RSA Events

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.

The social contract shapes everything: our political institutions, legal systems and material conditions, but also the organisation of family and community, our well-being, relationships and life prospects. And yet everywhere, the social contract is failing. At a time of global crisis, when we have an opportunity to think afresh about the future we want, visionary economist Minouche Shafik puts forward a new and hopeful framework for social, economic, and political recovery – one with profound implications for gender equality, education, healthcare provision and the future of work.Encouraging us to ask what we owe to each other – how we might better balance individual with collective responsibility, pool risks and share resources - Baroness Shafik identifies the key principles that every society must adopt if it is to meet the challenges of the coming century - and improve our life together. 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 11th March 2021.

Over recent months, we have seen individuals, communities and organisations embracing uncertainty as an opportunity for innovation, experimentation and renewal.Last year gave us all the signals we need to actively question whether the old normal is healthy and sustainable for the long term, as pandemic shock exposed deep fault-lines in our social and economic systems. The energy released in emergency response is creating the foundations for change at different levels of the system, from policymakers to funders, and from professionals to citizens. Across communities, within workplaces, and at the frontlines of public services, we witnessed the emergence of new relationships, new approaches and new mindsets characterised by a spirit of agile, adaptive and entrepreneurial problem-solving and innovation.   This is what the RSA describes as Living Change in action: an approach to change that recognises that living systems are dynamic, complex and interconnected; that identifying root causes and interdependencies is the first step in tackling the challenges that we face today. And finding where there might be energy for change and acting entrepreneurially is the second step – innovating, testing and iterating in a way that meaningfully changes our living system for the better. We also know that for any social change to be lasting, effective and just, it must engage and involve actors at all levels of the system.  Opening the RSA Living Change season, a panel of innovators and changemakers gather to share experiences, insights and lessons learned from the last year. Joining us to tell their stories of community collaboration, frontline innovation, and system re-design are: Ruth Ibegbuna founder of RECLAIM, The Roots Programme and Rekindle school; Cassie Robinson, Deputy Director of Funding Strategy at The National Lottery Community Fund; and Kaisa Heino, Deputy Mayor of Imatra, Finland. These are stories of crisis response, recovery and renewal, of thinking systemically and acting entrepreneurially. Stories of Living Change. 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 4th March 2021.

As interest in green business models increases all over the world, how can we make sure we’re eliminating destructive practices and not merely greenwashing them?  What can we do to achieve growth that is regenerative rather than wasteful, and which instils equity rather than exacerbating inequalities? Per Espen Stoknes, Director of the Center for Sustainability and Energy at the Norwegian Business School in Oslo, guides us through the mindset and mechanisms that we need to move towards a sustainable model of growth that will benefit not only buyers and sellers but society and planet. We already have the tools at our disposal, he argues, but success will depend on scaling innovation, and transforming both government practices and individual behaviours.#RSAGrowthThis conversation was broadcast online on the 25th February 2021. Join us at: www.thersa.org

As we strengthen our connection with one another, we are healthier, more resilient, more productive, more vibrantly creative and more fulfilled. - Dr Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon GeneralAs humans we’re hardwired for connection; the need for community and family have deep roots in our health and wellbeing. The impact of strong relationships and social attachments on the quality of our lives is becoming better understood, but long periods of isolation and social distancing to protect physical health through the Covid-19 pandemic have driven widespread loneliness and loss of a sense of community.Advances in technology enable us to be connected in more ways than ever before, but can also drive us further apart. What about the culture and infrastructure of our societies mean we’re becoming lonelier, and how can we rebuild companionship? How can we invest in our relationships and communities, and remove the stigma of loneliness? Dr Vivek Murthy, 19th and soon to be 21st Surgeon General of the United States is leading the way when it comes to addressing the loneliness epidemic that has been long overlooked in its links with physical illness. Dr Murthy argues that there is solidarity in loneliness as a universal human condition, and immense healing power in finding connection.#RSALonelinessThis conversation was broadcast online on the 18th February 2021. Join us at: www.thersa.org

How do we eat, where does it come from, and what’s gone wrong?Our food systems are fragmented and plagued by short-termism. Even as we have become wealthier and enjoyed greater choice in what we eat, we have failed to balance health and environmental issues with fair and secure access to good quality food.Brexit and the pandemic together have exposed the fragility of the systems upon which we rely, and who tends to suffer when those systems encounter problems. When it comes to food, it’s not just a question of supply chains and logistics; it’s one of justice. Ensuring everyone has choices around food of good quality and quantity is one of the most fundamental issues we face, and one that recent months have demonstrated we are yet to solve. Food policy expert Professor Tim Lang examines the vulnerabilities, strengths, and impacts of our food system, and explores how we can rework it to serve us all fairly, securely, and sustainably.#RSAFoodThis conversation was broadcast online on the 11th February 2021. Join us at: www.thersa.org

A year of crisis and confusion has led many of us to think hard about what we really want and need from our working lives.Pandemic shock has up-ended conventional ways of working and prompted profound re-examination of our work-life priorities, practices and pathways.Professor Herminia Ibarra is a leading expert on career development and transition.In an unmissable talk for anyone contemplating a career change or thinking about how to re-define their existing role, Professor Ibarra offers a set of practical strategies to increase our chances of successful reinvention and find greater fulfilment in our working lives.Making significant career moves and life changes most often means living through long and messy periods of uncertainty and doubt. But this is an important and necessary stage in the journey of change – to be embraced, rather than endured, Professor Ibarra argues. Through trial-and-error testing and exploration of our many possible working selves, we can clarify our career goals and aspirations, and discover new means to achieving them.In partnership with The Polymath Festival – the world’s first major festival of ideas dedicated to celebrating many-sided human potential and exploring interdisciplinary solutions to complex world problems.#RSAWorkThis conversation was broadcast online on the 4th February 2021. Join us at: www.thersa.org