Rsa Events

After huge successes at the helm of Obama’s Open Government Initiative, Professor Beth Simone Noveck visits the RSA to outline a profound new vision of democracy – one that is rooted in the knowledge and know-how of everyday people.

Founder and president of the Public Banking Institute, Ellen Brown, argues we can recapture the sovereign power to create money by reclaiming ownership of the banks.

How do we develop creative approaches to digital media to bring knowledge, skills, critical thinking – and a passion for reading - to all of our children?

Join our panel to discuss how we can ensure devolved governance strengthens democracy and civic engagement.

Paul Morrell OBE explores a range of challenges facing the built environment professions and the need for adaptability at a time of marked institutional, technological and social evolution.

In 2015, Ban Ki-Moon announced the new sustainable development goals as a ‘to-do list for people and planet’. What role should the UK play to help achieve these vital global goals?

Historian Frank Trentmann traces the evolution of our material culture, and reveals how what we consume has become the defining feature of our lives.

Distinguished educationalist Professor Andy Hargreaves asks what it would take to put teachers at the steering wheel of education reform worldwide?

The Mindfulness Insitute’s Jamie Bristow, and columnist Madeleine Bunting consider how widespread mindfulness training can engineer and support a flourishing society.

Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children visits the RSA to talk about creating a 21st century charity.

Economist and former McKinsey partner Caroline Webb shows how to use findings from behavioural economics, psychology, and neuroscience to transform our approach to everyday working life.

Public debate about the possibility and desirability of a basic income - a weekly payment for every citizen – is gathering pace. Is it feasible? Should we do it? Anthony Painter, Director of Policy and Strategy, presents the RSA’s latest thinking.

Public health entrepreneur Andrew Bastawrous unites global clinical research with innovation in mobile technology to make high quality eye care available to all.

Forging an economy fit for the future A session looking at how a burgeoning maker community might help us make the transition towards a different kind of economy where individuals are more creative, our economy more prosperous and our environment more sustainable. Panellists: Tim Jackson ecological economist and author of Prosperity Without Growth; Vinay Gupta, global resilience guru; Kate Raworth, creator of Doughnut Economics Chair: Tony Greenham, director of Economy, Enterprise and Manufacturing, RSA.

Taking maker start-ups to market A debate looking at the opportunities and challenges facing micro manufacturers, and whether there is any truth to the widespread belief that it is becoming more viable to run a maker business in the UK. Panellists: Fi Scott founder of MakeWorks; Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder and chief executive of Pavegen; Ande Gregson, co-founder Fab Lab London and creative technologist; Roland Ellis, designer. Chair: Haidee Bell, Head of Design Programmes, Design Council

Makerspaces: The new factory floor? A conversation examining the potential significance of the growing number of so-called makerspaces and what they could mean for hobbyists, educationalists, entrepreneurs and consumers alike. Panellists: Tom Tobia, Makerversity founder; Daniel Charny curator and founder of Fixperts; Sophie Thomas, Great Recovery, RSA; Asa Calow creative technologist and Madlab founder Chair: Zoe Laughlin, co-founder/director of the Institute of Making and the Materials Library project

Meet the 21st century makers An in-conversation session where a diverse group of makers will share their experiences of creating under different conditions – from those that work on craft to those that build high-tech robotics, and from those that make for themselves to those that manufacture for the masses. Participants: Makeda Matheson film-producer turned cashmere-enthusiast and fashion designer; Emily Brooke BLAZE bike light designer; Alison Lloyd, founder and designer, Ally Capellino; Mark Brearley, Cass Cities and proprietor, Kaymet. Chair: Anthony Painter, director of policy and strategy, RSA

Atoms, bits and everything in between A discussion looking at how the advent of the digital age and the introduction of new technologies have changed the nature of making, as seen through peer-to-peer marketplaces, open source hardware initiatives, the internet of things and digital fabrication tools. Panellists: Philip Colligan chief executive of Raspberry Pi; Bethany Koby, Technology Will Save Us; Jessi Baker Provenance HQ; Sylvain Preumont, founder of iMakr and MyMiniFactory.com Chair: Kitty Knowles, journalist, The Memo

Introducing the next industrial revolution A conversation exploring the emergence of the maker movement in all its forms and the factors that are fuelling its rise – from the arrival of cheaper tools, to the revival of making in popular culture, to the growing consumer appetite for domestic goods. Panellists: Liz Corbin, Institute of Making and co-founder of Open Workshop Network; Julie Madigan, Manufacturing Institute; Indy Johar co-founder of 00; Rosy Greenlees, executive director of Crafts Council Chair: Peter Marsh former FT journalist and author of The New Industrial Revolution

In the lead-up to ‘last chance’ negotiations at COP21, renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough and explorer and conservationist Tim Flannery put their heads together on this era-defining issue.