Essential dates in 2023
Mark these in your diary and get ready to buy your tickets!
As I see my fresh 2023 diary already begin to fill up, I thought I should let you all know about some essential dates for this year. As ever, we at Academy of Ideas have a lot planned this year alongside friends and colleagues at other organisations. Please add these dates to your diary and put credit cards at the ready for tickets!
Plus, read on to the end for a little special bonus.
28 & 29 October: Battle of Ideas festival 2023
Our unmissable, essential weekend of debate and discussion will return on the final weekend of October. You can get your super early bird tickets now!
So, put the dates in your diary and grab your tickets: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/battle-of-ideas-tickets-2023/
You can also head to our YouTube channel to watch debates from 2022.
29 & 30 July: What happened to the future?
My friends at Battle of Ideas charity are preparing their annual weekend intellectual retreat. It’s my second favourite weekend of the year (after the Battle of Ideas festival, of course!). This year, they will be asking:
What happened to the confidence in a brighter future?
How can we challenge the pessimism and fatalism that rules over the current political moment?
Why does culture seem to have run out of steam?
And how does the unease about the future relate to our disquiet with our past?
More information and tickets here.
Something to support: Debating Matters at the House of Lords
On 10th March, the acclaimed sixth form debating competition will take place in the upper house of UK parliament – taking young people’s debating skills into the heart of Westminster.
With students from four schools taking part, and with debate judges drawn from peers and from wider society, Debating Matters will bring its unique brand of substance over style, content-led debating and free speech to the chamber. DM at the House of Lords is one of 20 events planned for DM’s 20th anniversary. To find out more about the 20 for 20 programme and the work of Debating Matters, and how to donate, visit the website.
Dates for January
19 January: East Midlands Salon: Britain’s Empires
James Heartfield will introduce his latest book which is a history of the many different British Empires, from the Old Colonial System (1600-1776), through the Empire of Free Trade (1776-1870), the New Imperialism (1870-1945), the era of Decolonisation (1945-1990) and the era of humanitarian intervention (1990-2020).
Thursday, 19 January 2023 at 7 PM in the Parlour of the Brunswick Inn, Derby.
Tickets £3 (plus fee) from Eventbrite.
More info on the East Midlands Salon website
24 January: Arts and Society Forum: What does 2023 hold for the arts?
Arts institutions shape themselves and their policies around promoting social good, and have accepted a political agenda around climate change and identity politics. They want to be seen to be on the ‘right side’ of progress, but have they become overly instrumentalist and constraining in their approach? What harm are they doing to the development of the arts and artists?
Speakers: Alexander Adams, Dr Mo Lovatt, Vicky Richardson
Tuesday 24 January at 7pm, 31 Oval Rd 31 Oval Road London NW1 7EA
Tickets are £7/£5 (concessions) from Eventbrite.
24 January: Hannah Arendt Study Group: What is Authority?
The Hannah Arendt Study Group will reconvene to study and discuss Arendt’s classic essay What is Authority? from Between Past and Future. This essay has been a major influence on our work at Academy of Ideas as well as that of Prof. Frank Furedi. Join the study group for a chance to dig into this important essay in detail.
Speaker: Eve Kay
Tuesday 24 January at 7pm, via Zoom
In lieu of a ticket price there is a £5 donation to the Battle of Ideas charity (donate here).
For tickets and more information please join the Facebook group or email jacob@theboi.co.uk
February and beyond
5 February - 4 June: Art Gallery Tours from Dido Powell
We are delighted to announce the return of Dido Powell's Art Museum Tours in 2023, taking place on five Sundays between 5 February and 4 June. All tours take place on a Sunday 11am to 1pm. They cost £12 per tour or £55 if you book all five. Tours this year will cover:
Tour 1: Tate Britain, February 5 Storytelling: Space and Clutter
Tour 2: Tate Britain, March 5 The Elements: water, air and fire
Tour 3 The National Gallery April 2 Mythology in Art: Pleasure, Punishment and Christian counterparts
Tour 4 Tate Britain, May 14 The Art of War: Propaganda, Illustration, technology and escape Part 1
Tour 5: Tate Modern, June 4th The Art of War: Propaganda, Illustration, technology and escape Part 2
For bookings and more information please head to the Facebook page
Bonus: A Battle of Ideas festival poem
As a little bonus, we are delighted to include this charming poem from John Clements which really captures the magic of our recent Battle of Ideas festival event in Buxton.
Under a Dome in Buxton Town
Ideas hung lightly in the Air
People too, hung casually around
Waiting for Battle to Commence.
A wily Fox was seen, skirting the field
Before a Panel convened and outlined Plans.
Microphones wielded, like batons, banners, emblems and ensigns, invited Rally.
Questions · Articulations · Dissonance · Harmony · Humour and Rancour alike
All were experienced
As Issues of Concern rose and fell
Another immediately takings its place
No martial Battle this (though foot-solders and ‘generals’ surely took their places)
No imminent Winners or Losers (though a surefooted Champion or two were there to behold)
All were fed with the food and wine of Free Thought · Free Speech · Free Ideas
Though such brought with it a sense of a Price to Pay.
Withal, no Day of Reckoning was this
Merely a Reckoning with Days to Come
When each Fighter would take their Place
Empowered with Ideas of a Better World.