Festival news
3 December 2007
IoI Education Forum Opinion Piece

Education Opinion is now located at educationopinion.blogspot.com. The latest piece, by Mark Taylor, surveys Battle of Ideas 2007 debates on education.


2 December 2007
Battle of Ideas 2007 media report

The Battle of Ideas 2007 generated extensive press coverage.

Print
Martyn Perks, comment on defending design for its own sake
Blueprint November 2007

Karl Sharro, comment on film and the city
Blueprint November 2007

Austin Williams, ‘Transport in India’
Blueprint November 2007

Nigel Hawks: Painkillers and a walk are best for back pain
The Times 9 November 2007

Raymond Snoddy: British television isn’t in terminal decline - get recording and see
The Independent 5 November 2007

James Delingpole: I am facing up to the fact that I may be a Marxist
The Spectator 3 November 2007

Nathalie Rothschild: The yogi and the techie
Hindustan Times 2 November 2007

Melanie Newman, ‘Right to speak is threatened’
THES, 2 November 2007

Richard Reynolds, ‘Academe is guilty of institutional cowardice’
THES, 2 November 2007

Piers Hellawell, ‘Manifest Inadequacies’
Incorporated Society of Musicians Music Journal October 2007

Cecilia Wee, ‘Would you prefer silence?’
New Notes October 2007

Battle of Ideas
BBC Focus October 2007

Adrian McNeil, Chief Executive, Human Tissue Authority, Good regulation - Research shows no gulf between science and public confidence
Letter to The Times, 31 October 2007

Leah Hardy, ‘Homework for parents’
Body&Soul, The Times, 27 October 2007

Naming the enemy
Leader, The Australian, 27 October 2007

Motoring news: The London to Brighton Run
Daily Telegraph 27 October 2007

Zo‘ Corbyn, ‘Focus on deliverables concerns scientists’
THES, 26 October 2007

Melanie Newman, ‘Free speech wins the day’
THES, 26 October 2007

Cara Bleiman, ‘Rock ‘n’ Revolt’
Cherwell 24, 26 October 2007

Claire Fox: Debate is being stifled by a new form of inquisition
The Independent 25 October 2007

Mark Henderson, ‘Constant policing of our research makes us look sinister, say scientists’
The Times 25 October 2007

Claire Fox: Let’s just have more homes
The MJ 25 October 2007

Independent education diary
Independent 25 October 2007

Austin Williams, ‘Architects cannot save the planet’
Construction News 25 October 2007

Raymond Tallis, ‘Why blame me? It was all my brain’s fault’
The Times 24 October 2007

Naresh Fernandes, ‘Growing Pains’
Time Out 24-30 October 2007

Preview, Around Town
Time Out 24-30 October 2007

Professor Patrick Basham: Who are you calling fat?
The Independent 23 October 2007

David Aaronovitch, ‘A weapons expert, a rose grower and a fantasist’
The Times 23 October 2007

Jennie Bristow, ‘Mums of the world unite’
Sunday Herald 21 October 2007

David Willetts MP, ‘We must value education for itself, not just to get a job’
The Sunday Times 21 October 2007

Andrew Price, ‘Students’ tickets to culture’
Paddington and Westminster Times 21 September 2007

Vivienne Parry, ‘Obesity: the big fat lie?’
The Times, Body&Soul 20 October 2007

Book now: the Battle of Ideas
The Week 20 October 2007

Sonya Dyer: Why are the arts so white?
Time Out London 17 October 2007

Nathalie Rothschild: Thunderer - ‘Spare us the Hollywood luvvies with a conscience’
The Times 17 October 2007

Madeleine Brindley, ‘Child obesity back lash’
Western Mail 16 October 2007

Events: Battle of Ideas festival
New Statesman 15 October 2007

Robert Bivins, Old cures for new ills + Battle of Ideas reader offer
Body&Soul, The Times 13 October 2007

Camilla Cavendish, ‘The madness of feeding this ravenous NHS’
The Times 11 October 2007

Norman Lewis explodes the myth of the digital child
Telecom Markets, 9 October 2007

Newsround: Battle of Ideas 2007
Music Journal September 2007

Autumn preview: Battle for Music
New Notes September 2007

Don’t miss the blarney barney
Daily Telegraph 8 September 2007

Coverage in The Smoke

Coverage in Lexus Magazine


Online

Geoff Kidder: Top ten British sporting losses
Times Online 24 October 2007

Raymond Tallis: My brain made me do it
Times Online 24 October 2007

Simon Myerson: The courts are not keeping pace with science
Times Online 23 October 2007

Patrick Kidd: Top 50 great British losers
Times Online 23 October 2007

Rob Lyons: Recycling is a waste of time
Times Online 23 October 2007

David Aaronovitch: Sorting waste is a pain, but I’ll do my bit
Times Online 23 October 2007

Dolan Cummings: Count me out of atheism’s creed
Times Online 22 October 2007

Ruth Gledhill: Religion’s death has been widely exaggerated
Times Online 22 October 2007

Gerard Baker: The US grass is still greener
Times Online 22 October 2007

Cheryl Hudson: Missing: one American dream
Times Online 22 October 2007

Jeffrey Rosen: Privacy is dead. Long live privacy
Times Online 22 October 2007

Holden Frith: We don’t really care about our privacy
Times Online 22 October 2007

Anjana Ahuja: Why particle physics is sexy
Times Online 22 October 2007

Mitesh Patel: The astonishing profits in particle physics
Times Online 22 October 2007


Battle Talk - spiked/18 Doughty Street

Ceri Dingle with Brendan O’Neill

Dominic Lawson with Brendan O’Neill

James Delingpole with Brendan O’Neill

Arts and elitism with Shirley Dent

Student activism with Brendan O’Neill

Barriers to science with Tony Gilland

The new heresies Mick Hume


Friction.tv

Revolting students

Demonising Parents

MySpace Generation

Film stars: from icons to role models

London 2012

Immigration: the unheard debate

Diet Nation


Other online

Bites from the Battle of Ideas
Philosophy and life blog

Should Art Change the World?
Battle of Ideas, State of Play Magazine and A&B

Battle of Ideas London Debate
View London

GTC at the Battle of Ideas
General Teaching Council

Battle of Ideas
Moleskine Cities

Battle of Ideas 2007
Intute: Arts and Humanities

Battle of Ideas
ESRC Society Today Issue 67

Battle of Ideas 2007
Your Local Guardian

Toner Quinn: Small Country think big
November/December 2007

Shirley Dent, ‘Stop this political prancing and get to the pointe - the best dance is elite dance’
Ballet.co Magazine November 2007

Rachel Harvey, Review of the Battle of Ideas
Remotegoat.co.uk November 2007

Battle of Ideas
CutivAsian October 2007

Battle for Africa
BBC Africa and Beyond October 2007

Julia Hailes, ‘Battling for recycling’
Telegraph blog 31 October 2007

Times Online web grab - Battle of Ideas special
Times Online 26 October 2007

Martin Earnshaw, ‘Recylcling: reducing waste or waste of time?
Arts & Letters Daily 24 October 2007

Battle of Ideas
Flavorpill London 23 - 29 October 2007

Adam Sampson, ‘Overcrowded and under pressure’
Society Guardian 23 October 2007

Battle of Ideas
Shelter: Adam’s Blog 23 October

Dave Clements, ‘Let’s take the politics out of housing policy’
Society Guardian 22 October 2007

Frank Furedi, ‘Fear of the Unknown’
Guardian Comment is free 22 October 2007

Jennifer Rohn, Preview: Battle of Ideas 2007
Nature Network 17 October 2007

Privacy and new technologies survey
New Media Knowledge newsletter 17 October 2007

‘Is our response to terrorism a bigger problem than the threat itself?
Innovations Report 16 October 2007

Ian Delaney, ‘Privacy 2 Standards’
twopointouch.com 10 October 2007

‘Oliver Shaw is hoping for snow’
Le Cool magazine 10 October 2007

Suzy Dean, Compulsory Voting: the case against
OpenDemocracy 5 October 2007

Battle of Ideas preview
Dazed and Confused blog September and October 2007

Toner Quinn, ‘Music in the 2007 Battle of Ideas festival’
Journal of Music in Ireland blog 30 September 2007

Shirley Dent, ‘We need creative critics and critical creators’
Guardian arts blog 27 September 2007

Martyn Perks, ‘Don’t curb design enthusiasm’
Guardian arts blog 26 September 2007

Battle of Ideas preview
Mansized 25 September 2007

Shirley Dent, ‘The collective work of a single author’
Guardian arts blog 17 September 2007


Broadcast

‘The Truth About Obesity’
The Investigation, BBC Radio 4 22 November 2007

Patrick Basham on ‘Diet Nation’
Jeremy Vine Show, BBC Radio 2 29 October 2007

Phil Cunliffe on ethical foreign policy
Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4 31 October 2007

Viv Regan on Saving Africa: the West’s new moral mission?
Inspirit, BBC Radio London 28 October 2007

Battle of Ideas feature - post-ideology
The World this Weekend, BBC Radio 4 27 October 2007

Claire Fox: democracy and its limits
World tonight BBC Radio 4 Friday 26 October

Patrick Basham on ‘Diet Nation’
You and Yours, BBC Radio 4 23 October 2007

Interview with Frank Furedi on terrorism
Sky News bulletin 22 October 2007

Patrick Basham on ‘Diet Nation’
Channel 4 News bulletin 17 October 2007

Michael Fitzpatrick on obesity epidemic
BBC Radio Foyle 17 October 2007

Science and politics of climate change
Analysis, BBC Radio 4 forthcoming

Battle for Africa
Analysis, BBC Radio 4 forthcoming


13 November 2007
Battles in Print now on sale

Themed, full-colour printed collections of selected Battles in Print are now available: Music & Arts, Science & Technology, Best of the BiPs 1 and Best of the BiPs 2. The collections are £3 each, or £10 for a set of four, including postage. Call 020 7269 9220 or buy online.


7 November 2007
Barriers to science survey

The IoI conducted a survey of over 200 scientists about barriers to science in the 21st Century. 84% of scientists who expressed an opinion answered ‘yes’ when asked: ‘Does the government adopt too instrumental an approach towards scientific research in general?’.

A full report of the survey is available as a pdf. Click here to download (428kb).

The Times reported on the survey:
Constant policing of our research makes us look sinister, say scientists, Mark Henderson, Science Editor, 25 October 2007.

Adrian McNeil, Chief Executive of the Human Tissue Authority, responded in a letter to The Times:
Good regulation, Research shows no gulf between science and public confidence, Letters, 31 October 2007


26 October 2007
Comment Central - Times Online - web grabs Battles in Print

Comment Central - Times Online - webgrab for today has chosen to showcase four Battles in Print:

Mark Vernon: Are friends electric? The promises and perils of online social networking
Nancy McDermott: Anti-Americanism at home and abroad
Nathalie Rothschild: Film stars: from icons to role models
Lee Jones: The Iraq war: the strip-tease of democracy

To view the index of all the Battles in Print, click here.


26 October 2007
Online Tickets until 4pm Friday

WE WILL STOP SELLING TICKETS ONLINE AFTER 4PM ON FRIDAY 26TH OCTOBER

There are still places available at the festival.  If you would still like to attend, you can buy tickets on the door at the RCA from:

9.15am on Saturday 27th October

and from 9.30am on Sunday 28th October.


26 October 2007
Public Transport News

CIRCLE LINE: On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October, is suspended throughout the entire line due to planned engineering works. Find out more information here.
 
DISTRICT LINE
: On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October, is suspended between Earls Court and Whitechapel due to planned engineering works. A limited late night replacement bus service operates between South Kensington and Aldgate East.
Find out more information here.


25 October 2007
Winners of ESRC Battles in Print competition announced

The ESRC with the IoI this year ran a competition for all postgraduate students who are funded by the ESRC to write a Battle in Print for the two ERSC keynote debates:‘Democracy and Its Discontents’ and ‘The Resurrection of Religion: Moving Beyond Secularism or Losing Faith in Politics?’ The winning essays have now been chosen:

‘Democracy and Its Discontents’
Nicki Senior, The Public Service Customer: Misdirection, Manipulation or Myth?

‘The Resurrection of Religion: Moving Beyond Secularism or Losing Faith in Politics?’
Stratos Ramoglou, The quest for certainty and the question of autonomy


24 October 2007
Times Online Battle Blogs launched today.

Battle of Ideas media partner Times Online is hosting several blogs to accompany provocative Battle of Ideas debates. The blogs feature Battle speakers and Times writers (including David Aaronovitch, Anjana Ahuja and Gerald Baker) squaring off over science, privacy & technology, the environment, religion ...and of course, why people hate America.


23 October 2007
Arts & Culture Battles in Print published today

Battles in Print as background reading for many of the Arts & Culture sessions have been published today. Read them here.


7 October 2007
Poll by Raymond Tallis launched today

Raymond Tallis has composed a list of his top ten works of Western culture for us. Vote for your favourite in our poll.


4 October 2007
e-learning Battles in Print published

Three new Battles in Print have been published today for tomorrow’s satellite event: What good is e-learning?

After the Bubble has burst, Toby Marshall
Is ICT transforming learning?, Keri Facer
Beyond technology: rethinking learning in the age of digital culture, David Buckingham


2 October 2007
New Battles in Print published today

Four new Battles in Print have been published in Lifestyle & Society and Health & Wellbeing:

Click here to read the Battles in Print


1 October 2007
First Battle Talk with Ceri Dingle of WORLDwrite

Spiked Online Editor Brendan O’Neill presents the first show in a mini-series in the run-up to the Battle of Ideas and interviews Ceri Dingle of education charity WORLDwrite, which campaigns for global equality. View the show on 18 Doughty Street.

WORLDwrite is an education charity which describes its mission as challenging prejudices and stereotypes by giving young people a unique opportunity to see the world from a fresh perspective through a first-hand, investigative filmmaking experience.


21 September 2007
Full pdf programme published

The final programme has been published in pdf format:
Saturday
Sunday


20 September 2007
Music performance, 'comment booths', a bookshop... the Battle of Ideas 2007 festival attractions have been announced

As well as nearly 70 debates at this year’s festival, there will be several festival attractions to keep you intellectually stimulated throughout the weekend, be it the music performance, the art exhibit or a number of other events. These are all listed on the festival attractions page.


13 September 2007
Naresh Fernandes, editor-in-chief, Time Out India speaking

Naresh Fernandes, editor-in-chief, Time Out India and writer on urbanisation and urban culture has confirmed he will be speaking at two debates this year - at the Keynote Controversy, ‘Age of the Metropolis’ and at the Contemporary Question, ‘India at 60’.


12 September 2007
US-based journalist Alexander Cockburn speaking

Alexander Cockburn, US-based journalist, editor of CounterPunch, and author of numerous books and columns, has confirmed he will be speaking at two debates at this year’s Battle of Ideas - at the Keynote Controversy, ‘The new heresies’ and at the Battle for New Technologies debate, ‘Digital commons’.


28 August 2007
Four Battle over ethics and regulation speakers confirmed

The Battle of Ideas Satellite Event at the Genomics and Society conference, The battle over ethics and regulation now has four distinguished speakers confirmed:

-Professor Ruth Chadwick
distinguished research professor, Cardiff University; director, Centre for Social and Economic Aspects of Genomics (CESAGen)

-Dr Christine Hauskeller
senior lecturer, ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society (Egenis), University of Exeter

-Mark Henderson
science editor, The Times

-Dr Stephen Minger
director, Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London


Tickets for this event are available from the Genomics and Society conference website. For more information, visit the Satellite Event page.


19 August 2007
Particle physics is sexy!

Not only can you discuss why ‘particle physics is sexy’ at the Battle of Ideas, you can see why too. Thanks to the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the festival will exhibit a model of the Atlas experiment - a particle physics experiment exploring the fundamental nature of matter and the basic forces that shape our universe.


17 August 2007
Listen to music from the most exciting new composers at the spnm listening posts

To accompany the Battle for Music debates, the society for the promotion of new music (spnm) are setting up Listening Posts around the Royal College of Art, bringing you sounds created by some of the most exciting composers currently emerging in the UK. We hope they’ll engage, provoke, stimulate, and energise.


14 August 2007
Three Battle of Ideas Satellite Events announced

To ensure that debate neither starts nor ends with one weekend, we can now announce that three Satellite Events will be taking place, produced in association with our Satellite Partners: the Design Museum, the ESRC Genomics Network and london knowledge lab.

‘Design in denial?’ @ Design Museum - 1 October: 19.15-20.30
‘What good is e-learning?’ @ london knowledge lab - 5 October: 18.30-21.00
‘The battle over ethics and regulation’ @ Genomics & Society conference - 26 October: 14.00-15.30


2 August 2007
'Should art change the world?' exhibition

Arts & Business, the festival ‘arts champion’, have invited guest curators to put on an exhibition on the theme ‘should art change the world?’ which will be on throughout the weekend in the Lower Gulbenkian gallery.


23 July 2007
New sessions

Three new debates have been added to this year’s programme:

‘Is identity politics undermining democracy?’ (Saturday, 10.30-12.00)
‘Particle physics is sexy’ (Sunday, 17.45-18.30)
‘London 2012: a sporting chance for the city?’ (Sunday, 11.00-12.30)

Featured speakers include Kenan Malik (author, Man, Beast and Zombie), Vicky Richardson(editor, Blueprint and Richard Bishop (director, Design London), with further speakers to be announced shortly.


5 July 2007
Battle of Ideas 2006 videos

To watch video footage of some of last year’s sessions, visit Fora TV.


30 June 2007
Welcome to the BoI website

The full site is now under construction with full details of this year’s conference from early August. Keep an eye out for updates.


 Festival Buzz

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'Turn That Racket Off' [Opens in new window]

"…the most interesting, diverse, serious and argumentative audience imaginable."
Prof Sir Bernard Crick