Aspen UK

In this episode, Peter Jukes, author, dramatist and screenwriter leads a discussion on the future of data and democracy. He is joined by Carole Cadwalladr, author and investigative journalist; Damian Collins MP, Conservative MP for Folkestone and Hythe since 2010; Kyle Taylor, founder and director of Fair Vote UK; and Alicia Wanless, co-director of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In this in-depth conversation, they describe the significance of the Cambridge Analytica revelation, discuss the tech giants and their impact on democracy, and explore possible strategies to provide better protection in the future. 

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Rachel Smolkin, executive editor of CNN Politics chairs a conversation on the future of women in US politics. She is joined by Samantha K. Dravis (R), attorney and public affairs consultant; Denise Gitsham Jones (R), attorney and public affairs consultant who served in President George W. Bush’s Administration; Johanna Maska (D), host of ‘Pod is a Woman’ and CEO of Global Situation Room; and Darienne Page (D), also host of ‘Pod is a Woman’ and former White House ROTUS (Receptionist of the United States). Together they discuss the role the gender gap in US politics will play in the election, pay tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg and stress why women must take off their ‘political jerseys’ and support each other against sexism. 

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In this episode, Vanessa Griffiths, deputy director of Sustainable Business at the Environment Agency leads a conversation on the future of the countryside with Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers Union; Mark Bridgeman, President of the Country Land & Business Association; Beccy Speight, Chief Executive for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and Crispin Truman, Chief Executive of Campaign to Protect Rural England. Together they explore the solutions for a sustainable rural future, stress the value of the countryside and discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has made people think differently about the urban-rural divide. 

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In this episode, Marcus Brigstocke, comedian, actor and broadcaster leads a panel on the future of comedy. He is joined by fellow comedians Stephen K Amos, Simon Evans and Elf Lyons. Together they describe what the Government could be doing to support performers and their industry, discuss why they believe people’s attitudes towards the arts will be “revitalised” post-Covid, and explore how the growing discussion of ‘wokeism’ and political correctness will impact the future of comedy. 

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A fascinating chat about the future of cities with some of the top experts in the field - Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development division of the OECD; Kulveer Ranger, former head of the Digital London Office; and Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG in the UK are in conversation with Andrea Coleman from Bloomberg Philanthropies. They discuss whether Covid is marking the end of the golden age of cities, debate the impact of Covid on accessibility and mobility within city transport systems, and question the forecasted v-shaped recovery of the global economy. 

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In this episode, Dave Haslam, DJ and Author of Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs and Music Venues, leads a panel on the future of nightlife. He is joined by Marti Burgess, owner of Lakota (Club) and chair of the Bristol @ Night Panel; Shain Shapiro, CEO of Sound Diplomacy; and Rebecca Swarray aka DJ Mix-Stress, the founder and curator of RebeccaNeverBecky. In this discussion, they explore the huge economic benefits of nightlife, stress why the Government needs to recognise its importance, and discuss how the pandemic has forced club owners to pivot and find new ways to use their venues. 

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In this episode, Baroness Rosie Boycott, chair of Feeding Britain and board member of the Food Foundation; Arif Husain, chief economist and director of research, assessments and monitoring at the United Nations World Food Programme; and Tim Smith, chair of the UK’s Trade and Agriculture Commission join Arthur Potts Dawson, chef and sustainable food innovator for a conversation on the future of food. Together they share their concerns about the lowering of food standards after Brexit, discuss what the cost will be to food systems around the world If we don’t respond to the 270 million people that are left hungry, and describe the role Government’s need to play to support our food systems. 

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Beirut and its people have still not recovered from the enormous blast that killed 190 people and injured thousands in August 2020. In this episode, Zeina Arida, director of the Sursock Museum in Beirut; Omar Christidis, founder and CEO of Arabnet; Mohamad Kantar, co-founder of Impact Lebanon; and Dr. Zeina Mohanna, board member of Amel Association International discuss the future of Lebanon. The conversation is led by Ghadi Sary, managing partner at Governance House. Together they discuss the explosion, the ongoing economic crisis, civil unrest, changes in regional alliances, and impact of Coronavirus - and reflect whether Lebanon can survive in the form we know it now.

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In this episode, Lord Richard Allan, former Director of Policy in Europe for Facebook; Dr Victoria Nash, deputy director of the Oxford Internet Institute and Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award talk to Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute about the future of online safety. Together they discuss the role of parents, teachers and children in keeping themselves safe online and being “good digital citizens”, explore the three P’s - policies, practices and parenting, and describe whether over time they have become more optimistic or pessimistic towards our safety online.  

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A cultural conversation in partnership with Brunswick Arts. 

In this episode, Richard Ovenden, Bodley's Librarian at the University of Oxford and Philippe Sands, author and renowned international lawyer talk about the preservation of knowledge with Caroline Daniel, partner at the Brunswick Group. They discuss why archives matter, explore the lengths individuals and governments go to to destroy records, and describe the idea of a ‘memory tax’ and how it could be a helpful intervention for libraries to better manage data. 

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