Festival of Ideas | 5 Days of Debates
The Royal Academy’s bonanza of talks, lectures and discussions is back for a second year.
And all jokes about mass debating aside, it’s going to be a corker.
Last year’s inaugural festival boasted guest speakers including photographer Don McCullin (whose current exhibition at the Tate Britain is well worth a visit); dancer and choreographer Akram Khan; and set designer Es Devlin to name a few (and if you missed it, you can catch up on their podcasts here).
This year, they’ve drafted in even more speakers, and extended the programme to include workshops and short courses, too. Some of the highlights include:
- Award-winning director Ken Loach on his politically charged and often controversial films;
- Grayson Perry and his wife Philippa Perry on the interaction between art, sex and psychotherapy;
- Actor, director, producer and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah, whose tenure over the Young Vic has been lauded for his commitment to staging more diverse work;
- A discussion on the future of feminism with Everyday Sexism Project founder Laura Bates and Queenie author Candice Carty-Williams;
- A talk on the life-saving power of poetry from Lemn Sissay MBE; and
- A masterclass in comic book artwork from illustrator Kev F. Sutherland.
The whole line-up has been curated with the hope of provoking some lively discussions into how we can continue to use art, in all its forms, to push boundaries and shed light on social issues – something the Royal Academy has been doing for over 250 years as the site of Britain’s first public lectures on art.
So when it comes to staging this sort of event…
…they’re Old Masters.
NOTE: The Royal Academy’s Festival of Ideas takes place from 2nd-6th May 2019. Tickets for each event are on sale now – you can find out more, and book, HERE.
Festival of Ideas | Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
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