Archived Events

• Upcoming
• Archived

Starting the Conversation – Exploring the Potential of Integrative Medicine

Explore developments in Integrative Medicine (IM) from forward-thinking countries that are spearheading the change in cancer treatment, as well as sharing exciting developments which are taking place in the UK.

Peter Tatchell: Campaigning for a Civil Commitment Pact

Join LGBT Humanists for their November event, where they’ll be joined by tireless human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who will be discussing his campaign for an alternative to marriage and civil partnerships.

Annie Besant and the Liberal, Radical, Socialist and Feminist Opposition to Birth Control in the 19th Century

The story of birth control is usually told as one of almost linear progress against blinkered bigotry. Deborah Lavin reveals how opposition to contraception may have been blinkered and bigoted, but it was also often liberal, radical, socialist and feminist.

Out-of-the-Box Thinking: Debate – This House Believes That Exams have had Their Day

The seventh event of our Out-of-the-Box Thinking series will explore through debate whether "Exams have had their Day" in our education system. Education campaigner and film-maker Madeleine Holt will speak for the motion, and Richard Sherif, President of the Association of School and College Leaders, will speak against it.

Blasphemy, the Individual and the State: From Historical Flashpoint to Contemporary Grievance

Prof David Nash traces the long battle to abolish the Blasphemy Laws in England, from the seventeenth century to their abolition in 2008 and how the concept of blasphemy affects us all today.

Burnout – Can We Prevent it? – Presented by Camilla Ghazala

Burnout and other associated health issues are gathering extraordinary momentum particularly with frontline employees. Why do we do this highly pressurised, persistently demanding work which requires enormous breadth and depth of skill and who is responsible for our wellbeing? Camilla Ghazala will discuss whether we can really avoid burnout.

The Hexham Heads

Join Richard MacLean Smith, creator of the ‘world’s spookiest podcast’ Unexplained as he takes you on an atmospheric journey through the extraordinary tale of the Hexham Heads. The heads seem to move themselves and strange creatures were witnessed stalking the homes of anybody that housed the bizarre artefacts.

Sunday Assembly LATES

We are so excited to introduce our second ever Sunday Assembly LATES, where we have not one but TWO speakers joining us: psychotherapist, author and presenter Malcom Stern and self love and relationship coach Sarah Adefehinti, as well as the incredible Lonan Jenkins from the Embers Collective doing some storytelling for us!

Marx, Morris and Utopia

Dr Gregory Claeys considers whether, despite Marxism's well know rejection of earlier Utopian socialism, Karl Marx might be termed a Utopian thinker, and how some of his ideas were adapted but also built upon by the English socialist William Morris.

Happiness Secrets From Around the World – With Helen Russell

Join us for an entertaining and insightful evening as bestselling author Helen Russell takes us on trip around the world to discover the secrets of happiness from 30 countries.

The Elimination of Slavery from the Whole World: Problems of Anti-Slavery in Victorian Britain

Dr Joseph Kelly examines the problems faced by the slavery abolition movement in Britain after the 1830s in their efforts to eliminate slavery from the face of the Earth.

1968 and After: Culture and Education

1968 was a year of political upheaval and rebellion, but those times were also important in culture and education - and not just in rock music! This event celebrates those times and asks, what is the legacy? Chaired by Michael Rosen, with speakers including Tariq Ali, Melissa Benn, Ken Loach and Professor Lynne Segal.

ModMag London

magCulture’s ModMag returns to Conway Hall for its annual celebration of editorial creativity. We’ll be following the familiar format: a day of talks from international magazine-makers, mixing the new and old, the large and small, the indie and mainstream.

Research and the Public Good: Ethics, Priorities and Conflicts of Opinion

Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse will consider the aims of scientific research in the light of global challenges and political agendas. Stressing the importance of mature and informed discussions, he will survey the characteristics research systems need if they are to produce reliable, useful knowledge in the public interest.

The First Resort: Pamphleteering and Politics in Early Modern Britain

Prof Joad Raymond discusses how dreamers of a better world used pamphleteering to communicate alternative political ideas and challenge power in early modern Britain.

Victorian Blogging – Writing Wrongs

A series of six Wednesday evening talks on pamphleteering, contemporary blogging and some of the myriad issues covered in Conway Hall’s largely 19th century pamphlet collection, curated by Deborah Lavin, featuring Prof Joad Raymond, Dr Joseph Kelly, Dr Gregory Claeys, Prof David Nash, Viv Regan and Deborah Lavin.

Twenty-first Century Ghosts

Halloween 2018 and the world is still haunted. Join the London Fortean Society for talks by Dr Caron Lipman and Sarah Sparkes on contemporary ghost story collecting from haunted homes to Senate House and beyond.

5×15 Fright Night: An Evening of Halloween Tales

5x15 Fright Night: An evening of Halloween tales curated by Sarah Perry, the bestselling author of the new gothic masterpiece Melmoth. Do not be afraid! Dare to join us for gothic tales, Halloween hijinks, stories of spectres and encounters with the other side.

Hearing the Light: Skipping Pylons and the Strange Sound of Silent Motion

Can you hear through your eyes? When the viral ‘jumping pylon’ gif hit the internet recently, many people discovered they could ‘hear’ juddering or thudding sensations evoked by moving images. Neuroscientist Elliot Freeman will present his research findings, which reveal what kinds of people have a ‘visual ear', and what their brains might be doing. 

Learn about Apostasy

Join Faith to Faithless for a panel discussion and Q&A to better understand apostasy in the UK. Leaving religion can be a complicated process, and apostates often experience abuse. Learn from those who have left different faiths and hear about their experiences.

Sex and the Politics of Pleasure

From Votes for Women to #meToo, the Story of Women’s Rights, Past, Present and Future

Voice, Visibility and Velocity: Muslim women, past and present

Heroine Addicts: So You Think You Can Chant – Activism, Protest and Making Change

A Woman’s Revolution in Northern Syria

The Bloomsbury Festival 2018: Activists and Architects of Change

This year's festival theme is 'Activists and Architects of Change', to mark the centenary of The Representation of the People Act 1918, which permitted women to vote for the first time. Join our Sunday Bloomsbury Festival Hub for rousing talks, vital debates and thought-provoking exhibitions from some of the boldest and bravest voices around.