The Battle isn't over yet...
Our London festival was a huge success – there are still chances to catch up with debates you missed AND join the Battle of Ideas festival on tour.
This year’s Battle of Ideas festival was our biggest yet – Church House was flowing with people eager to get stuck in to some of the big issues of our time. We spoke, we danced, we argued and we drank – the Battle was both a serious challenge to political orthodoxy and a place for serious thinking about the future. It was simply a fantastic weekend of fun with friends old and new. Thank you to everyone who made it a success.
But if you think we’re done – you’re wrong. The Battle continues, across our satellites regional and international and our big Buxton Battle of Ideas festival. On the 25 November we take over the Devonshire Dome and bring speakers and attendees together to debate and discuss key issues – from the NHS to shoplifting, boxing and the future of sport to anti-Semitism and the culture wars. If you missed us in London (or want another weekend of public debate), join us – tickets available now:
We will be releasing footage, speeches, photos and more from #BattleFest – and we’d love to hear from you if you were there. For those of you who missed us, or perhaps are new to what we do, here are some highlights from the Battle of Ideas festival 2023.
Academy of Ideas director Claire Fox closes the festival in the centre of Church House Westminster with a call to arms for free speech.
The inimitable WORLDwrite filmed many of our debates – including this opening keynote, POWER PLAY: WHO REALLY RULES TODAY? – with Pamela Dow, Professor Frank Furedi, Matthew Goodwin, Harry Lambert, Anand Menon and Claire Fox. Keep an eye on WORLDwrite’s YouTube channel for more Battle of Ideas festival content.
All our sessions were different – this Sunday morning discussion on WHO GIVES A FOLK? included music – with a song from the 1600s played by trade-union journalist Brian Denny.
A humungous thanks to our team of passionate Battle volunteers – each year they turn up bright and early to help us run the festival, and we couldn’t do it without them.
The Hooligans returned to our Saturday night drinks reception, getting the dancefloor moving among attendees carrying on the debates from the day.
Our festival bookshop was stocked, staffed and organised by the small but mighty Academy of Ideas team – with books and signings from some of the top authors at the festival.
A final thanks to everyone who came to the festival – we always believe that the best points come from the floor, and this year was no different. If you like what we do, please consider continuing to support us, until the 2024 Battle, by becoming a paid Substack subscriber.
CONTINUE THE DEBATE – BUXTON BATTLE OF IDEAS SESSIONS INCLUDE:
Are the culture wars a distraction? / Risking it all: the freedom to gamble / Boxing: don’t count it out / In the wake of terror: anti-Semitism today / From debanking to Bud Light: the rights and wrongs of ESG / Is the NHS fit for purpose? / From shoplifting to crime: anti-social society? / Net Zero and the great energy debate / Battle for the classroom: education or indoctrination? / What are the limits of AI?