RSA Events

Employees in low-skill, low-paid and insecure occupations constitute 45% of Britain’s labour market, and it is these workers that are turning their backs on the left in droves.In the 2019 election, Labour lost many seats in former strongholds in the post-industrial north and Midlands, and by contrast stacked up votes in London and other major cities. The collapse of the red wall signals a serious fracture in the left’s relationship with the working class. Can a transformation of work itself help the left to re-establish a connection with the communities that founded it?Starting from the assumption that all work should be fulfilling, respected and well-rewarded, Jon Cruddas and Molly Kinder will explore ways to repair our civic life by paying closer attention to the interests and concerns of the working class. Practical interventions such as national colleges for skilled work and worker councils could help restore value to work and rebalance employer-employee relationships. By giving workers more respect and control, we can renew the dignity, solidarity, and community of work.#RSAWorkThis conversation was broadcast online on the 29th April 2021 . Join us at: www.thersa.org

How should we understand the ‘value’ of nature?The natural world provides all the building blocks of our lives and societies; we are embedded within it, and nothing without it. But our economies currently operate as though separate from nature, with consumption outstripping its supply of resources, and environmental degradation and instability worsening faster than ever.What we need, argues Sir Partha Dasgupta, is to redefine the relationship between ecology and economy. His recently published Review on The Economics of Biodiversity proposes applying an economic lens to the value of the natural world to understand and measure the rich array of resources our planet provides, and how to use them responsibly. How can this approach help us to transform our extractive and exploitative relationship with nature into a sustainable and respectful one? Can quantifying the value of nature in economic terms be consistent with valuing our planet for its own sake?An expert panel gathers to reflect on the findings and recommendations in the Dasgupta Review, and discuss how to rebuild our economic system with sustainable prosperity at its heart.#RSAEarthDayThis conversation was broadcast online on the 22nd April 2021 . Join us at: www.thersa.org

How can we all play a part in changing our ‘fast fashion’ culture? The fashion industry accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions and a huge amount of pollution and waste. Sustainable fashion means change across the system: from how makers source and produce materials through to how we all consume and value clothing. Designers and collectives across the UK are finding local solutions to a global problem and putting communities at the centre of the effort towards sustainable fashion. To mark Fashion Revolution Week and as part of their Fashion Open Studios programme, fashion designer Patrick Grant and local movement builder Zero Waste Leeds join the RSA to discuss how we can care for our planet by caring for our clothes. How can we produce and use clothes better, for the benefit of makers, wearers, and the environment? They explore the potential for UK production to boost local economies, provide good quality work, and create great clothing that people can love, look after, and keep in use for longer.#RSAfashionThis conversation was broadcast online on the 20th April 2021 . Join us at: www.thersa.org

Over the course of the last year, the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement have exposed deep fault lines that show us how much work there is still to be done to make our societies equitable. At the same time, we are witnessing increased momentum for change, with individuals, communities and organisations embracing opportunities to tackle disparity through design, innovation, experimentation and renewal.  In the final event in our RSA Living Change season, we talk to four pioneering changemakers who are working to address imbalances in our social and economic systems, innovating, testing and iterating to create meaningful change for the better. From supporting organizations to shift practices to end white supremacy, to empowering women and girls in developing countries through STEM education and employment opportunities, these are stories of community collaboration, frontline innovation, and system re-design building more diverse and inclusive societies.The RSA has been at the forefront of societal change for over 250 years. Our proven Living Change Approach, and global network of 30,000 problem-solvers enable us to unite people and ideas to understand the challenges of our time and realise lasting change.Make change happen. Visit thersa.org/approach to find out more.#RSAchangeThis conversation was broadcast online on the 15th April 2021.

The 2021 Albert Medal EventSarah Gilbert is the scientist who designed the Oxford Vaccine – one of the most significant breakthrough developments in the global fight against coronavirus. As she receives the 2021 RSA Albert Medal for ‘collaborative innovation for the global common good’, Professor Gilbert joins RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor to reflect on an extraordinary year for scientific innovation, and to tell the inside story of what it took to design, trial, and manufacture a safe and effective vaccine at record speed and scale.  The RSA has been at the forefront of societal change for over 250 years. Our proven Living Change Approach, and global network of 30,000 problem-solvers enable us to unite people and ideas to understand the challenges of our time and realise lasting change.Make change happen. Find out more about our approach.#RSAchangeThis conversation was broadcast online on the 14th April 2021 

Catching the creative wave: digital learning after lockdownThe pandemic, and worldwide lockdown that accompanied it, required schools across the globe to redesign their delivery models overnight. Teachers, some for the first time, had to rethink their practice to engage with learners and parents in a virtual classroom. At the same time, schools have had to confront the issue of unequal access to technology and data. One year on, as schools and colleges have adapted to remote and blended learning models, what valuable learning has emerged from the crisis? As the workforce has improved its digital fluency, what new opportunities have arisen for post-Covid recovery and beyond? Are there opportunities for consensus about how to utilise new technologies to improve access and maximise learning for all, especially the most disadvantaged?  Join us for the first in a new series of Rethinking Education events, bringing together respected practitioners, policymakers and thinkers, to discuss whether the challenges that emerged during the Covid-19 crisis might, in fact, be opportunities to build consensus across political divides and different traditions in teaching and learning. Each event in the series will include an opening reflection from Sir Kevan Collins, Education Recovery Commissioner, and each will focus on one of the key moments of crisis for education during the pandemic, through the lens of either Creativity, Capability or Community - the three pillars of the RSA’s new education programme examining how we can build a more equitable and inclusive education system. The RSA has been at the forefront of societal change for over 250 years. Our proven Living Change Approach, and global network of 30,000 problem-solvers enable us to unite people and ideas to understand the challenges of our time and realise lasting change.Make change happen. Visit thersa.org/approach to find out more.This conversation was recorded during an online webinar on the 31st March 2021. 

There is no secret formula for success, but what if there was a pattern you could follow to help you accomplish your goals?Certain features of accomplishment are universal: it might not be an exact science, but if you look at the successes of others there are definite patterns. Sir Michael Barber has spent many years advising governments, businesses and major sporting teams around the world on how to achieve ambitious goals. In this conversation he’ll share the wisdom he has gained from this experience to demonstrate how we can all tackle our most challenging goals.  Whatever it is that you aspire to do - run a marathon, govern successfully, transform a school or provide a business of public service to millions – it may not be easy, but it is achievable following certain steps.  Drawing on the real-life stories of historic visionaries and modern changemakers, Barber maps out the processes and mindsets we need to accomplish our goals and navigate the obstacles along the way. And once we know how to accomplish great things, we can be inspired to change the world for the better, knowing that we can succeed.Make change happen. Visit thersa.org/approach to find out more.#RSAchangeThis conversation was broadcast online on the 1st April 2021.

What does it take to challenge the status quo? And when and how does society’s understanding of what’s ‘normal’ start to change? From the civil rights movement to #MeToo, we’ve seen that individual and collective action has the power to disrupt and re-define our prevailing social norms – leading in turn to changes in institutional policy, practice and the law itself.  So at a time when we find the status quo no longer serving us, when Covid-19 has challenged so much of what we previously thought of as normal – from working practices to social life to the relationship between citizen and state – is it time to imagine and build a new and better normality?   Cass Sunstein, one of the most influential legal scholars working today, shows us that by looking critically at what we define as normal, we can find opportunities to recalibrate our social relationships and systems. And with a deeper understanding of what can influence or stymie these opportunities, we’re better equipped to create the conditions for lasting change that will deliver freer, fairer lives for all. The RSA has been at the forefront of societal change for over 250 years. Our proven Living Change Approach, and global network of 30,000 problem-solvers enable us to unite people and ideas to understand the challenges of our time and realise lasting change.Make change happen. Visit thersa.org/approach to find out more.#RSAchangeThis conversation was broadcast online on the 25th March 2021.

In this episode, we’re delighted to share a conversation recently hosted by our Regenerative Futures programme team, which brought together a group of leading designers and entrepreneurs who are breaking new ground in the field of circular design.Since 2011, the RSA and EMF have been working together to accelerate change and support the transition to a more sustainable, regenerative future. Through initiatives such as the Rethink Fashion project, our work has focused on advancing the circular agenda and supporting the next generation of creative talents to design for a circular future.We are delighted to add another element to our collaborative endeavours: “partnership for change”. The partnership will see both organisations co-create tools, resources, events and projects to inspire, educate and engage communities around the topic of circular design, and increase understanding and practice.The partnership launch event introduces our work in progress, including projects across our systemic change initiatives, and showcases stories of innovation and inspiration from within our global networks. This event was held in partnership with  Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), a world leader in designing for the circular economy. EMF develop and promote the idea of a circular economy and work with, and inspire, business, academia, policymakers, and institutions to mobilise systems solutions at scale, globally.This conversation was broadcast online on the 11th March 2021. Join our movement for a circular future. Visit thersa.org to get involved.

Crisis can bring us together, if we let it remind us what really matters.In March 2020, as the pandemic took hold across the world, beloved children’s author Michael Rosen became seriously ill with coronavirus. During several months in hospital, he observed first-hand the many different kinds of love that bind us to one another, and recorded his path to recovery under the remarkable care of loved ones and strangers.In his new book, Many Different Kinds of Love, he shares the story of his journey to the brink and the people who brought him back. He reflects on the power of compassion and community, and the institution that embodies both: the NHS. He considers how illness and recovery change us, and how we can move forward from a period of shared grief and loss. How can a renewed awareness of our own vulnerability and deep interdependence help shape a society built on care?Michael Rosen speaks with the BBC’s Sophie Raworth about his experiences of a year that has changed everything, and shares the lessons we can all learn about what really matters in the end.The RSA has been at the forefront of societal change for over 250 years –  our proven approach to change, and global network of 30,000 problem-solvers enables us to unite people and ideas to understand the challenges of our time and realise lasting change.Make change happen. Visit thersa.org.uk/approach to get involved.#RSAchangeThis conversation was broadcast online on the 18th March 2021.