The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust is a new organisation established to bring together and develop the inspiring educational work founded by Lord Weidenfeld and previously run by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Following Lord Weidenfeld’s sad passing in January 2016, the Trust has been inundated with tributes from scholars both past and present. The WHT builds upon Lord Weidenfeld’s work with academics, cultural experts and aspiring young leaders; these unique projects reach out to individuals who might otherwise have less opportunity to participate in high level academic study, discussion and debate.

Here at Leeds Beckett, we are a modern professional university with ambition.

Based in the vibrant city of Leeds, the biggest financial district outside of London, our vision is to be acknowledged for our commitment to student success, innovation and enterprise, global reach, and strong local impact.

Our aspiration is to help create great graduates, exceptional employees, dynamic citizens and enterprising leaders and we work closely with employers and partners to ensure that our graduates are ready for work, ready for life, and ready to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

Editorial Intelligence - ei - is a premium networking business with a premium events and publishing network. We work with Entrepreneurs, Freelancers, Corporate Executives and Global Brands. We promote social diversity and inclusion via our eiScholars programme.

We’re here to help you stay connected, smart and up to speed.

Newsweek has been a staple of American media for over 80 years, bringing high-quality journalism to millions of readers around the globe. Newsweek publishes print editions in Japanese, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish, as well as an English language international edition, but is a primarily digital property available across platforms and devices. Newsweek provides in-depth analysis, news and opinion about international issues, technology, business, culture and politics.

Flanders Architecture Institute is a centre for contemporary architecture. It is our aim to raise public awareness for the importance of a well-designed environment, to stimulate the public debate on the design of buildings and cities and to disseminate knowledge about architecture.

The National Football Museum is a museum at the Urbis building in Manchester city centre founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of association football memorabilia.

Rough Trade first opened in 1976, West London, on the doorstep of punk.

Forty years on, we continue to celebrate and focus on simply the most exciting music.

As our stores have grown in size and popularity, so has their scope and ability to embrace a wider celebration of independent thinking, creativity and fearless self-expression, from literature to DIY technology.

Fundamentally, our stores provide creative, independent minds a shared place of discovery and congregation.

The Institute of Modern Languages Research (IMLR) is the new designation for the Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies (IGRS), itself the outcome of a merger in 2004 between the Institute of Germanic Studies and the Institute of Romance Studies, founded in 1950 and 1989 respectively.

The Institute continues to be committed to facilitating, initiating and promoting dialogue and research for the Modern Languages community, however, its new name emphasises the Institute’s national research role and embraces its wider remit. The importance of modern languages within the humanities disciplines is underlined by its status as a strategic, important and vulnerable subject (SIV), and the renamed institute will be able to position itself strongly in relation to initiatives targeted to it, as well as developing its own creative paths forward.

The Institute fosters and contributes to national and international collaborative, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural research by means of seminars, lectures, workshops, colloquia, conferences, a fellowships programme, and its five research centres.

The Germanic Studies Collection, formerly the Library of the Institute of Germanic Studies and now part of the Senate House Libraries, is located on the 4th floor of Senate House. Its holdings are devoted principally to German language and literature from their respective beginnings to the present day, and has substantial collections of books, journals, microfiches, theses and archives covering these fields.

The IMLR is one of the nine Institutes that make up the University of London’s School of Advanced Study.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, with a second office in Alexandria, Virginia, ARI offers educational experiences based on Ayn Rand’s books and ideas for a variety of audiences, including students, educators, policymakers and lifelong learners. ARI also engages in research and advocacy efforts, applying Rand’s ideas to current issues and seeking to promote her philosophical principles of reason, rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism.

ARI is composed of a dedicated Board of Directors and an energetic staff of more than 55 people. We invite you to explore how Ayn Rand viewed the world – and to consider the distinctive insights offered by ARI’s thought leaders today.

NOTA is the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers, and is a registered charity. Inaugurated as a National Organisation in 1991, NOTA grew from a regional network in the North West of England. Membership is open to any professional whose work concerns intervention with sexually aggressive individuals regardless of their age, race, gender or sexual preference. With a growing multi-disciplinary membership comprised of practitioners, managers and policy makers from the public, private and voluntary sectors, NOTA is able to bring a wide variety of perspectives to intervention with sexual aggressors.

Full Fact is the UK’s independent factchecking charity. We don’t take sides in any debate and don’t support any political party or campaign. We’ve been quoted by politicians on all sides and corrected people on all sides. We have a cross-party Board of Trustees and safeguards in place at every level of our organisation to ensure our neutrality.

Factchecks alone are not enough to halt the spread of misinformation. We also push for corrections where necessary, and work with government departments and research institutions to improve the quality and communication of information at source.

The NIA is the trade association for the civil nuclear industry in the UK.

The NIA represents more than 260 companies across the supply chain. The diversity of NIA membership enables effective and constructive industry-wide interaction.

We believe nuclear energy is essential to meet the UK’s future clean energy needs. Together with renewables, clean coal and energy efficiency, nuclear can reduce carbon emissions. As part of a diversified energy mix, modern nuclear-generated energy can provide safe and reliable sources of power for UK homes, hospitals, schools and industries.

NIA member companies also have significant expertise in nuclear decommissioning and clean-up, with 19 nuclear sites in the UK currently being managed through the process.

he NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its Farmer and Grower members.

As farmers and growers, you need someone to give British farming a voice, so what you’re most passionate about can be continuously protected and shaped. You need someone who can offer you advice and services that are actually of real value to you.

The NFU is that someone. We’re your trade association, providing professional representation on the issues that affect you most.

Our objectives are to champion farming in England and Wales and to provide professional representation and service to Farmer & Grower members.

We like to pose direct challenges to those engaged in the same old rhetoric and traditions within the academy.
We do not blindly accept the current cultural etiquette.
We enjoy the exploration of human paradoxes.
We embrace cultural innovation, creativity and mischief.
We are passionate about interrogating the impact our contemporary culture has on our perception of the world.
We want to start new and original conversations and political discourse in this time of seismic cultural change.
We want to embrace all the opportunities that brings.
We are based in Leicester in the UK.

The Association of British Bookmakers is the leading trade association for betting shop operators on the UK’s high streets. We aim to help create and sustain conditions in which socially responsible betting shop operators can compete and prosper. Our membership ranges from major national operators to single, family run businesses and collectively, we represent 80% of the sector.

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together nine internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK’s national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

GCU’s School for Work Based Education (SWBE) helps working people obtain a tailored higher education qualification whilst at work. SWBE works in partnership with public and private sector organisations to design and deliver bespoke higher education programmes. SWBE offers flexible to suit different employers - offering teaching daytime, evening or weekends and using face to face and distance approaches. Clients include SSE, North and South Lanarkshire Councils, Transnet Freight Rail, The Institute of Railway Operators and the Institute of Counselling.

The Lisbon Architecture Triennale is a non-profit association whose mission is to research, foster and promote architectural thinking and practice. It holds a major forum every three years for the debate, discussion and dissemination of architecture across geographic and disciplinary boundaries.

The first Triennale, “Urban Voids” took place in 2007 with a programme of international exhibitions, competitions and conferences drawing 52,000 visitors and participants. In 2010, its second edition “Let’s Talk About Houses” consolidated the Triennale’s presence in the circuit of events devoted to architecture with an estimated 154,000 attendees. Now, from its new headquarters in the Sinel de Cordes Palace, where a creative cluster is being established, the Triennale organizes as well “Intervalo”, a programme which happens between each edition of the Triennale event.

The Lisbon Architecture Triennale was distinguished in its three editions (2007,  2010 and 2013) with the High Patronage of His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic and since 2010, it was also awarded the status of Cultural Interest by the Ministry of Culture.

A great place to study

The University of Salford is a friendly, vibrant and pioneering University. We continually invest in our campus, facilities and industry partnerships to enhance your student experience and provide opportunities to develop the skills needed to succeed in your career

The GSA is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading university-level institutions for the visual creative disciplines.  Our studio-based approach to research and teaching, brings disciplines together to explore problems in new ways to find new innovative solutions.  The studio creates the environment for inter-disciplinarity, peer learning, critical enquiry, experimentation and prototyping, helping to address many of the grand challenges confronting society and contemporary business.

Since the School was founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good design for the manufacturing industries, our role has continually evolved and redefined to reflect the needs of the communities we are part of, embracing in the late 19th century fine art and architecture education and today, digital technology. Then as now our purpose remains the same - to contribute to a better world through creative education and research.

For over 20 years, the Architecture Foundation has brought together professionals from across the built environment to discuss and act on issues related to design and the built environment. With a renewed focus on the city and the critical intersection of architecture and politics, the Architecture Foundation works to effect meaningful change on policy and practice.

We host debates, make films, commission critical writing, curate exhibitions, publish books and engage industry figures directly fostering new relationships and collaboration to help shape the quality of the built environment.

At the Business and Information Technology School, our purpose is to train the next generation of leaders for the requirements of a globalized and digitalized business environment. We believe that a successful career goes hand in hand with a well-rounded personal development. As a private, state-accredited university of applied sciences, BiTS offers integral degree courses in management, business psychology, law, media and finance on its campuses in Berlin, Hamburg and Iserlohn.

This year Bow Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Bow Arts is an arts education charity that provides affordable creative workspaces for over 400 emerging artists. Alongside this, Bow Arts manages one of the country’s most exciting and award winning education programmes, which takes world-class artists into 70 schools to improve the lives and learning of children and young people. Bow Arts runs the Nunnery Gallery, a public gallery that supports a diverse range of high quality exhibitions and events as well as the delivery of a public arts programme, and is home to the Carmelite Café.  Established in 1995, Bow Arts holds an important place in east London which is fast becoming known as London’s Artist Quarter. For more information, visit www.bowarts.org.

Immunocore, a leading UK-based immuno-oncology biotechnology company which is using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, is delighted to be supporting the 2015 Battle of Ideas in October 2015. The scientific, cultural, political and social debates are relevant to everyone, and will bring surprising and valuable insights to the current issues from around the world. Another great opportunity for innovative thinking to collide with old chestnuts, connecting the seemingly disconnected elements of the fast-moving world we live in.

The Academy of Ideas Academy has been running since 2011. Bringing together a wide range of people of all ages and educational backgrounds, The Academy is a modest attempt to demonstrate the value of scholarship in itself in today’s climate of instrumental approaches to knowledge, the use of universities as social-engineering battering rams, incessant demands to show value for money, etc. There is an associated scholarship programme through which we subsidise up to 50 full-time students to attend (they receive an extra preliminary day of lectures on the day before the main event begins).

The Academy is a residential long weekend running Saturday to Monday in the third week of July at Wyboston Lakes Conference Centre, Bedfordshire. Something of an intellectual summer holiday away from it all. Attendees can read as much or as little as they like from reading lists given out in advance and the format of the weekend is three to four lectures a day with strands covering political philosophy, the classics, history and literature. The only qualification required is a desire to learn, discuss and engage with big ideas.

Retail Week is the leading authority on retailing in the UK, providing industry news, insightful analysis, comment and key data.

Retail Week covers the entire UK retail sector, including, food, fashion, home and DIY, entertainment and general merchandise as well as e-tail, multi-channel, store interiors, technology and property.

For 25 years Retail Week’s reputation has been built upon its exclusive news coverage, which is backed up by in-depth interviews and features, respected columnists and authoritative analysis of the issues that matter to retailers.

Action on Consumer Choice is owned and managed by the smokers’ lobby group Forest which was founded in 1979 by Battle of Britain fighter pilot Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, a lifelong pipesmoker.

Increasingly the freedom to smoke in public places has been eroded to the extent that public health campaigners are now calling for bans on smoking on beaches, in public parks and town squares. A once benign nanny state has become a bully state, coercing rather than educating adults to give up smoking.

Today the public health industry is targeting other products including alcohol, sugary drinks and convenience food. Even e-cigarettes, a potential harm reduction product, are threatened with excessive regulations including bans on vaping in public places and restrictions on sale and promotion.

For 36 years Forest has been the “voice and friend of the smoker”. In addition to tobacco, Action on Consumer Choice will embrace food, drink and smokeless tobacco products including e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery products.

Consumers who want choice, are prepared to take personal responsibility for those choices and act with consideration for others now have another voice you can call your own.

Eat. Drink. Smoke. Vape. It’s YOUR choice.

Sir William Perkins’s School is about more than achieving excellent grades; our aim to build confidence, integrity and excellence pervades all that we do, in and out of the classroom. Our community thrives on an exchange of ideas, and we see no boundaries to learning – either global or intellectual. We aim for cultural literacy to give young women the education to lead happy, successful and fulfilling lives and ready to take on the world!

The Hallmark Hotel Derby Midland has an enviable location, within walking distance of Derby city centre. Yet in half an hour you can be rambling in the Peak District National Park.

International Business Times (IBTimes) is a growing digital global news publication that delivers international business news to an audience of over 5 million in the U.K. and 50 million people worldwide every month through its network of digital publishing platforms.

IBTimes provides comprehensive content around the most important business, economic and political stories from around the world, while also adhering to other niche areas that interest global readers. It is produced in 10 country editions in 5 different languages, offering in-depth coverage that is relevant and specific to each global market.

IBTimes is currently the main business unit of IBT Media. IBTimes’ global headquarters are in New York City and European Headquarters is in London.

The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, is a visitor centre, exhibition space and events venue situated in the heart of Glasgow, just off the Style Mile. The Lighthouse acts as a beacon for the creative industries in Scotland and promotes design and architecture through a vibrant programme of exhibitions and events.

Formerly housing The Glasgow Herald, The Lighthouse was the first public commission completed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and is the perfect place to begin a Mackintosh tour of Glasgow.

Rhinegold Publishing is one of the leading UK publishers for music and the performing arts. We produce specialist magazines and a number of directories, guides and supplements covering a wide variety of topics.

We strive to offer news, reviews, topical columns and opinion pieces on music and the performing arts that are welcomed by our readers, respected by the music and performing arts sector, and valued by our commercial partners.

Rhinegold Publishing is driven by a commitment to high quality and guided by its belief in the necessity of integrity and independence in all of its publications.

As one of the leading publishers for music and the arts, Rhinegold Publishing also has the capacity to produce brochures and programmes for clients, and can provide advertising, production, design and printing support of the highest quality.

Civic Room is an organisation in Glasgow and London that curates events, exhibitions and projects to share a critical engagement between artists, built urban spaces and communities. Housed in a former British Linen Bank, Civic Room will produce a two year programme developed with an advisory including architects, artists and designers.

History
The British Linen Bank (initially called the British Linen Company) was established by a Royal Charter in 1746. The new company was empowered to “carry on the Linen Manufactory” in all its branches, the word ‘British’ in its title was a reflection of the suspicion aroused by all things Scottish after the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.

Although the initial aim of the company was to promote the linen industry, from the late 1760s, it moved towards banking and began issuing notes. The bank continued to grow throughout the 19th century. Other than a temporary paralysis in trade in the late 1850s following the collapse of the Western Bank (along with the suspension of the City of Glasgow Bank), the British Linen Company survived most economic depressions relatively unscathed. In 1906 the company formally changed its name to the British Linen Bank. (LLoyds Banking Group archive)

Index on Censorship is an international organisation that promotes and defends the right to free expression. The inspiration of poet Stephen Spender, Index was founded to publish the untold stories of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain. Today, we provide a platform for censored writers and artists around the world through an award-winning magazine and website, and fight for free speech by challenging censorship whenever and wherever it occurs.

Kultura Liberalna / Liberal Culture is a centrist, liberal media organisation, established in Poland in 2008 by a group of journalists and academics, which publishes an influential weekly online journal featuring articles, commentary and debate. Liberal Culture also publishes books, organises international events and develops partnerships with other media outlets and intellectual networks around the globe.

Our main aim is to strengthen and modernize liberal ideas in Central and Eastern Europe through the promotion of the ideals of an open society, worldview pluralism and free debate based on mutual respect.

The Magna Carta Institute researches, debates and seeks to influence some of the key political, legal and social issues of our time. Its purpose is to analyse how best to create and maintain just societies that fairly balance both personal freedom and authority, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals and society. Essentially, the Institute strives to stimulate and shape debate around some of the most important questions facing the modern world. The Institute is actively involved in the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta in 2015 and promoting its legacy in schools and Universities

The Geological Society of London is a not-for-profit organisation, and a registered charity (no. 210161). Its aims are to improve knowledge and understanding of the Earth, to promote Earth science education and awareness, and to promote professional excellence and ethical standards in the work of Earth scientists, for the public good. 
 
Founded in 1807, it is the oldest geological society in the world. Today, it is a world-leading communicator of Earth science – through its scholarly publishing, library and information services, cutting-edge scientific conferences, education activities and outreach to the general public. It also provides impartial scientific information and evidence to support policy-making and public debate about the challenges facing humanity.

The Society is the UK’s professional body for Earth science and has a worldwide membership of over 11,500. More than 2,000 of its members live overseas and over 2,500 are Chartered Geologists or Chartered Scientists – professionals who have demonstrated a high level of education, professional competence in their field and a commitment to professional ethics. The Society is licensed by the European Federation of Geologists to award the title of European Geologist and works with partner bodies in the UK to maintain specialist professional registers. It accredits undergraduate and MSc degree programmes, as well as in-house professional training schemes provided by employers. These professional designations and programmes play a vital role in assuring high professional standards, for the benefit of society.

The House of St Barnabas supports homeless people back into lasting paid work by offering integrated hospitality training and work experience in its social business, a not-for-profit private members club in Soho.  The club is a dynamic cultural space for the continually curious, the interested and interesting and those who are motivated by social change.  Described as a ‘hip Soho hang-out’ by Financial Times’ How to Spend It, the culturally inspired club is also revered for ‘demolishing stereotypes’ by Dazed Digital.

The pioneering charity believe that social and cultural exclusion often go hand in hand, and seek opportunities to open their doors to a diverse group of people, enabling them to experience different ways to see and understand the world.

For more information on how to get involved please visit https://hosb.org.uk/

Poet in the City is an arts organisation which promotes a love of poetry to new audiences through live events, projects, commissions and participation. Programming around 40 events and performances a year, we work with leading UK and international poets, celebrated actors and experts from across the arts and wider social sectors to present poetry in a new way.

We provide a dynamic platform to contemporary poets, curate imaginative and exciting themed events and bring classic poetry to life for a 21st century audience. Over the last 12 years we have fostered a genuine and growing appetite for accessible, challenging and inspiring poetry performances.

Poet in the City has a thriving volunteer community and also works regularly with young people through education and employability schemes.

The NTIA is the voice for the sector and works to increase awareness and understanding of its contribution and benefits. It seeks to influence the decisions of policymakers and ensure that the night time economy continues to flourish, supporting regeneration, creating jobs and enhancing the UK’s international reputation.

“We at The NTIA know that a lively and engaged public discussion is crucial to air the themes of what is important to people that live in the UK and indeed for those that visit us. Challenging assumptions and old scripts is something that we have committed to in terms of changing the narrative in the UK as far as The Night Time Economy goes. We are very honoured to be participating and partnering with The Battle of Ideas - that leads the way in challenging narratives in almost every field today!”

The Satellite Applications Catapult is an independent innovation and technology company, created to foster growth across the economy through the exploitation of space. We help organisations make use of and benefit from satellite technologies, and bring together multi-disciplinary teams to generate ideas and solutions in an open innovation environment.

Based in Harwell, near Didcot, the Catapult was established in May 2013 by Innovate UK (formerly known as the Technology Strategy Board) as one of a network of centres to accelerate the take-up of emerging technologies and drive economic growth. We are a not-for-profit research organisation which is registered as a private company limited by guarantee and controlled by its Board.

SCALS is a predominantly qualitative and developmental programme of research to improve how we design, introduce and evaluate technology-supported integrated care in older people with complex needs. This includes a new four-year Senior Investigator Award from the Wellcome Trust.

The Natural Environment Research Council - NERC - is the leading funder of independent research, training and innovation in environmental science in the UK.

We invest public money in world-leading science, designed to help us sustain and benefit from our natural resources, predict and respond to natural hazards and understand environmental change. We work closely with policymakers and industry to make sure our knowledge can support sustainable economic growth and wellbeing in the UK and around the world.

We are supported mainly by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), but our activities and funding decisions are independent of government.

The National Housing Federation is the voice of affordable housing in England. We believe that everyone should have the home they need at a price they can afford.

That’s why we represent the work of housing associations and campaign for better housing. Our members provide two and a half million homes for more than five million people.

Housing is now a hot topic in political and public debate. The issues thrown up by the housing crisis cut across politics, the environment,  economy, culture and the generational divide. We are supporting this year’s Battle of Ideas because we think it’s important to reach out and participate in those wider debates.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. We seek to strengthen the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check. We help to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. We implement initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. We build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. Working in every part of the world, the Open Society Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

Canal180 is the first Portuguese Open Source TV channel entirely dedicated to culture, arts and creativity. Following the ever-changing artistic agenda, the channel broadcasts innovative content, created by a new generation of artists. Canal 180 also exclusively produces and curates projects from around the world.

Combining internet and TV in the same platform, Canal 180 is targeted to a growing audience that can finally watch original content on art and culture at easy access. An award-winning TV channel based in Portugal, Canal 180 aims to broadcast worldwide via cable television operators.

In 2015, Canal 180 is a partner on the following events:

Thursday 5 November, Porto
What is creativity?

Friday 6 November, Porto
Public space: collective common or virtual reality?

Saturday 7 November, Lisboa (Bairro Alto)
Where - and what - is public space?

Pimlico Academy is a non-fee paying school for local children. As part of the family of Future Academies schools in South Westminster, we pride ourselves on our determination to deliver excellence in every aspect of our provision.

Indigo Memoirs is a digital lifestyle magazine which connects people with experiential activities in London. We support ethical, community focused businesses and run weekly competitions with our partners to give away the best experiences the city has to offer. Our dream is to transcribe the London lifestyle renaissance, a way of life many of us are starting to appreciate and provide a delightful resource for your upcoming London journeys.

We encourage our readers to experience morning dance raves spiked with detox smoothies and organic lattes. We show drained office workers where to mediate and dance at the same time. We connect dieters with hidden juice bars, dispensing elixirs down side streets in Peckham. We recommend galleries which redefine the way we experience art. We suggest alternatives to your everyday routine, prescribing Voga or Kundalini yoga to keep you fit and entertained.

The Battle of Ideas represents an exciting opportunity to rejuvenate public debate and encourage people to engage with topical issues they feel passionately about. Indigo Memoirs proudly supports thought provoking, public discussion.

Boisdale restaurants, dubbed a ‘carnivore’s dream’ by the London Evening Standard newspaper, have three establishments in the capital – in Canary Wharf, Belgravia and Bishopsgate. They feature a unique and very successful mix of fine food, a great wine list, an unparalleled range of whiskies, probably the widest selection of Cuban cigars in the world and the best classic jazz, blues and soul offering in London, cast in a unique setting. 

In August this year, Boisdale launched a bumper magazine to celebrate the many and various passions of the people whose conviviality helps create the unique atmosphere that is the Boisdale trademark. We called it Boisdale Life and on its pages you will find anecdotes, reflections and news from a diverse selection of friends and supporters who frequent our establishments, including the brilliant Claire Fox, director of the Academy of Ideas and convenor of the Battle of Ideas Festival. It is they – just as much as the chefs, staff and musicians – who make Boisdale the place it is today.

Issue 2 of Boisdale Life features a controversial article from Claire Fox on the sinister dangers of political correctness; a persuasive Roger Bootle arguing that the UK may need to go it alone in Europe; Scottish rugby star Kenny Logan reflecting on his lifelong struggle with dyslexia; an ebullient Bruce Anderson beating the drum for the Union; General Sir Simon Mayall explaining the role of the British Armed Forces in the twenty-first century; a heart-warming description from Nell Gifford on the ups and downs of running a thriving twenty-first century circus, and more…

Boisdale are proud to be associated with the Battle of Ideas Festival, with complimentary copies of Boisdale Life Issue 2 available to guests throughout the event.

Dédalo magazine is a publishing project developed by a group of students of Oporto University Faculty of Architecture, established as a space for critical intervention based on the encouragement of architectural discussion and the issues that the current discipline raises, never forgetting that architecture is not an isolated manifestation of the other arts or social sciences.

In this new phase, with a new team, Dédalo is willing to consolidate and expand its area of intervention, assuming a new and dynamic interaction with the city’s, the country’s and worldwide culture through a series of international competitions, articles and interviews both in Portuguese and in English.

The name of the magazine is a reflection around Dédalo’s paradigm, and its history according to Greek mythology: the architect who draws the labyrinth to enclose the Minotaur in a way that it never can escape from there. This impenetrability is broken and as punishment Dédalo is locked with his son in its creation. This is the concept of our publication, with a reflective character, a space of openness and criticism, mainly directed to the discussion of the maze that is contemporary architecture.

Founded in 1995, Bow Arts’ mission is to support community renewal in east London by delivering arts and creative services through a financially sustainable model. The Nunnery Gallery programmes a mixed exhibition programme to appeal to a wide audience with a particular focus on site responsive work and work that explores the history of the local area.

Maus Hábitos (Bad Habits) is a non-specific and informal space of creative use and meeting point of heterogeneous publics, located on the top floor of a twentieth-century art deco building. 

Opened in 2001, during Porto’s term as European Cultural Capital, Maus Hábitos has several rooms and patios, including two main rooms 160m2 and 100m2 each. It offers space for concerts, theatre, dance, talks, exhibitions and night clubs. With a magnificent view overlooking the city centre, it also features a restaurant and bar.

Tegengeluid is a digital newsletter in Dutch with links to the best unconventional opinion pieces on the Internet. It is a response to the conformism in modern debate, which ignores unusual questions and inconvenient answers. Tegengeluid is for anyone who dares to be provoked - and dares to provoke themselves.

‘I visited the Battle of Ideas Festival for the first time in 2011. I’ve been hooked since. In fact, I’m proud to have helped introduce the Battle of Ideas in Amsterdam. Every year, the Festival amazes me with such a fascinating programme. The organisers make sure that topics are relevant, that speakers offer surprising views, that moderators are well-prepared, and that the audience goes away with more than enough things to ponder. The only critique I have is that there are simply too many great sessions going on, so we know for sure that whatever we do, we’ve always missed something interesting! Every year, I make sure to mark the date so not to miss it. As a journalist, I come home with more than plenty of story ideas to keep me busy!’

Marco Visscher, journalist; curator, Tegengeluid

Politics.co.uk is about independence of thought. Big ideas, argued in a way which does them justice; important stories, told in a way which entertains. Our readers make up their own mind - our job is to bring them stories they never heard of and views they hadn’t considered yet. We’re proud to partner with the Battle of Ideas festival, where fearlessness and independence of mind come with the territory.

Ideas for a Better Future

Freiblickinstitut organizes debates on important issues of politics, society, economy , science and art. We stand for freedom and progress and reflect a consistently humanistic perspective position in current discussions.

The Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) is the democratic organisation representing the rights of fans and arguing the views of football supporters in England and Wales.

The Liverpool Salon is a new forum for debate on Merseyside. The Liverpool Salon fosters thought-provoking, critical conversations around contemporary issues in welcoming and convivial surroundings.

Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee is a private research university and medical center offering a full-range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. It was founded thanks to an gift by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1873. Vanderbilt offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education and human development, as well as a full range of graduate and professional degrees.

De Balie is a platform for free speech, contemporary art, debate and culture at the Leidseplein in Amsterdam. In thirty years, De Balie has become a phenomenon in the field of high-profile debates and (art) projects.

Kulturhuset Stadsteatern is one of Northern Europe’s largest cultural institutions. Located right in Stockholm’s political and commercial centre, it is also a public space for all people in Stockholm. The activities include libraries, theatre, debates, art exhibitions, film, dance and music. Annually we have approximately three million visits.

The Zurich Salon provides a public space to explore differences of opinion and levels of agreement on the most contentious issues of our time.

For many newspaper and TV editors around the world who send some of their best journalists to report from London, it is the battle of political and economic ideas here that drives much of the news agenda. Might Scotland actually vote for independence? Is it really possible that the UK could leave the European Union? What role could the Commonwealth have in addressing global concerns on security, economic growth and the environment? Of course the Foreign Press Association has to be involved in the Battle of Ideas.

Christopher Wyld, Director, Foreign Press Association in London

The Young Arab Voices programme (YAV), initiated and steered by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the British Council is seeking to root the debate culture among young people and to develop their critical faculties through focusing on developing skills and opportunities for youth-led debate and advocacy across the Middle East and North Africa.

Since 2011, the YAV programme alone has engaged more than 90,000 youth (from Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) in debate opportunities, and contributed to policy dialogue with local, regional and international institutions.

The University of Malta is the highest teaching institution in Malta. It is publicly funded and is open to all those who have the requisite qualifications. The University strives to create courses which are relevant and timely in response to the needs of the country. There are some 11,000 students including over 600 international students from 80 different countries, following full-time or part-time degree and diploma courses, many of them run on the modular or credit system. The University regularly hosts a large number of Erasmus and other exchange students.

The University is geared towards the infrastructural and industrial needs of the country so as to provide expertise in crucial fields. Well over 3,000 students graduate in various disciplines annually. The degree courses at the University are designed to produce highly qualified professionals, with experience of research, who will play key roles in industry, commerce and public affairs in general. There are a further 2,600 pre-tertiary students at the Junior College which is also managed by the University.

The University of Sheffield prides itself on making a difference and has a longstanding reputation for delivering world class research and innovation. Our research addresses the major challenges facing society and our ideas are leading academic debates internationally and shaping policy across the globe. Our researchers are collaborating across traditional academic disciplines and joining forces with an international network of non-academic organisations. Our work chimes synonymously with the ethos of this event: working together to tackle the big challenges.

The British Academy is an independent national academy of Fellows elected for their eminence in research and publication. It is the UK’s expert body that supports and speaks for the humanities and social sciences.

Our mission is to inspire, recognise and support high achievement in the humanities and social sciences throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.

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Vodafone is pleased to support the Academy of Ideas as part of its broader commitment to encourage - and participate in - informed debate about the most important issues in society. As a multinational communications company with nearly 450million customers, Vodafone and its philanthropic arm, the Vodafone Foundation, have a deep interest in societal and cultural challenges, often looking for ways to enhance people’s lives and livelihoods through the deployment of the company’s technology.

Throughout 2015, the BRC has been considering the impact of the UK retail industry and its operations by asking some tough questions. What are the roles and responsibilities of retailers in supply chains as well as society as a whole? Will retailers ever be able to meet the expectations of UK consumers when market dynamics are ever changing? Supporting the Battle of Ideas presents an opportunity to return to some of these issues and reflect on other pertinent questions. Over the next two days, many of the topics covered will shape the context in which retailers operate and have a direct bearing on their customers and wider communities. I am confident that this year’s Battle of Ideas will once again deliver more thought-provoking debate.

Amanda Callaghan
Corporate Affairs Director
BRC