Marianna Spring, Ben Ansell and Helen Margetts tackle ‘The Age of Mistrust?’ in the British Academy’s newly unveiled 2025 public events

In an era of misinformation, political tensions and the rise of AI, a new public events season tackling the theme of mistrust will launch in January 2025 at the British Academy, the UK’s national academy of humanities and social sciences.

Featuring Marianna Spring, and British Academy Fellows including Professor Ben Ansell and Professor Helen Margetts, ‘The Age of Mistrust?’ from 30 January to 27 March 2025 is a season of poignant and timely public events led by expert academics’ insightful research and hosted at the British Academy’s historic home in central London, which re-opened to the public earlier this year following a two-year, £10 million redevelopment.

Curated by Professor Ben Ansell FBA and Dr Pavithra Suryanarayan, season highlights include:

• ‘The Age of Mistrust?’ Public Late, 30 January: A lively evening takeover of the Academy featuring Professor David Runciman FBA and Marianna Spring, with workshops, talks and performances exploring the biggest questions of our time.
• ‘Ask the Experts: A Year of Global Elections’, 11 February: Leading political expert and BBC Reith Lecturer Professor Ben Ansell FBA, Dr Pavithra Suryanarayan, and Professor Sara Hobolt FBA will unpack the lessons from a record-breaking year of elections.
• ‘Art Club: Reclaim your Narrative with Grrrl Zine Fair’, 18 February: A zine-making workshop and discussion with Lu Williams of Grrrl Zine Fair about the rich history of DIY publishing and empowering grassroots narratives.
• ‘The History of Misinformation’, 25 February: A whirlwind tour through distorted truths and alternative facts with renowned experts including historians and British Academy Fellows.
• ‘Ask the Experts: Can We Trust AI?’, 25 March: Professor Louise Amoore FBA and Professor Helen Margetts FBA will discuss the challenges and opportunities that these technologies present.

Visitors will also have the chance to view the Academy’s collection of contemporary British art, with works by Paula Rego, Yinka Shonibare and Terry Frost, and a newly acquired work by acclaimed Guyanese-British sculptor and contemporary artist Hew Locke OBE.

The British Academy’s newly relaunched public programme consists of three themed seasons every year, with the next season, ‘Folklore Reimagined’, taking place from April to July 2025.

Professor Rana Mitter, Vice-President for Public Engagement at the British Academy, said: “In this first themed season since relaunching our public programme, we wanted to put our fingers on the pulse of one of the biggest issues affecting societies and democracies the world over. This year we saw trust in politics at a record low. The internet has amplified misinformation, and society is grappling with augmented and artificial intelligence. This timely season will illuminate how humanities and social sciences research can help us to better understand some of the greatest questions of our time, including how we recognise and build truth in a polarised society.”

The full programme for ‘The Age of Mistrust?’ goes live today. All events are free and can be attended in person or online, but booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. Visit the programme page for all details.