These are all the talks I’ve found happening in London within the next eight weeks.
The descriptions have been summarised with AI - hopefully a reasonably ethical use of it.
Talks
Museum of Installation Archive
- -
- Free
Learn about the impact of a unique London art institution through exhibits, a digital archive, and published materials.
Talking Gardens: Live with Sarah Raven and Nigel Slater
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- £20.00
Sarah Raven and Nigel Slater discuss their ideal gardens, favourite plants, and horticultural inspirations with a live audience.
How to untie the quantum string
- £16.00
A physicist explains why theories like quantum field theory and general relativity clash, and how string theory might unite them by envisioning tiny, vibrating strings.
The science of skateboarding
- £16.00
Rodney Mullen reveals the science behind skateboarding, from balance basics to complex tricks, demonstrating physics and biomechanics.
Unpicking the Colourful Past in England’s country houses with Edward Bulmer
- -
- £10.00
Learn about the impact of English country houses on interior design from a seasoned designer who uses historical influences to shape modern aesthetic tastes.
Corner Conversations with EA Festival
- -
- Free
Monthly sessions feature expert panels discussing topics from AI to rewilding, followed by audience Q&As, with snacks and drinks on sale.
Corner Conversations: New Models For Nature Recovery
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- £24.00
Engage with UK’s top environmental experts discussing rewilding, regenerative farming and its roles in restoring UK ecosystems.
Katy Hessel: On Groundbreaking Women
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- £20.00
Katy Hessel discusses the influence of Bloomsbury women on art and culture, alongside experts in fashion, radio, and gardening.
Changemakers: Elif Shafak
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- £20.00
British-Turkish author Elif Shafak discusses the power of storytelling and its role in addressing global issues like human rights, equality, and climate change.
A Mirror in the Sky
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- Free
A lecture on the Hubble Space Telescope’s journey, from overcoming technical setbacks to capturing stellar phenomena and revealing cosmic origins.
Preparing For Disease X
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- £10.00
Top experts discuss potential future pandemics, focusing on how to identify, predict, and tackle them based on lessons from COVID-19.
Magical Mystery Tour: The Invention of The Beatles
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- Free
A lecture analysing the inventive and experimental period of the Beatles from ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ to ‘Let it Be’, focusing on the harmony, melody, lyrics, and technology used.
In conversation with designer and metalworker Kathleen Reilly
- Free
Kathleen Reilly discusses her award-winning knife design ‘Oku’, its Japanese influences, and her career progress. See design samples and ask questions.
The power of bioengineering
- £16.00
Alvena Kureshi showcases next-gen surgical materials, including biodegradable implants and plant-based polymers, aiming for effective, sustainable healthcare.
Tracy Chevalier – The Glassmaker
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- £18.00
Tracy Chevalier discusses her latest book, set in Murano, about Orsola Rosso, a woman perfecting her glassmaking craft secretly in historical Venice.
The Power of the Image: Telling the Story of Conflict Through Photography
- Free
Top war photographers discuss the impact and ethics of capturing conflicts, from WWII to current events, highlighting historic and ongoing wars.
The Big Brain: Size and Intelligence
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- Free
This lecture uses statistics and scaling laws to analyse brain sizes in humans and animals, testing theories that link size to intelligence.
Growing Cities: Panel Discussion on Urban Agriculture
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- £10.00
Evening talk on how urban agriculture can improve city life, enhance biodiversity, and create stronger communities, plus actionable ways to expand green spaces.
Reactivating the High Street
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- Free
Experts analyse the High Street’s evolution, focusing on initiatives revitalizing urban spaces and their impact on community dynamics.
In Focus: 200 Years of the Picture Room
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- £5.00
Helen Dorey examines the origins, history, and highlights of John Soane’s Picture Room, and discusses its restoration.
Salons in the Queen's House: A (new) world in the pocket
- -
- Free
A silk handkerchief from the 1820s, bedecked with various historical flags, highlights global changes and the rise of new nations post-Napoleonic Wars.
The Funerary Monument of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
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- Free
Dr. Khan explores Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s funerary monument, focusing on its design and Sikh architectural features from the 19th century in Punjab.
Executive Master in Cultural Leadership
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- Free
Learn about a master’s programme focusing on cultural leadership. Gain insights into the syllabus, faculty, and teaching methods used in London and the Netherlands.
What is Modern Paganism?
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- Free
This lecture offers an overview of modern Paganism, comparing its various traditions and highlighting unique aspects and commonalities among them.
Found at the Water’s Edge
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- £6.00
Panelists discuss how various communities have interactively shaped and been molded by the River Thames, using a mix of research and creative insights.
'Orientalism' and the Painting of Fantasy
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- Free
Dr Matthew Morgan analyses Orientalist paintings from the 19th century, revealing the racial and gender stereotypes they propagate.
Human Rights Law: Bringing Power to the Powerless
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- Free
This talk explains how lawyers wield influence in constitutional countries like the US compared to nations without constitutions.
Murderous Insight: What Murder Can Teach Us About Society
- £12.00
Naomi Ryan discusses controversial British murder cases and reveals how juries tackle complex moral and societal issues.
Friday Lates: Michael Glover: Vincent's poets
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- Free
Michael Glover reads from his poetry collection, linking Van Gogh’s paintings with poetic insights on the artist’s passion for literature.
Wifi Wars Debug XVIII
- £16.00
Join Steve McNeil and Rob Sedgebeer as they put the latest gaming technology to the test with a room full of eager gamers playing as teams or going solo.
Friday Lates Gallery tour: The language of flowers
- -
- Free
Join Alex Bowie and Bethan Durie on a guided tour interpreting floriography within European artworks, focusing on both decorative and symbolic interpretations.
Edwina von Gal & Fergus Garrett: All Together Now – Designing (or not) for Fearless Garden Harmony
- -
- £20.00
Join a panel including top American and British landscape designers as they discuss sustainable practices and the vital role of landscapes in the climate crisis.
Friday Lates: James Cahill: David Hockney: Pictures within pictures
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- Free
James Cahill discusses how David Hockney’s use of inset images in his artworks invites viewers on a journey through art history and personal stories.
Recrafting the Internet
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- Free
A panel will address how craft principles might make the Internet more humane and inclusive, presenting new, empathetic digital visions.
Secret space waves
- £16.00
Learn about the detection of gravitational waves, the proposed Einstein Telescope, and their role in uncovering the universe’s mysteries.
Gravitational waves: Nature's secrets
- £16.00
Gideon Koekoek explains how gravitational waves and black holes relate to everyday physics, making complex concepts accessible and fun.
The SIM Project: Connected Artefacts of Migration
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- Free
Join artist Liz Hingley for a creative fusion of technology and art, showcasing jewellery from SIM cards, alongside stories of global refugees.
Legacy Week: How To Write Your Will - Ask a Solicitor
- -
- Free
Learn how leaving a gift in your Will can support a museum’s future. Experts will discuss the impact and answer questions about legacy giving.
A crack in everything: Black holes
- £16.00
Learn how black holes might explain fundamental physics and our existence from an ex-astronomer and writer, and get insights into his latest book.
Exhibition Talk: Expressionists: Kandinsky, Münter and the Blue Rider
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- £34.00
Learn about prominent artists and their pieces at a one-hour talk, with exhibition entry included afterwards.
The Ancient History of Computers and Code
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- Free
A lecture tracing the evolution of computing from ancient shipwrecks to Northern England’s textile mills, showcasing early programming’s influence on technology.
Looking for Leonardo: A Renaissance Puzzle
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- £23.00
Assistant Curator Lucy West examines paintings once attributed to icons like Leonardo da Vinci, uncovering unique Renaissance stories.
Legacy Week: Metalworking Now & the Thomas Yorke-Radleigh Bequest
- -
- Free
Learn how gifts in wills contribute to the museum and how you can leave your own legacy to support its future.
Online curator talk: In the Eye of the Storm
- Free
An online talk about groundbreaking modernist Ukrainian art from 1900 to the 1930s, focusing on key artists and thematic cross-links between art, drama, and history.
Legacy Week: Agatha Christie's Curious Syrian Cabinet
- -
- Free
Learn how leaving a gift in your Will can support a museum’s future and ways to create your lasting legacy.
Singing the Laws: Ancient Greek Lawgivers in History and Legend
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- Free
An insightful look into Greek lawgivers from Minos to Zaleucus, examining the blend of fact and myth in their legacies and how some set laws to music.
Choreography, Conservation and the Museum
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- £15.00
Artists and conservation experts discuss methods for preserving choreographic works in museum collections.
Raising the Net Zero Conversation: How to Stop Climate Becoming a Wedge Political Issue
- -
- Free
A lecture arguing for balanced climate solutions aimed at uniting diverse political views without oversimplifying the costs involved.
Isabela Ono on Roberto Burle Marx
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- £25.00
An evening celebrating Roberto Burle Marx’s impact on landscape architecture and ecology, showcasing his iconic designs and conservation efforts.
Salons in the Queen's House: Nymphs of the Thames
- -
- Free
Late 18th-century British fashion featured military-inspired designs as women expressed patriotism through their dress and accessories, accented by satirical prints.
Do Microbes Have Immune Systems?
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- Free
This lecture reveals the diverse immune mechanisms of bacteria, amoebae, nematodes, and other microbes in their battle against viruses.
Charismatic Leadership: Nature, Causes, and Consequences
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- Free
This lecture examines how leaders from Thatcher to Obama gained large followings, using insights from philosophy, rhetoric, and neuroscience.
Artistic Patronage at Ranjit Singh’s Court
- -
- £16.00
Learn about the artifacts and life at Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s court, including accounts from both European visitors and his chronicler.
Pokémaths: The maths of Pokémon
- £16.00
A mathematician uses Pokémon examples to explain maths concepts and gives tips on improving your Pokémon catch rate.
Decoding reality
- £16.00
A physicist will explain how the universe operates like a flow of information, covering DNA, entropy, and quantum effects like ’entanglement'.
European Security: Building for the Long Term
- -
- Free
A deep look at planning for Europe’s security, focusing on NATO’s role, EU enlargement, and the UK’s support amidst global challenges.
Ada Lovelace Day Live!
- £16.00
Women in science and tech discuss their careers, sharing their experiences and insights, aiming to inspire future generations.
An Evening with Mary Portas
- -
- £20.00
Mary Portas chats with Josephine Chanter about today’s design and retail scene, high street communities, future fashion trends, and the ‘kindness economy’.
Corner Conversations: The impact of AI on the Creative Economy
- -
- £24.00
A panel with three experts will examine AI’s impact on creativity in terms of employment, new art forms and intellectual property rights.
Much Ado About Numbers: Shakespeare’s Mathematical Life and Times
- -
- Free
Learn how mathematical innovations from arithmetic to astronomy influenced Shakespeare’s works, showing his creative use of numbers.
Finding Billy Waters: Black Londoners in Regency Britain
- £12.00
Learn about Billy Waters, a notable figure from Regency London, who was a sailor, busker, and vibrant personality amidst the city’s diverse cultural backdrop.
Jodi Picoult: By Any Other Name
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- £18.00
Join bestselling author Jodi Picoult for a talk on her novel about Emilia Bassano, a 16th-century poet, her life, and a fictional connection to Shakespeare.
Digital Art: Then and Now
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- £15.00
Learn about the evolution of digital art over sixty years, from early experimentation to global recognition, through curated discussions and historic works.
Flora Yukhnovich and Katy Hessel in Conversation
- -
- £16.00
Hear from Flora Yukhnovich, Dr Xavier Bray, and author Katy Hessel as they discuss the impact of contemporary and Rococo art on perceptions of women artists.
A Periodic Tale with Dr Karl
- £16.00
Uncover amazing science facts including why metal-working gods walked with a limp and how a plane flew over a month without refueling.
The future of recycling: One bin to rule them all
- £16.00
Polymer scientist Mike Shaver discusses sustainable solutions and innovations in plastic recycling and polymer technology, highlighting new approaches across the supply chain.
Mourad Mazouz: The Artistry of sketch
- -
- £18.00
Mourad Mazouz discusses his creative journey, highlighting collaborations with renowned artists, challenges in innovation, and the future of experimental dining and interiors.
Whither the Public Lecture?
- -
- Free
This event addresses the challenges and evolution of public lectures in the digital age, examining their value, purpose, and the impact of audience size.
Black Genius: Science, Race, and the Extraordinary Portrait of Francis Williams
- -
- £15.00
Learn about a unique 18th-century portrait of Francis Williams, showcasing the scholar in wig and surrounded by books, and its elusive backstory.
The Sondheim Showstopper: ‘Send in the Clowns’
- -
- Free
This lecture examines how ‘Send in the Clowns’ became widely popular despite minimal vocal requirements, featuring live performances.
Growing Together: Autumn Garden Assembly
- -
- £10.00
Enjoy expert talks on garden design, hands-on gardening, creative workshops, and a heated chat with horticulture and design professionals.
Designing the James Webb Space Telescope
- £16.00
Join NASA’s Astrophysics Division Director, Mark Clampin, as he shares insights on designing the James Webb Space Telescope and its impact on understanding the universe.
An Evening of Unnecessary Detail
- £20.00
Enjoy an evening with scientists and comedians, offering detailed insights and laughs with every fact and story shared.
A new way to understand the quantum world
- £16.00
Join Bob Coecke as he presents a new, intuitive way to understand quantum physics using diagrams, highlighting his effective teaching methods that have enhanced student understanding and performance.
Is Your Money Safe? Unveiling Hidden Conflicts in Finance
- -
- Free
A lecture on conflicts of interest in finance, showing how agency problems between CEOs and investors can lead to risky choices and fraud.
The Gardens of Gravetye Manor
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- £15.00
Tom Coward shares his 14-year journey restoring Gravetye Manor’s gardens to their historic splendour, using naturalist planting styles.
Why Does Britain Have a Housing Crisis?
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- Free
This discussion examines the shift from Victorian housing to today’s crisis, analyses past changes, and considers solutions from other cities.
Bach’s Invention: The Divine Trickery of J.S. Bach
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- Free
Learn how Bach embedded puzzles, symbols, and ingenious tricks in his compositions to enliven his timeless music with playfulness and depth.
Nourishing communities: Food at London’s core
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- Free
Learn how food initiatives transform London’s urban spaces into vibrant community hubs, with a focus on enhancing social cohesion and urban sustainability.
Messaging and Signals
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- Free
This lecture covers the evolution of messaging technologies from basic signs to advanced wireless systems, including a starlet’s pivotal role in developing Wi-Fi and GPS.
Corner Conversations: An evening with novelist Sarah Perry
- -
- Free
Sarah Perry discusses her new book, ‘Enlightenment’, intertwining love and astronomy across two decades in the lives of two friends.
Yoshida In Conversation: Yoshida Ayomi & Helen Hillyard
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- £23.00
Artist Yoshida Ayomi chats with curator Helen Hillyard about her family’s printmaking legacy and her cherry blossom installation.
Salons in the Queen's House: Architectures of Empire
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- Free
The Queen’s House set a precedent in British architecture with its symmetrical proportions and Italian Renaissance influence, shaping the design of numerous buildings locally and abroad.
The Origins of Modern Paganism
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- Free
Learn about Paganism’s portrayal from the Victorian and Edwardian times, including its perceived negatives and later admiration.
