Academy of Ideas Newsletter
September 2019
‘Unprecedented’ is a word used a lot in relation to British politics right now. Just in the past few days, we’ve seen the prime minister, Boris Johnson, ask for parliament to be prorogued for five weeks. We’ve then seen Johnson follow through on his threat to kick 21 MPs out of the Conservatives’ parliamentary party and losing his own majority. Then, having lost the key votes on a no-deal Brexit, he has asked the Commons to agree to a general election, only for the leader of the opposition – who has called for an election at least 50 times this year – to refuse. This is the topsy-turvy state of Westminster right now – and there is every chance of even more
‘unprecedented’ developments by the time you read this. All of which makes the need for some debate to clarify the situation very urgent indeed. What happens next: will we ever leave the EU? What does all this say about the state of our political parties – are they fit for purpose? Above all, what does it mean for democracy, the right of the electorate to decide the direction of society and hold our politicians to account? Thankfully, we’ll be discussing these issues and much, much more at the Battle of Ideas festival at the Barbican in London on 2 & 3 November. The festival is a brilliant opportunity to get to grips with the world, with the motto ‘Free Speech Allowed!’ That means a weekend of passionate but civil discussion on everything from the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom to how to read a poem, from building a new industrial revolution to whether humanity will survive the future at all, from the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong to the threat of World War III. We’ll have keynote debates about who we mean by The People and The Establishment, and asking why our politics has become so ‘toxic’. And there is whole strand of debates on the battle for democracy. In the process, we’re bringing together 500 speakers, many from around the world, in more than 100 debates. Add to this something unique about the Battle of Ideas: the level of engagement from an audience of over 3,500 people. The festival is not about politely listening to the views of
experts – it’s a full-blooded engagement with the great events and ideas of our times that will have you thinking long and hard about the issues long after the formal debates are done. There are a wide range of tickets available now and there’s still time to take advantage of our ‘Early Bird’ offers, with substantial discounts on the full price for everyone until 30 September. Full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students can attend the whole weekend for just £25 – just a quarter of the full price. There is a fantastic opportunity for school pupils, who can come for either Saturday or Sunday completely free or pay just £10 for the whole weekend. Find out about all
these offers on the Battle of Ideas tickets page. There is no better place to grapple with the state of the world as it is, and as it should be, than the Battle of Ideas festival. Please get a ticket now and join us at the Barbican! Claire Fox
Director, Academy of Ideas
Battle of Ideas 2019 Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November
Barbican, London This year’s Battle of Ideas festival, on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November at the Barbican in London, is our 15th annual festival. We’re living in interesting times, and more than ever it feels like we need a space for interrogating ideas, open discussion and civilised debate. The programme is now almost complete, with new sessions and confirmed speakers appearing on our
website almost every day. Early bird tickets with substantial discounts are available until Monday 30 September. To view the programme and buy tickets, visit the Battle of Ideas festival website.
Podcasts from The Academy The boi hosted another successful Academy in July on the theme 'Culture wars: then and now'. Recordings of the lectures are now being released as a podcast series. In episode 3, Professor James Tooley explains the role of state education in the culture wars of both the nineteenth century and today. In episode 4, Dr Jan Macvarish looks at the how the culture wars were reflected in family matters. You can find both
episodes on the Soundcloud playlist for the series. You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.
Philosophers: Their Lives and Works Released on 5 September by DK From Confucius and Plato to Karl Marx and Noam Chomsky, Philosophers: Their Lives and Works brings together more than 100 illustrated biographies of the world’s great philosophers, with a foreword by Simon Blackburn. This book introduces the key ideas, themes and working methods of each featured individual, setting their ideas within a wider historical and cultural context; and it's lavishly illustrated with photographs and paintings of philosophers, their homes, friends, studies and their personal belongings, together with pages from original manuscripts, first editions and correspondence. Get your copy from the DK website here.
Is teaching my life or just a job? Monday 16 September, 7pm
Accent Study Centre, 12 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA Why be a teacher? Is it for the sense of mission, purpose and dedication? Is teaching a calling, ‘a noble and worthy thing’ as the dictionary defines ‘vocation’? Although older teachers might view it so, a generational divide may be opening up. In this forum, a panel of teachers, both veterans and newcomers, discuss the issues. More...
Media appearances and articles
Tuesday 10 September, 7.30pm
Backyard Comedy Club, Bethnal Green, London Geoff Norcott returns as headliner at the home of free-thinking comedy. Also on the bill are Red Richardson, Dimitri Bakanov and Heydon Prowse, all compered by Ria Lina. Tickets are available here.
Front Row Late
Ella Whelan will be one of the guests discussing the arts on BBC2's late-night arts show on Friday 13 September. Politics Live
Claire Fox will be one of the guests on BBC2's lunchtime politics show on Friday 6 September. Sky News Paper Preview
Ella Whelan will be one of the guests discussing the next day's newspapers on Saturday 14 September. All Out Politics
Ella Whelan will be one of the guests with Adam Boulton on Thursday 19 September.
|