Vice-Chancellor’s talks
Dates for upcoming talks and recordings of past talks
Our VC talks will be continuing throughout Spring and Summer term with a new set of speakers announced.
24/25 talks
Thursday 3 October – Chrissy Levett, Designer and creative director.
Thursday 7 November – BORA, Digital artist
Thursday 5 December – Brian Eno, Musician, producer, visual artist, and activist
The vision for the Vice-Chancellor’s talks
To encourage a more ambitious culture of critical creativity across the University, this new series of around 10 talks will take place on selected Thursdays across the academic year, starting at 5pm in our DSR Production Theatre.
For the series we have invited outstanding and distinguished practitioners, thought leaders, researchers, and educators to talk to our community of staff and students about their latest experiences and developments in their fields of expertise, to inspire us all. The series will include speakers from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines who will share topical and important ideas and debates and cover many areas of contemporary practice and culture including film, visual art, design, architecture, fashion, creative technologies, philosophy, music, and science.
Simon Ofield-Kerr, Vice Chancellor.
Next VC Talk
Spring term talks will be announced soon.
Past 24/25 talks
In conversation with…
Brian Eno, Musician, producer, visual artist, and activist.
5 December
Brian Eno’s talk explored the creative process and discussed his latest projects including his ground-breaking generative documentary Eno, and new book What Art Does, which will be published in January 2025. Eno is also be School of Song’s guest lecturer, leading a workshop on song writing and the creative process.
Brian Eno is a pioneering musician, producer, visual artist and activist. Eno’s work in sound and music has paved the way for countless artists and musicians over the past 50 years, whilst his environmental activism has sought to empower the music industry to take action to address the climate crisis.
Brian Eno’s talk was not recorded but selection of his books can be found in the library.
Shapeshifters: Imagination is an activism.
BORA, multidimensional and digital artist
7 November
Art is a magical language that enables artists to resonate with the world and create constellations of meaning, spaces of possibility and change. Art is alive, and we artists are its mirrors, its storytellers. Shapeshifters, we shake the lines and our creative mediums allow us to embrace the power of poetry as an active vessel.
BORA explored different mediums that together form a universe where imagination is an activism. A mirror of the present where one can reflect, with a burning wish to open a space for queer representations.
The power of creative thinking: How to build a better world
Chrissy Levett, designer and creative director.
3 October
We are currently facing a world fraught with significant social and environmental challenges. However, the application of creative thinking has the potential to address many of these complex issues.
Designer and creative director Chrissy Levett envoked a thought provoking discussion. She will presented inspirational examples, sharing narratives and outcomes that demonstrate the transformative impact of creative thinking in shaping a better world.
These examples included contributions from practitioners and also from creative students and recent graduates who have positively impacted the lives of millions, contributing to meaningful global change.