Free and unticketed. For more information contact Geoff Kidder.

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The economic crisis since 2008, and particularly the problems in many Eurozone countries, have called into question the assumption that developed societies can afford to continue in the old way with the ‘safety nets’ and welfare provision that has been built up in recent decades. In some countries, like the UK, austerity has so far been more rhetorical than real, but cuts in wages and social expenditure in Greece and Ireland have been drastic.

At the same time, many commentators have noted a decline in the strength of community. Our willingness and ability to rely on other people rather than state handouts has been questioned. This throws more responsibility back on the individual at a time when our resilience to cope with life’s stresses and strains is routinely undermined by greater state intervention in the minutiae of our lives. Some argue that there is a genuine fear for the future, which is leading voters to turn to populist movements across Europe.

How does a society continue to function in a constant state of fear? What impact does the ever-present threat of further economic dislocation have on society? Is the fact that Greece is now at the vanguard of a cruel but necessary readjustment away from the ‘Old Europe’ of social safety nets, towards a greater sense of self-reliance, something that may be faced elsewhere in time?

Can Greeks be persuaded to accept further change if there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, and what will happen to society if people do not accept reform? How can the political system win back the citizens’ trust? Can we develop a stronger sense of community, built out of necessity, or will there be an increased distrust of others as people scramble for limited resources?