RSA Events

What if we designed systems not for top-down control – but for human connection?

At RSA House, trust expert and artist Rachel Botsman explores how design thinking and visual storytelling can rethink leadership, power, and trust systems. We often learn something new from studying something old.

Anchored in her 2025 London Design Biennale installation Roots of Trust, the conversation returns to a long-forgotten artefact: the world’s first organisational chart, drawn in 1855. From this intricate, organic diagram, we trace the enduring imprint of pyramid structures and hierarchy – and ask what new forms trust might take.

Expect light and shadow. Beauty and utility. Roots and branches. For anyone curious about how we might design our way toward a more connected, trusted society, this is a conversation not to miss.

• Rachel Botsman, trust expert and artist

• Abi Freeman, Organisational Psychologist and Co-Founder of Brink

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Join the RSA, Insulate Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Institute London for a fireside chat with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, in conversation with journalist and author Gillian Tett. Their discussion will explore the cycle of impunity and harsh realities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including cultural erasure, child abduction, and the use of torture. Matviichuk will discuss her work on documenting atrocities and the pursuit of global justice.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Dr Olesya Khromeychuk, Director of the Ukrainian Institute London, an independent charity championing Ukrainian culture and advocating for the urgency of global democratic security.

Harry Blakiston Houston, founder of Insulate Ukraine, will deliver the closing remarks, and share additional insights on Ukraine and how their team’s award-winning emergency window is redefining humanitarian aid, with over 50,000 installed.

• Oleksandra Matviichuk, human rights lawyer, head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Nobel Peace Prize recipient (2022)
• Dr Olesya Khromeychuk, historian, writer, director at Ukrainian Institute London
• Harry Blakiston Houston, inventor, founder of Insulate Ukraine

• Gillian Tett, journalist and author

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In a world on fire, where every system we rely on is buckling under the weight of its own contradictions, it’s time to admit that control is a dangerous illusion. But while politicians and corporations cling to algorithms for predictability, artists, writers, and musicians have always known the truth: chaos isn’t a threat – it’s a gift.

At this RSA event, Margaret Heffernan explores how our obsession with stability and ‘solutions’ – now amplified by artificial intelligence – is not only futile but potentially destructive. She invites us to rethink the role of AI in creativity, questioning whether art and innovation can survive when algorithms are programmed to reduce risk and spontaneity.

In conversation with prominent figures in arts and culture, Margaret will challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about how we live, work, and create in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Through the lens of those who thrive in uncertainty, she will explore whether creativity can coexist with systems designed for control – and how we can harness both chaos and technology to provoke meaningful action in turbulent times.

Speakers:

• Margaret Heffernan, author, broadcaster, speaker
• Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Principal, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• Andrew Grant, RDI, landscape architect

Chair:

• Andy Haldane, RSA Chief Executive

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Join us to celebrate the opening of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and discover the most exciting ideas and innovations shaping our future.

At a time when the world risks becoming fragmented and divided, the World Expo represents a unique opportunity to show what humanity can achieve when we come together.

The UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 will act as a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation, showcasing our nation’s unique energy, heritage, and make-up. A place where fresh ideas and diverse perspectives are welcomed. A place where exploration and curiosity pave the way for progress. A great place to connect, collaborate, and build the future.

At the RSA, the birthplace of the very first World Expo – the Great Exhibition of 1851 – we will gather innovators developing new creative projects and partnerships in both the UK and Japan to inspire us with pathways to a brighter future for people, places, and the planet we all share.

Speakers:

Sir Peter Bazalgette – Co-chair, Creative Industries Council

YolanDa Brown OBE DL – Chair, BPI

Sir Loyd Grossman – Chair, the RSA

Indy Johar – Architect and Co-founder, 00 and Dark Matter Labs

Liana O’Cleirigh, designer, Bentley Systems

Dai Fujikura, composer

Kyoichiro Kawakami, Minister (Economic), Embassy of Japan

Chair:

Nina Nannar, journalist and arts editor for ITV News

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Tony Juniper and Mya-Rose Craig bring together two powerful perspectives on the interconnectedness of equity and the environment. Tony, an esteemed environmentalist and author, draws on decades of experience advocating for a balance between human needs and ecological preservation. His work demonstrates how fairness – whether in resource distribution, climate justice, or community empowerment – is essential for achieving lasting ecological progress.

Mya-Rose Craig, also known as ‘Birdgirl’, amplifies the voices of young people and underrepresented communities in the fight against environmental degradation. As a prominent advocate for diversity in nature conservation, she underscores the necessity of inclusive action – ensuring that all communities, especially those most impacted by environmental challenges, are part of the solution.

Together, Tony and Mya-Rose offer a compelling vision for how equity can drive environmental change, providing both practical insights and inspirational calls to action for a fairer, greener planet. Let’s reimagine a future where fairness drives global sustainability.

• Tony Juniper, Environmentalist, author
• Mya-Rose Craig, Environmental activist, speaker (RSA Fellow)

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This year’s keynote speaker is world-renowned political scientist Robert D. Putnam, author of the groundbreaking work Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, which has shaped global conversations on the importance of communal ties and social capital.

Robert Putnam will be speaking to us about the vital role of social connections in combating the deepening crises of social isolation, political polarization, and economic inequality, drawing on insights from his latest work The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again.

Divisions can be healed, he argues. Our fraying social fabric rewoven. By focusing on rebuilding society’s relational foundations, we can create a future where everyone has the connections they need to thrive.

Following his keynote address, Professor Putnam will be joined in conversation by RSA CEO Andy Haldane, and partners from the first-of-its-kind Revealing Social Capital research programme, which is exploring how connectedness impacts life outcomes and opportunities across the UK, from social mobility to health and education.

• Andy Haldane, RSA CEO

• Sir Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs, Meta
• Robert D. Putnam, Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University
• Marnie Freeman, co-founder and director, Neighbourly Lab
• Sarah Hemminger, co-founder and CEO, Thread

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What bold actions are needed to realise true gender equity?

This International Women’s Day, the RSA invites you to a powerful event focused on advancing women’s leadership and action for systemic change. Featuring an incredible panel of women including I. Stephanie Boyce, the trailblazing first Black and first person of colour President of the Law Society of England and Wales, journalist Sophia Smith Galer, and Women in Sport policy and public affairs manager Rachel Williams, we’ll explore the transformative power of women’s leadership in addressing society’s most urgent challenges.

Grounded in the RSA’s mission to unite people and ideas to create social change, this event will delve into how we can drive progress across education, work, and institutions to create more inclusive and equitable systems.

Together, we’ll discuss actionable solutions for accelerating progress—from empowering women in underrepresented fields to redefining leadership and building networks that amplify impact. Celebrating women’s resilience and achievements, the event offers a bold vision for the future and a renewed commitment to gender equity.

• Jennifer Johnston, mezzo-soprano and creative consultant

• Sophia Smith Galer, author and journalist
• I. Stephanie Boyce, former president of the Law Society of England and Wales
• Rachel Williams, policy and public affairs manager at Women in Sport

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From big tech scandals to soaring executive pay gaps, public trust in major corporations is at an all-time low. Despite life-changing innovations like vaccines and digital tools, we increasingly “love the product but hate the producer”.

Renowned economist John Kay visits the RSA to deliver a bold critique of modern business. He’ll unpack how the relentless pursuit of shareholder value has gutted some of the 20th century’s most iconic companies and left the 21st-century corporation facing a reckoning.

What must change to restore trust in and purpose to the businesses we rely on?

Chair:

Andy Haldane, RSA CEO

Speaker:

John Kay, economist and author

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An evening with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, and BBC journalist Clive Myrie.

On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (2020–2024) and Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, reflects on the war’s far-reaching consequences with renowned BBC journalist Clive Myrie.

The youngest foreign affairs minister in Ukraine’s history, Dmytro Kuleba led his country’s foreign service through its most challenging times. He was instrumental in forging international alliances, securing military aid for Ukraine, ensuring the imposition of sanctions on Russia, advancing his country’s EU and NATO prospects, and strengthening ties with countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 

Drawing on his experiences as a diplomat and international statesman, Dmytro Kuleba will offer unique insights into current challenges to the democratic order globally, the stakes for the international community, and the indispensable role of international solidarity in shaping a resilient future.

Join us to hear one of today’s foremost voices in international affairs talk to a journalist who was there on the frontline when Russia escalated their invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. 

• Clive Myrie, BBC journalist

• Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian politician and diplomat

In partnership with the Ukrainian Institute London

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The provision of care for dependents young and old is one of the great challenges of the modern age.

The last 60 years have seen significant shifts in family and working lives with greater choice and autonomy bringing great gains for human freedom.

Yet many private and public challenges and dilemmas remain. The social care system faces ever-rising demands and pressures. The vital skilled work of care – for the young, the elderly, the sick – remains undervalued and under-invested in. And women remain over-represented in the domain of care, in both the domestic realm and in the public economy.

Amidst challenging demographics, declining birth-rates, and the evolving dynamics of modern family life, can we achieve a policy settlement that respects gender equality, meets the rising social need for care and attention, and properly rewards and recognises those who provide it? How do we provide greater support to the networks of relationships that care relies upon?

Join David Goodhart and Vicky Pryce at the RSA to debate care, equality, and social progress in the next decade of the 21st century.

• David Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration & Integration at Policy Exchange
• Vicky Pryce, economist

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