RSA Events

Award-winning architect Alison Brooks speaks about architects’ duties to respond to the social, cultural and physical context in their work. Pioneering architect Alison Brooks believes in the transformative social role of architecture, and has led new design thinking, in particular on housing and urban design. Committed to design responsive to people and place, Alison creates environments that are at the very heart of inclusive cities and communities. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 22nd February 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/2/if-not-us-then-who

The challenges we face today are formidable. But, argues influential global thinker Steven Pinker, our problems are solvable. What we need now is an Enlightenment recharged for the 21st century. Pinker argues that we must recognise and celebrate the remarkable gains that have been made in every measure of human wellbeing. If you follow trendlines rather than headlines, you discover that our lives have become longer, healthier, safer and more prosperous - not just in the West, but worldwide. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Tuesday 20th February 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/2/enlightenment-now

How can learning be strengthened to meet the demands of the 21st century? RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor explores how we create an environment of active learning and increase opportunities for development and fulfilment. Lifelong learning has never been more crucial. We face the challenge of a workplace which is transforming rapidly while technology is driving massive economic and social changes. We are living longer, in more diverse communities and connected on a global scale – understanding the world around us is increasingly important. Yet the UK lags behind in adult literacy and numeracy while adult education provision is declining and there is no national strategy for lifelong learning. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Tuesday 20th February 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/2/a-place-for-learning

A powerful movement is growing in force – but where will it go next? The ‘Weinstein effect’ has seen revelations of pervasive sexual assault and exploitation come to light across the world, sparking the #MeToo and TIME’S UP campaigns aimed at giving women a voice in tackling systemic injustice. Panel: Laura Bates, bestselling author and founder of the Everyday Sexism project; Helen Pankhurst, author and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst; Ayesha Hazarika, Political Commentator and Comedian and Sophie Walker, Founding Leader of the Women’s Equality Party (WEP).

Why are we still struggling to get disadvantaged students into university? An expert panel featuring Alan Rusbridger, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, gathers to discuss how to make education fairer. Despite efforts by universities and schools across the country, the gap between richer and poorer students stubbornly persists; from attainment in school to university application and acceptance. Educational and socioeconomic disadvantage disproportionately affects certain ethnic minority groups, and our current system risks further entrenching these patterns of injustice. With social mobility stalling, what can be done to remove barriers to accessing university education? This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 1st February 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/2/how-can-we-make-universities-more-inclusive

Timothy Morton, hailed as the 'philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene', invites us to a revolution in the way we understand our place in the world. In his new work, Morton confronts the information-dump fatigue of the digital age, by offering no ecological 'facts' but instead a radically invigorated and liberating approach to understanding ourselves, our interconnectedness with each other and the biosphere that sustains us. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Monday 29th January 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/1/being-ecological

Bestselling author and RSA Animate sensation Dan Pink reveals the ideal ‘when’ for every decision. Timing is everything- but how much do we know about timing itself? Our lives are a never-ending stream of “when” decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 25th January 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/1/the-secret-of-perfect-timing

Bestselling author Johann Hari explains why everything we’ve been told about depression and anxiety is wrong, and how we must drastically change our way of living if we are to thrive. Hailed by Elton John, Emma Thompson, Russell Brand, Arianna Huffington, Alistair Campbell, Davina McCall and many more, Hari uses his social science training to investigate the causes of depression and anxiety – and discovers the cutting edge science that reveals the lack of evidence for the spontaneous chemical imbalance in our brains theory. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 18th January 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/1/uncovering-the-real-causes-of-depression

In an era of unprecedented change and polarizing politics, clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson offers a message of individual responsibility and ancient wisdom as an antidote to chaos. His advice ranges from putting your own house in order before criticising others, to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, rather than someone else today. Happiness is a futile goal, he says. Instead, we must search for meaning, not for its own sake, but as a defence against the suffering that is intrinsic to existence. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Tuesday 16th January 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/1/twelve-rules-for-life

Geoff Mulgan, CEO of Nesta, explores how thinking collectively – whether in groups, or with the help of machines – is the answer to solving our biggest challenges. Figuring out the most effective ways to design and foster collective intelligence could be seen as our biggest current challenge, since there is little prospect of solving our other grand challenges of climate, health, prosperity, or war, without progress in how we think and act together. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 11th January 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/1/how-collective-intelligence-can-change-the-world