The British Academy Ideas Festival - Private View

SHAPE Room | 18:00 – 18:30

Former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Lady Hale Hon FBA joins British Academy President Susan J. Smith for a wide‑ranging conversation on law and the importance of independent thinking in shaping a just society. Reflecting on Lady Hale’s illustrious career and current debates, explore how the humanities and social sciences are crucial for good decision‑making at the highest levels.

SHAPE Room | 19:15 – 19:45

For decades, In Our Time has shaped how audiences engage with ideas. As the programme receives the British Academy President’s Medal, Melvyn Bragg Hon FBA, Misha Glenny and Simon Tillotson sit down with Susan J. Smith to reflect on its legacy, its collaborative model of expertise and the enduring appetite for intelligent, curiosity-driven discussion.

Music Room I 17:30-17:40

Neon Dance presents an excerpt from ‘Puzzle Creature’, performed by Fukiko Takase and Travis Clausen-Knight. Connected to the ‘Choreographing Inflatables’ exhibit this piece sets the body into poetic dialogue, exploring an organism’s constant questioning of its existence and surroundings.

Choreography by Adrienne Hart, music composed by Sebastian Reynolds and artefacts and costume by Ana Rajcevic. 

Radhakrishnan Room | 18:15 – 19:00

Dr Rachel Forshaw

Take part in a team‑based game to explore access to childhood healthcare in mid‑20th‑century Britain. Reveal how geography, chance and infrastructure shapes health outcomes, drawing parallels with NHS ‘postcode lottery’ today. Reflect on persistent inequalities in access to care and the wider impact this has on our lives today.

British Academy / Leverhulme Small Research Grant

Radhakrishnan Room | 19:15 – 20:00

Dr Gordon McKelvie

Discover how misinformation from the medieval period continues to circulate today. Using stories of queens drawn from historical records, this workshop challenges you to compare medieval ‘fake news’ with modern AI-generated summaries and question our growing reliance on artificial intelligence.

British Academy / Leverhulme Small Research Grant

Gallery I 17:00 – 20:00

Dr Ruth Woods

How are beliefs formed, challenged and changed through everyday encounters with different viewpoints? Grounded in experiences in contemporary Britain, our researchers ask visitors to share the moments and relationships that have shaped their own belief journeys.

British Academy / Leverhulme Small Research Grant

Gallery I 17:00 – 20:00

Uncover BIRI’s global work to protect cultural heritage and spark international collaboration. With nine institutes spanning the Mediterranean, Black Sea and southern Europe, north and eastern Africa, Turkey, the Middle East, Iran and Central Asia, discover powerful connections, untold stories and extraordinary archives from across the world.

Library I 17:40 – 17:50

Professor John Van Reenen FBA examines the key factors shaping the UK’s productivity performance and long-term economic growth potential, from innovation and skills to institutions and policy.

Fellow of the British Academy

Library I 18:10 – 18:20

Professor Ming Du examines how governments are reshaping international trade and investment frameworks in response to political and economic uncertainty.

British Academy / Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship 

Library I 18:40 – 18:50

Dr Joe Greenwood‑Hau explores how society has impacted the way young people understand privilege, inequality and political identity today.

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (celebrating 40 years of British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships)

Library I 19:40 – 19:50

Professor Linda Woodhead FBA challenges claims of a youth‑led religious revival, showing that sociological evidence points instead to religion persisting mainly through embedded institutional forms, alongside new modes of re‑enchantment.

Fellow of the British Academy