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RSA Events
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World-changing ideas. For free. For everyone.
Featuring the world’s most exciting public thinkers, innovators and changemakers, RSA talks bring people and ideas together to shape a better future for all.
20episodes
Episodes
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The Observer Book Club: Braver New World
2w ago01:03:35Tap to summarizeAt 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 the globe are solving the most pressing problems. To discuss the finding in his book, John will join us at the Royal Society of Arts for a conversation with The Observer Editor-in-Chief, James Harding, and former UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband. Join us for an evening of ideas and discussion on how we can learn from others to build a better society. Speakers: John Kampfner, Journalist David Miliband, Former UK Foreign Secretary Chair: James Harding, The Observer Editor-in-Chief Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →Who controls the future?
2w ago01:00:38Tap to summarizeWe 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. In this provocative conversation, Oxford philosopher Carissa Véliz argues that prediction has always been less about seeing the future than about controlling it. From ancient oracles to modern data systems, prophecies don’t just describe what will happen – they shape behaviour, narrow our options, and quietly distribute power. Joining her is Roger McNamee, tech investor and NYT bestselling author of Zucked, who has spent years exposing how digital platforms turn prediction into influence. Together, they explore a deeper, more uncomfortable question: What happens when the future arrives pre-decided? Speaker: Carissa Veliz, associate professor at the Oxford Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in AI Chair: Roger McNamee, tech investor and author Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →The social impact of AI
3w ago01:00:44Tap to summarizeIn 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 2025, as many as 560,000 users a week were showing “possible signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania” in their interactions with its systems. Clinicians, researchers, and journalists are now documenting cases in which vulnerable users form intense, and sometimes harmful, relationships with AI tools. Join The Observer’s Technology Reporter Patricia Clarke, neuropsychiatrist at King’s College London Dr Thomas Pollak and Head of Research & Policy at Internet Matters Katie Freeman-Tayler for a live conversation based on reporting produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network. The panel will be discussing how AI is rewiring our emotional lives and answering questions on what risk and responsibilities come with technologies that can mimic empathy? What obligations do tech firms, regulators and governments face? And what lessons can be drawn from the slow reckoning with social media’s toll on mental health – especially among children and young people? Speakers: Patricia Clarke, Technology Reporter at The Observer Dr Thomas Pollak, Neuropsychiatrist at King’s College London Katie Freeman-Tayler, Head of Research and Policy at Internet Matters Chair: James Harding, Editor-in-Chief of The Observer In collaboration with: The Observer The Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network. Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →The future skills agenda of the creative industries
3w ago01:34:28Tap to summarizeThe 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 creative industries will discuss the findings and analyse what they mean for the future of creative education, skills and workforce planning. Download the reports: https://pec.ac.uk/research_report_entr/creative-industries-skills-audits/ This event is presented by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (funded by the AHRC) in partnership with Work Advance, and the Royal Society of Arts. Speakers: Sir Peter Bazalgette, Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council Heather Carey, Director of Work Advance Laura Mansfield, CEO of ScreenSkills Sinéad Rocks, Managing Director of Nations & Regions, Channel 4 Baroness Shriti Vadera, Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council Rebecca Swarray, Principal for Creative Industries, Greater Manchester Combined Authority; freelance DJ, Curator and Producer Chair: Bernard Hay, Policy Director, Creative PEC Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →Inside the life of Elizabeth II
4w ago01:02:59Tap to summarizeAcclaimed 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 reflect on the Queen’s formative years, her leadership across the century she reigned, and her distinctive bond with the RSA – where she served as President, Patron, and a quiet but influential presence. Blending historical insight with behind-the-scenes revelation, this event provides a thoughtful reflection on monarchy, legacy, and national identity in a changing world. Speaker: Robert Hardman, journalist, author and documentary filmmaker Chair: Emily Andrews, journalist, broadcaster and royal commentator Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →The Observer: The News Meeting Live
May 100:58:45Tap to summarizeHave 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 conferences. You will be able to have your say, share the stories you think our panel of editors should be talking about, and watch leading journalists battle it out to make their story the lead of the day. Joining the evening’s line-up are The Observer‘s Deputy Sports Editor, Jessica Hayden, Climate Editor, Jeevan Vasagar, and RSA Fellow and Chief Political Commentator, Andrew Rawnsley. Together, they’ll bring insight, expertise and lively debate to the stage as they argue to Deputy Editor-in-Chief Giles Whittell for what should top the news agenda. Be a part of The News Meeting live and help set the news agenda. Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →Behind the Curtain
Apr 901:08:33Tap to summarizeFor 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, he reflects on what it takes to steward an institution of immense history and global reputation through one of the most defining and difficult decades in its history. This event will be followed by a drinks reception at 8pm. Speaker: Sir Alex Beard, Chief Executive, Royal Ballet and Opera Chair: Nancy Durrant, culture journalist and broadcaster In partnership with: Royal Ballet and Opera Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →40 years on: Chornobyl’s legacy and European environmental security
Apr 201:06:14Tap to summarizeMarking 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: Serhii Plokhy, Historian, Author, and Professor of History at Harvard University Eglė Rindzevičiūtė, Professor of Criminology and Sociology at Kingston University London Jonathon Turnbull, Assistant Professor of Human Geography at Durham University Chair: Sasha Dovzhyk, Writer, Curator and Head of INDEX: Institute for Documentation and Exchange (Lviv, Ukraine). Editor of the London Ukrainian Review In partnership with: Ukrainian Institute London Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →Can art save us?
Mar 1701:09:55Tap to summarizeThe 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 Genesis Foundation founder, for a special conversation about his lifetime support of artists and cultural organisations and on what he has learned about the role creativity plays in mental health, recovery and collective life. The event forms part of the Genesis Foundation’s Genesis Conversationsseries and also marks the 25th anniversary of the Genesis Foundation. The evening will begin with a preview screening of a new opera Angels on the Underground, composed by Will Todd, and a libretto by Sally Gardner. After the screening there will be a panel conversation and a Q&A session. Speakers: John Studzinski CBE, Philanthropist and Genesis Foundation Founder Will Todd, Musician and Composer Rebecca Salter, President, Royal Academy of Arts Bobby Palmer, Author and Journalist Chair: Jennifer Johnston FRSA, Opera Singer and Cultural Strategy Consultant In partnership with: Genesis Foundation Please be aware that this event contains subject matter that listeners might find upsetting or triggering. Listener discretion is advised. Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
Transcribe →Prue Leith: the joy (and reality) of getting older
Mar 1200:55:03Tap to summarizeIn 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 known sooner, and why she believes ageing should be celebrated, not feared. Followed by audience questions and a chance to have your book signed by Prue. Speaker: Prue Leith, cook, author and TV personality Chair: Felicity Cloake, food and travel writer Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA 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
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