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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20260326T112942Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T115754Z
UID:1592-1776191400-1776196800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Is anti-extremism a threat to liberty on campus? In conversation with Michael Ben-Gad
DESCRIPTION:This event is now fully subscribed. \nExtremism on campus is back in the headlines. In the long shadow of October 7\, one recent survey found half of students had heard slogans glorifying Hamas\, Hezbollah or other proscribed groups\, while 65 per cent reported teaching disrupted by protests. Some students describe threats and abuse\, and referrals to the Prevent counter-extremism programme have gone up by 50 per cent in two years. After the recent revelation that one in five students refuse to live with a Jewish peer\, one parliamentarian argued that anti-Semitism in universities has been ‘normalised’. \nThe Henry Jackson Society has identified dozens of universities hosting events mourning the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\, and campuses are ‘now used as platforms to spread extremist narratives’. Meanwhile\, the government plans tighter oversight – including clamping down on ‘divisive content’ and plans to ‘strengthen monitoring’ of non-violent extremism. A Campus Cohesion Charter will help manage external speakers and events\, and will risk-check free speech for signs of crossing into unlawful activity or support for terrorism. \nYet such moves pose real moral dilemmas for those who believe in free speech. After all\, setting clearer expectations around conduct\, respect and shared values across university life can easily spill over into wider restrictions on speech. How should we define extremism and should we be open to new constraints? Where do the boundaries lie between resisting intolerance and tolerating all views and ideas? Is ‘extremism’ being weaponised to undermine our freedoms? \nTo help us navigate our way through the issues\, we’ll be joined by Michael Ben-Gad – a lecturer at City St George’s\, University of London – who himself faced protests by students\, calling him a Nazi\, threatening violence and demanding his dismissal. Join us to work out how we defend liberty in an age increasingly inclined to police ideas. \nDoors open at 6.15pm\, discussion starts at 6.30pm. \nSPEAKER\nProfessor Michael Ben-Gad\nCity St George’s\, University of London\n \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom \nREADINGS\nThe targeting of Israeli Professor Michael Ben-Gad: Britain’s academic freedom crisis\nProfessor Ian Pace\, Jewish Chronicle\, 21 November 2025 \nStudents given stronger protections against extremism on campus\nDepartment for Education and Bridget Phillipson MP\, 8 March 2026 \nWhat the government’s Social Cohesion Action Plan means for universities and students\nJim Dickinson\, WONKHE\, 9 March 2026
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/is-anti-extremism-a-threat-to-liberty-on-campus-in-conversation-with-michael-ben-gad
LOCATION:central London
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Is-anti-extremism-a-threat-to-liberty-on-campus-In-conversation-with-Michael-Ben-Gad-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20251106T151455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251124T134658Z
UID:1430-1764009000-1764016200@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Battle of the sexes: the new political divide?
DESCRIPTION:This event is now fully subscribed. \nToday\, over half a century on from the radical emergence of equality movements in 1960s\, the growth of an ideological and social splintering between the sexes is frequently making headlines. \nA recent report by Onward notes that\, in line with international trends\, the divide between men and women in the UK is growing\, most evident amongst Gen Z. In the 2024 General Election\, young women moved leftwards while young men drifted significantly to the right\, with the former almost twice as likely to vote Green as young men\, who in turn were twice as likely to vote Reform as young women. With Gen Z opting for more radical parties\, political polarisation is deepening – and following gendered lines. \nPerhaps the problem is social media\, with young women tending to use TikTok and Instagram while young men tend towards X and podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience. Socially\, Gen Z men and women are also said to be drifting apart. Women now outperform men in education\, being more likely to attend university and get higher-paying jobs in their twenties. However\, young women are also reportedly more stressed\, more lonely and less satisfied with life\, while fears over the ‘manosphere’ and toxic masculinity go hand-in-hand with a hardening sense of cultural antagonism and alienation between the sexes. \nSome say lower levels of intimacy and sexual activity in Gen Z reflect a loss of emotional connection and long-term commitment. Others point to young men increasingly viewing themselves as ‘left behind’ and more resentful of feminism\, equal rights and woke policies that they perceive as discriminating against them. Are political divisions ruining young people’s love lives\, too? \nIs this divide as alarming or deep-rooted as it seems? Could Gen Z’s polarisation be a passing phase? Or is the growing divide around the sexes now an issue to take seriously – perhaps in ways that class or racial divides might once have been addressed in the past? And when previously ideology or shared social experiences were used to overcome these divisions\, what is the route forwards to find common ground between the sexes today? \nSPEAKERS\nPoppy Coburn\nacting deputy comment editor\, Daily Telegraph \nEmma Gilland\nproject assistant\, Ideas Matter; author\, The Corona Generation \nNicholas Stephenson\nresearcher and data analyst\, Onward \nJake Weston\nproject assistant\, Academy of Ideas \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/politics-today-a-battle-of-the-sexes
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/battle-of-the-sexes-living-freedom.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250307T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250307T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20250221T154402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T155505Z
UID:1250-1741374000-1741379400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Reclaiming the University from the Culture Wars
DESCRIPTION:This in-person event in central London\, in association with Student Academics for Academic Freedom (SAFAF)\, is free but please register using the form below. \nUniversities have always been in the vanguard of the so-called ‘woke’ revolution. After the election of Donald Trump\, there has been an apparent cultural ‘vibe shift’\, with criticism of DEI in the UK increasing – but universities seem to be doubling down. For example\, newly proposed funding guidelines aim to cut research funding from institutions that fail to meet diversity guidelines. Meanwhile\, paternalism dominates student life. Some worry that the very notion of the risk-taking\, intellectually autonomous student is drowning under wellbeing guidelines and a mental-health apparatus seemingly resistant to reform. \nOn the other hand\, some students are beginning to take up the fight against the censorious campus climate. And some things appear to be changing. In some instances\, debates on topics such as sex and gender are no longer drowned out by banging pots and pans from student activists and can now take place with only minor disturbances. The Freedom of Speech in Higher Education Act\, previously put on pause\, will be implemented by the Labour government in revised form and Lord Hague\, the new chancellor of the University of Oxford\, says that universities must not be ‘comfort blankets of cancellation’. Are these signs of hope\, or more false promises? \nHow do students who wish to change campus culture navigate questions about intellectual independence and academic freedom? Has managerialism destroyed the university for good\, or can it be reformed? What are the biggest problems facing the modern university? How can we in the 21st-century best harness the spirit of true intellectual endeavour\, inside and outside the universities? \nSPEAKERS\nLara Brown\npolicy researcher specialising in culture and identity; former president\, Cambridge Union \nJaiden Long\nconvenor\, Student Academics for Academic Freedom \nSam Rubinstein\nwriter and historian \nCHAIR\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Living Freedom \nREGISTER \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Please answer the question below *			\n				\n											\n						\n						\n											=\n				\n								\n				\n				\n			\n			(This helps to prevent spam. Thanks!)Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/reclaiming-the-university-from-the-culture-wars
LOCATION:central London
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/reclaiming-the-university.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250116T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250116T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20241219T160950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250110T110049Z
UID:1172-1737054000-1737059400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Tyranny: a twenty-first century threat to freedom?
DESCRIPTION:Places are free but please register using the form below. \nThe concept of tyranny has been around since ancient Greece\, but in the twenty-first century\, it is near ubiquitous – deployed to describe all manner of ills from populist strongmen to autocratic despots\, Islamist regimes to the ‘woke tyranny’ ostensibly coercing Western institutions. According to the headlines\, the spectre of tyranny haunts the West in the form of a return for the US president-elect\, Donald Trump. The cry of ‘just like Hitler’ is now a regular means to delegitimise populist revolts. Others identify tyranny in a variety of recent menaces to free societies\, including Covid lockdowns\, Big Tech\, Net Zero or the two-tier rule of overbearing technocracies. \nIn an era where liberal principles are under widespread attack\, is the use of ‘tyranny’ and other extreme concepts justified? We have rulers who break their own rules. Corporations are manipulating new technologies. Surveillance states are intruding into the everyday lives of citizens\, such as police investigating social-media posts. These seem to be the types of actions unconstrained by laws or customs and deployed to benefit powerful elites – which seems to fit with established ideas on tyranny. \nBut others say that the label doesn’t fit. For example\, populists are democratically elected rather than imposed. When ‘tyranny’ is used promiscuously\, they argue\, it loses its meaning. Despite legitimate concerns about freedom\, the language of tyranny fails to help us understand our modern predicaments. As the true horror of the Assad regime in Syria becomes clear\, can’t we distinguish between illiberalism and genuine tyranny? \nWhat should we understand by tyranny\, who are the modern-day tyrants and when is the language of tyranny warranted? Can populists\, autocrats or modern technocracies usefully be described through the idea of tyranny? Is the term useful in addressing modern political problems\, or do we run the risk of watering down the term and missing the real tyrants across the world? Are ancient ideas about tyranny outdated or can they be useful for understanding the present? \nSPEAKERS\nDr Edmund Stewart\nassociate professor in Ancient Greek History; director\, Tyrannica: The Interdisciplinary Network for the Study of Tyrannies\, Personalist Dictatorships and Authoritarian Regimes \nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom \nCHAIR\nFelice Basbøll\nproject assistant\, Ideas Matter \nREGISTER \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Please answer the question below *			\n				\n											\n						\n						\n											=\n				\n								\n				\n				\n			\n			(This helps to prevent spam. Thanks!)Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/tyranny-a-twenty-first-century-threat-to-freedom
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lff-16January-tyranny.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240806T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240806T210000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20240731T095345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240802T131222Z
UID:1108-1722970800-1722978000@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:US Elections 2024: prospects for the free world?
DESCRIPTION:Hot on the heels of the shooting of Donald Trump\, we’ve had the rise of JD Vance\, the demise of Joe Biden and even signs of Kamala-mania. From the culture wars to geo-politics\, what is at stake in this election? And what do recent developments mean for the future of freedom and democracy? \nSPEAKERS\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Living Freedom\nWill Kingston podcast host\, Fire at Will\, The Spectator Australia\nJacob Reynolds head of policy\, MCC Brussels\nCHAIR\nEmma Gilland\, volunteer coordinator\, Living Freedom \nThis event is free of charge\, but please register using the form below. \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/us-elections-2024-prospects-for-the-free-world
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/london-freedom-forum-us-elections-v2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240417T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240417T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20240319T114643Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240415T114657Z
UID:953-1713380400-1713385800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:The dilemmas of civility
DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.   \nWe live in times where many believe that Western liberal democracies are undergoing a ‘crisis of civility’. From culture wars strife to social-media animosity\, student enmity to boorish politicians\, many take the view that civic norms are eroding\, to be replaced by a rancorous culture that undermines the possibility of a productive public life. \nYet beyond obvious concerns over standards of behaviour and lack of basic regard to fellow participants in public life\, few people stop to ask what we mean by ‘civility’. In fact\, ‘civility’ is an idea with a long history and has formed a necessary buttress for a free\, democratic age and promotes greater social and political freedom. Today\, however\, calls for greater civility in the face of offence culture\, blasphemers and ill-mannered conduct are used to justify new behavioural norms and speech codes that curtail precious freedoms and free speech. In responding to the demand for civility\, are we in danger of undermining rather than supporting toleration and other long-standing freedoms? \nIn this special Living Freedom forum hosted in partnership with Young Voices\, the writer Alexandra Hudson\, author of the recently published The Soul of Civility\, will outline why the historic notion of civility is central to freedom\, democracy and human flourishing. She will assess how\, in an age of polarisation and intolerance\, understanding and pursuing this age-old idea can help us navigate an age of profound cultural and political differences. \nSPEAKER\nAlexandra Hudson; author\, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves; founder\, Civic Renaissance \nRESPONDENTS\nNoah Khogali; Scottish Conservative Councillor; communications professional and political commentator; former political aide\, Scottish Parliament.\nSamuel Rubinstein; postgraduate student in history; writer on historical themes for The Critic\, UnHerd\, The Spectator\, Engelsberg Ideas and The New Statesman. \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald; convenor\, Living Freedom \nRegister for London Freedom Forum: The Dilemmas of Civility (reserve list) Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/the-dilemmas-of-civility
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LONDON-LF-Civility-2160.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231220T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231220T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20231121T123104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231211T170750Z
UID:649-1703098800-1703109600@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Living Freedom Xmas Bash Balloon Debate 2023
DESCRIPTION:On behalf of Living Freedom we would like to invite you to join us for a drink\, some good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate. \nThis invitation only gathering will take place at The Sekforde\, the historic Clerkenwell pub now thriving on the back of an award winning restoration. Join us for drinks at the pay bar from 7pm. \nWhat: Living Freedom Xmas Balloon Debate\nWhen: Wednesday 20 December 2023\, 7:00pm\nWhere: The Sekforde\, 34 Sekforde St\, Farringdon\, London EC1R 0HA\nEntrance: Free\nBooking: Limited space so reserve a place via Ticket Tailor. \nWhat is the greatest representation of freedom in culture? \nA panel of six valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice\, whether a work of art or literature\, a film\, opera\, play or song. \nEach contestant will have just three minutes to present their case\, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote\, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice. \nWhich cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide! \nPANEL:\n* Andrew Calcutt former bassist and journalist\, now self-styled as ‘the news poet’ – defending the premiere of 4′ 33” by John Cage\, Maverick Hall\, New York\, 29 August 1952\n* David Cotter musician and composer; teacher and lecturer – defending the guitar\n* Maeve Halligan musician\, The Hooligans; student – defending The Fields of Athenry\n* Robert Reid\, researcher and parliamentary assistant\, the Alba Party – defending The Declaration of Arbroath\n* Cressida Wetton comedian; panellist\, Headliners\, GB News – defending Lenny Bruce‘s free speech routines\n* Leo Villa archive manager\, Academy of Ideas; music teacher – defending Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest \nHost: Alastair Donald convenor\, Living Freedom
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/living-freedom-xmas-bash-balloon-debate-2023
LOCATION:The Sekforde\, 34 Sekforde Street\, London\, EC1R 0HA\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Xmas-23-Ballooon-graphic-copy-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230809T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230809T210000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20230714T153359Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230801T151214Z
UID:574-1691607600-1691614800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Free speech on campus: winning young hearts and minds
DESCRIPTION:This event is free but please book a place in advance via Eventbrite. \nThe new Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act passed in May puts more responsibility on universities to ensure students are able to speak freely in and out of the classroom. But since then\, the refusal to show the film Birthgap in Cambridge University and attempts to cancel Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union suggests that much remains to be done to develop a new culture of free and open debate at universities. \nMany students – and even academics – report they self-censor and fear ostracisation for speaking out. Student societies often encounter problems when wanting to discuss ‘controversial’ topics or invite diverse speakers. Given the new duty of free speech\, how can students use this to their advantage? Can students who support academic freedom be encouraged to champion free speech on campus? Given the apparent sensitivity to discomfort among young people\, how can we win students themselves to the cause of critical inquiry\, free expression\, and open debate? \nSPEAKERS\nJack Barwell student; founder\, Speak Easy\, University of Exeter\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Ideas Matter\, history student\, Trinity College Dublin.\nStani Huepfl politics and international relations student\, London School of Economics\nOmar Loubak Mohamed student; founder\, Speak Easy\, Royal Holloway\, University of London \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald convenor\, Living Freedom \nBACKGROUND READING\nNow woke universities are ditching boozy Freshers Weeks because they are not ‘inviting and inclusive’ enough!\,\nDawn Thompson\, MailOnline\, 30 July 2023 \nThe Oxford kids are alright\nKathleen Stock\, UnHerd\, 1 June 2023 \nFreedom of Speech Act: How it will affect university students\nThe Education Hub\, 30 May 2023
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/free-speech-on-campus-winning-young-hearts-and-minds
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/London-Freedom-Forum-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230712T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230712T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20230628T134629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230707T142613Z
UID:538-1689188400-1689193800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:The information wars: who verifies the verifiers?
DESCRIPTION:The recently launched BBC Verify promises to combat the proliferation of fake news and deep-faked images and videos online. We live in the age of the fact-checkers: groups and individuals who take on the responsibility of determining what is true\, what is false\, and what is fake online. With all of the dis-\, mis- and even mal-information\, there are indeed serious challenges to the ideal of a democratised public sphere. But who determines what’s true and false? \nThe Twitter Files revealed how ideology can influence the ‘objective’ verification process and how unaccountable bodies become gate keepers of truth. With shadow banning\, algorithmic manipulation and suppression of sheer opinion\, is the media accountable? Can verification ever be non-partisan? \nThis salon discussion tackles the growing role of fact-checking in the media\, and the implications for freedom of speech\, truth and journalism. Are initiatives like BBC Verify a welcome extension of the watchdog role of journalism\, or do they do more harm than good? Who fact-checks the fact-checkers? \nSPEAKERS\nPoppy Coburn freelance commentator and journalist\nSam Rubinstein history student and writer\nMax Sanderson editor of weekly podcasts\, Guardian \nCHAIR\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Ideas Matter \nREGISTER\nThis event is free\, but places are limited\, so please book via Eventbrite. \nBACKGROUND\nExplaining the ‘how’ – the launch of BBC Verify\nDeborah Turness\, 22 May\, BBC News \n‘Fundamentally dangerous’: reversal of social media guardrails could prove disastrous for 2024 elections\nKari Paul\, 10 Jun\, Guardian \nThe BBC isn’t exposing disinformation. It’s peddling it\nJonathan Cook\, 2 Jun\, Middle East Eye \nThe tyranny of ‘misinformation’\nTim Black\, 26 Oct 2020\, Spiked \nWhat Were the Twitter Files\nBranko Marcetic\, 26 Apr\, The Nation \nGary Lineker: free speech\, political debate and impartiality\nAlastair Donald\, Claire Fox\, Ella Whelan and Rob Lyons\, 13 May\, Podcast of Ideas
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/who-verifies-the-verifiers
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, London\, England\, SW1P\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/information-wars-freedom-forum.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230417T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230417T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20230321T132110Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230403T133112Z
UID:172-1681758000-1681763400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence: implications for freedom
DESCRIPTION:London Freedom Forum \nGenerative AI like ChatGPT and Midjourney have captured the public imagination and barely a day now passes without claim and counter-claim as to benefits or threats posed by artificial intelligence. On the one side stand those who see in these new technologies as a means to liberate humanity through a new\, potentially boundless source of human creativity. Do we stand on the cusp of transforming education\, healthcare\, manufacturing\, artistic endeavours and more? On the other\, stand those who see AI as degrading science\, debasing ethics and denuding humans of agency. To what extent are we faced with a potential threat in the search for truth\, not to mention the risk of manipulation and censorship that place freedom of speech and other freedoms in peril? \nGiven all the hype\, what actually is generative technology? Given the potential risks and multiple claims on behalf of Chat GPT and generative technology\, is this technology overhyped or undervalued? Is creeping automation about to make workers obsolete? For example\, should journalists fear being replaced by machines now that some newspapers use AI to write articles? And what of the wider implications of this technology? Are we realising the potential for liberation\, or a threat to liberty? \nSPEAKER\nSandy Starr\, deputy director of the Progress Educational Trust \nRESPONDENTS\nTom Collyer\, researcher\, Ideas Matter\nElla Nixon\, art historian \nCHAIR\nJacob Reynolds\, convenor\, The Academy \nREGISTER \nThe event is free but registration is required. Please complete the form below. \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/chat-gpt-and-artificial-intelligence-implications-for-freedom
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200319T194500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200319T214500
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20230329T135705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T135705Z
UID:379-1584647100-1584654300@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom Forum Theatre Club: 'Sticks and Stones'\, Tristan Bates Theatre\, London
DESCRIPTION:We’ll meet at the Tristan Bates Theatre to see the new play ‘Sticks and Stones’ which explores some thorny questions related to identity politics\, class and freedom of speech. \nAfter the play\, we’ll be going to a nearby bar for a drink with playwright Dameon Garnett who will be available to chat about Stick and Stones and the issues it raises around freedom – including why The Actors Centre cancelled the planned post-performance in-conversation at the theatre that was to explore the issues around freedom raised by the play. \nAnyone coming to this meetup can take advantage of the Living Freedom group booking tickets at a reduced price of £5 (full price is £15). These must be booked through Paypal below. \n‘STICKS AND STONES’ (2020)\nsee https://www.actorscentre.co.uk/theatre/sticks-and-stones \n‘Under the law you are guilty\, I would say\, of a hate crime’. \nAfua\, a black senior manager in a secondary school\, is asked to investigate online comments by a white colleague\, Tina; a woman she thought was a friend. Do Tina’s comments constitute hate speech\, and\, if so\, should the police get involved? Afua has always fought for women’s rights\, and Tina is a wronged woman\, but with an axe to grind that even Afua is not prepared for. \nIn an intensely claustrophobic setting\, the clash between the two women becomes increasingly explosive; opening up questions around speech\, power\, race and class\, that perhaps modern Britain is not ready to answer. \n‘You can’t deny Garnett’s bruising energy’; Michael Billington\, The Guardian
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/freedom-forum-theatre-club-sticks-and-stones-tristan-bates-theatre-london
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200303T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200303T210000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20230329T135132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T135402Z
UID:376-1583262000-1583269200@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom Forum Film Club: 'The Witch'
DESCRIPTION:‘The Witch’ is the Sundance prize-winning film from Robert Eggers who has just released ‘The Lighthouse’. Ahead of Living Freedom School 2020\, this is an opportunity to chat about some themes that we’ll get to grips with at the school including demonology\, heresy and moral panics. \nSet in early 17th century\, Robert Eggers’s Sundance prize-winning feature debut ‘The Witch: A New-England Folktale’ tells the story of a puritanical English family’s torment as they’re exiled to the wilderness from their New World community. This is the age when anxieties about witchcraft and anti-witch hysteria were gathering momentum. While the film is heavy on period detail\, reviewers have said it also speaks to important issues our times. What does this 21st century take on the figure of the witch tell us about then and now? \nAfter the film\, there will be a short ‘in-conversation’ with Maren Thom\, a researcher in film\, freelance writer and director\, acting workshops. \n£3 entry payable on the door covers popcorn and a glass of wine / beer
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/freedom-forum-film-club-the-witch
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20191204T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20191204T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T090514
CREATED:20230329T140035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T140135Z
UID:382-1575486000-1575496800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom Forum Xmas Bash Balloon Debate
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a drink\, good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate. \nWhat is the most important representation of freedom in culture? A panel of six valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice\, from art to non-fiction to literature. \nThey each have just three minutes to present their case\, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote\, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice. \nWhich cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide! \n\nMadalina Benderschi anthropology undergraduate\, UCL and Living Freedom alumnus; defending ‘The Myth Of Sisyphus’ (1942) by Albert Camus\nManick Govinda independent arts consultant; defending ‘Convergence’ (1952) by Jackson Pollock\nDr Beth Guilding academic\, Goldsmiths\, University of London; defending ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy (1995-2000) by Philip Pullman\nAtyab Rashid incoming vice president\, King’s College London Liberal Democrat Society; defending ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ (2010) by Kanye West\nDavid Bowden associate fellow\, Academy of Ideas; defending ‘Paradise Lost’ (1667) by John Milton\nJessica Ní Mhainín policy research and advocacy officer\, Index on Censorship; defending ‘Taste of Freedom’\, Futurama (2002) by Matt Groening\n\n£3 entry payable on the door – includes glass of wine / beer
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/freedom-forum-xmas-bash-balloon-debate
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
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