the deepening fractures within and between societies. Despite unparalleled global connectivity, communities are fragmenting, leading to slowed economic growth, reduced social mobility, rising loneliness, and declining trust in institutions. Highlighting the critical role of social capital in fostering growth, health, and governance, Andy calls for a transformative shift in policy aiming to address the root causes of contemporary social and economic divides.SpeakerAndy Haldane, RSA CEOChairJulia George, JournalistBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Optimism is central to the human psyche: it seems to give us an advantage in both everyday life and in addressing great collective challenges.Sumit Paul-Choudhury, former editor-in-chief of New Scientist, visits the RSA to make a vital and transformative new argument: that optimism is not only the natural state of humanity, but an essential one.Sumit argues that without optimism we would never have survived the unpredictable - and often hostile - world we evolved into. Yet optimism is not just reserved for times of extremity. Its benefits manifest throughout our everyday lives: our relationships, careers, bodies, and minds. And it will play a critical role in overcoming the toughest challenges of the twenty-first century.Kick-start your New Year with a powerfully motivating manifesto for hope and a much-needed new perspective on our individual and societal prospects. By embracing action, imagination, and possibility, we can find a path to the bright side, even - perhaps especially - when the future seems dark.Speaker:Sumit Paul-Choudhury, writer on science, technology, and the future; author of The Bright Side (Canongate, 2025)Chair:Anna Markland, Head of Innovation & Change, RSA Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Current research reveals that workers over 50 are being rejected from key roles across the country, with discrimination and bias from employers and recruiters often endemic. Over 1 million people aged 50+ across the UK want to work but are unemployed.This RSA event is in collaboration with the OECD to launch their new report, Promoting Better Career Mobility for Longer Working Lives in the United Kingdom. The report highlights the key challenges faced by older workers in the UK labour market and outlines essential public and employer policies that can facilitate career mobility at older ages.After a presentation on the report, our experts will convene to discuss the true cost of workplace ageism. The panel will feature Shruti Singh, Senior Economist, OECD; Simon Fanshawe OBE, Co-founder, Diversity by Design; Mike Mansfield, CEO, ProAge; Roisin Mackenzie, Chief People Officer, Saga; and Lucy Standing, Co-founder, Brave Starts - and will explore how addressing ageism in the workplace could boost the UK’s economy by £9 billion annually—an essential step for the country's future prosperity.This event is held in association with the RSA Economy & Business Network. Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Join us in the Great Room at RSA House, where our expert panel will share insights and experiences from their work on impactful, community-led projects. Discover how these initiatives have empowered citizens to speak up for their communities and shape their shared future.The panel will explore key aspects of our Prosperous Places framework, including civic voice which provides strategies to empower residents to take an active role in developing their communities, and grassroots advocacy which equips individuals with the tools to become effective advocates for sustainable and inclusive development.The event is in collaboration with Dash Arts and will feature their Artistic Director and Chief Executive Josephine Burton, Alan Finlayson (Professor of Political & Social Theory, University of East Anglia), Alecky Blythe (Playwright), and and Dawid Konotey-Ahulu (co-founder of Redington, Mallowstreet, and 10,000 Interns).Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Tom Stuart-Smith’s work forges connections between people and place. Bringing an analytical design approach together with a detailed understanding of the nature of a place, Tom’s practice is underpinned by a strong sustainability ethic. Seeking to increase the ecological diversity and richness of any landscape in which he works, his aim is to create multi-layered new spaces of emotional depth and imaginative possibility.Sue Stuart-Smith is a prominent psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author. Her book 'The Well Gardened Mind' explores the power of gardening to answer deep human needs and change lives.Tom and Sue have recently founded The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health - a not-for-profit initiative aiming to foster community inclusion through gardening and other forms of creativity, based on the understanding that working with nature can radically transform people’s health and wellbeing. Prior the address, three new Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) and four 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 sustained design excellence, work of aesthetic value and significant benefit to society. The RDI is the highest accolade for designers in the UK. Only 200 designers can hold the title. Non-UK designers may become honorary Royal Designers. The ‘Royal Designers’ are responsible for designing the world around us, enriching our cultural heritage, driving innovation, inspiring creativity in others and improving our quality of life.  #RSARDIBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Join our expert panel at RSA House and online to explore the extraordinary life of Dame Caroline Haslett and her inspirational legacy trailblazing a path for women in innovation and industry.  A suffragette and women’s equality campaigner, Dame Caroline Haslett championed the role of women in mainstream employment and their release from domestic drudgery through education, training, and the application of new technologies.   A woman of many pioneering firsts, Dame Caroline was the founder and first director of the Electrical Association for Women in 1924. She was also a member of the Central Electricity Authority, formed to run the industry under national ownership. From 1941-1957, she served as the first female member of the RSA Council and as Vice-President.In 1941, she delivered a paper to the RSA entitled 'Women in Industry', addressing the increasing contribution of women in national industrial life, and appealing for a revision of social attitudes and the removal of obstacles to women in employment."I see in this new world a great opportunity for women to free themselves from the shackles of the past and to enter into a new heritage made possible by the gifts of nature which science has opened up to us."  Dame Caroline HaslettChairHenrietta Heald is the author of Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines.SpeakersDawn Bonfield is Professor of Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development at King's College London and Founder of Towards Vision.Yasmin Ali is a chemical engineer, dedicated to developing renewable energy projects and author of Power Up: An Engineer’s Adventures into Sustainable Energy.Anne Locker is the library and archives manager at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) who has worked with engineering archives for more than 25 years. She has written about the history of women in engineering and contributed to Wikipedia and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.#RSAInnovationBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Join us at the RSA and discover groundbreaking insights on how direct interactions with nature - seeing, smelling, and touching - can dramatically improve physical health. Learn how cedar boosts your immune system, pine scent calms your heart rate, and even a simple spider plant can enhance your gut health.Professor Kathy Willis, a leading expert in biodiversity and former Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, will guide you through these discoveries. Kathy’s insights show us how to integrate nature into our daily lives for better health. Whether you live in the city or the countryside, you’ll leave equipped with actionable strategies to harness nature’s power to transform your health and well-being.Chair: Catherine Pineo is our Head of Regenerative Learning and Design at RSASpeaker: Kathy Willis is Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biology, Principal of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, and author of Good Nature.#RSAnatureBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

The RSA and the Creative PEC and Arts Council England are delighted to launch our work into the concept of Creative Corridors: Connecting Clusters to Unleash Prosperity that sets out the emerging evidence base and suggests initial steps for local leaders.This is the live stream of the event launching a policy framework for action, setting out the underlying case for creative corridors, exploring the opportunities and barriers for growth and laying out the practical actions stemming from this to realise place-based prosperity. You will hear from the CEOs from Arts Council England, Creative PEC and the RSA, along with a fantastic panel including Shanaz Gulzar, Tom Adeyoola & Tracy Brabin. There will be a presentation of the report content followed by a wide-ranging panel discussion on Creative Corridors key themes. READ THE REPORT NOW: https://www.thersa.org/reports/creati... #CreativeCorridorsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

The RSA and the Africa Centre are teaming up to spotlight innovators driving social change through their cultural contributions. At the RSA in Black History Month, we’ll explore how these emerging leaders are influencing global conversations and challenging traditional narratives, paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic cultural landscape. We will discuss how to amplify the impact of African culture on the global stage and consider ways we can foster deeper connections between cultural institutions and the changemakers leading this transformation. Join us for an inspiring conversation that celebrates the power of African culture to create lasting social change. #BlackHistoryMonth Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join