The theme of this year's Festival is extremes. We’re living in an age where everything seems to be growing more extreme – whether politics, income inequality, the climate or technology – and we want to explore this in its broadest sense.
- Ariel Retik
This year’s Cambridge Festival of Ideas will host over 200 events, exhibitions and performances as it explores the theme of extremes, from political and social radicalism to life at high altitudes and the extreme high street.
The Festival, now in its 11th year, runs from 15th to 28th October. Speakers include Baroness Valerie Amos, musician Evelyn Glennie, Rowan Williams, Professor David Runciman, best-selling author Tara Westover, film director Tim Slade, author James Bloodworth, psychologist Terri Apter, Professor David Reynolds, economist Victoria Bateman, postcolonial literature expert Priyamvada Gopal and international trade economist Meredith Crowley.
The programme has launched online and is packed with events ranging from debates, talks, exhibitions, films and performances held in lecture theatres, museums and galleries around Cambridge. There are events for all ages and most are free.
Debates include:
- Wars in the Middle East: living through extremes. What happens to those who choose not to flee during war situations in the Middle East? With BBC journalist Nawal El Maghafi, anthropologist Dr Lori Allen, Sophie Roborgh and Mona Jebril. [16th October]
- Europe in an age of extremes. With huge internal and external pressures facing the European Union, including the rise of nationalist and populist movements of all types across Europe - both inside the EU and outside, as well as the power struggle going on for control of Europe, can it survive? With Ian Kearns, Dr Julie Smith, Professor John Breuilly and Timothy Less. [18th October]
- The future of work. Will the future of work be one in which jobs become ever more precarious and robots take over or can we regulate to make the gig economy and artificial intelligence work in our favour? With author James Bloodworth, Dr Alex Wood, Dr Hatice Gunes and Ben Dellot from the Royal Society for the Arts. [20th October]
- What does a global Britain mean post-Brexit? Has Brexit highlighted a need for a broader discussion about immigration and Britain's place in the world today? With historian Shruti Kapila, Richard Johnson from Lancaster University, Sundeep Lidher and Professor Philip Murphy. [23rd October]
- Bridging the gender gap. What does gender equality mean in practice? Is feminism a threat to men or a collective liberation from social stereotypes? Can there be equality at work without equality at home? With Dr Victoria Bateman, Dr Manali Desai, film, tv and theatre director Topher Campbell and Duncan Fisher from the Family Initiative. [24th October]
- Trade wars: deal or no deal?: What is the likely impact of trade war and how has the tension between protectionism and free trade played out in history? A panel discussion with Dr Marc-William Palen, Dr Meredith Crowley, Dr Lorand Bartels and economist Rebecca Harding. [20th October]