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Call for proposals

We are seeking creative proposals to form the 2027 British Academy Ideas Festival programme.

Our annual public engagement festival engages diverse and wide-ranging audiences with the exciting social sciences and humanities research that is shaping our world. This event is an opportunity for researchers to have a national spotlight shone on their work, and to immerse the public in their research and ideas.

The open call for submissions is now live and we invite you to submit an application ahead of the deadline on Tuesday 3 November 2026, 5pm.

Submission details

We're looking for submissions for:

  • Exhibits
  • Workshops or drop-in activities
  • Pop-up research
  • 10-Minute Talks
  • Performances
  • Salons
  • Screenings

New strands for this year's Festival also include:

  • Living Library
  • Submit your Own Event Idea

Details of the submission criteria can be found in the guidance below.

Applicant details

Applicants must be either:

  • Funded by the British Academy
  • A Fellow of the British Academy
  • A member of a British International Research Institute (BIRI)
  • A member of the Early Career Researcher Network

For workshops, screenings and pop-up research, members of the Young Academy may also apply.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 3 November, 5pm

Pre-submission webinar

On Tuesday 29 September at 6-8pm, the British Academy Events team will be hosting a Zoom webinar to talk through the different event strands, answer any questions on how to apply, and talk through the judging criteria.

If you'd like to attend this webinar, please register your interest.

Further information

Researchers must be available on Thursday 17–Saturday 19 June 2027, and those proposing exhibits must be available on Tuesday 15 and/ or Wednesday 16 June to set up.

We are looking for proposals that will bring to life humanities and social sciences research, and help us tell a story about the role and impact of British Academy research.

As part of the process, successful applicants will receive public engagement training along with an evaluation report post-Festival.

Please download and read our guidelines for exhibitors and FAQs before applying. A large print version of the guidelines for exhibitors and FAQs is also available.

An 'Application form summary' can be downloaded to help you prepare your application – the online forms cannot be saved to return to. You may submit one application for each area of the programme (screening, workshop and exhibit), but please ensure each application is relevant.

For more information, please email [email protected] or call +44 20 3912 3894

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