Darren Henley OBE is Chief Executive of the Arts Council England. He has led two independent reviews into music and cultural education which resulted in England’s first National Plan for Music Education, new networks of Music Education Hubs, Cultural Education Partnerships and Heritage Schools, the Museums and Schools programme, the BFI Film Academy and the National Youth Dance Company.

Canterbury Christ Church University's Public Lecture Series

Why investment in culture pays

Hosted by the University’s Politics and International Relations programme and in partnership with the Canterbury and District Inter-Faith Action (CANDIFA) and The Canterbury Society, the prospective parliamentary candidates from the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and an independent candidate attended Meet the Candidates for the 2019 General Election and made their case to the audience as to why they should be elected as Canterbury’s Member of Parliament.

General election hustings – meet the candidates 2019

Polling expert Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University in Scotland and Senior Research Fellow at NatCen Social Research will discuss the public’s reaction to the Brexit process in this thought-provoking lecture.

Delighted, Divided or Despairing? - Professor Sir John Curtice

The Climate Change Act (2008) enshrines our emissions reduction targets in UK legislation; however, the majority of our environmental regulation – critical to our progress in addressing risks such as flooding, drought, heatwaves – is from the EU, which also provides the critical enforcement function.

Brexit and Climate Change - Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge

At this pivotal time in our nation’s history, Archbishop Justin Welby sets out to identify the values that can help us to reimagine, and to enact, a more hopeful future for our country. Drawing on the Bible, Britain’s history and its Christian tradition, Archbishop Justin explores how we can build on our past to offer hope for the future, suggesting practical ways to help achieve a cohesive, courageous and resilient society. Archbishop Justin was installed as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2013. Prior to this, he was Bishop of Durham from 2011 to 2012 and Dean of Liverpool Cathedral from 2007 to 2011. He was ordained in 1992 following an 11-year career in the oil industry.

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby – Reimagining Britain: Foundations for Hope

In 2009, John Bercow was elected 157th Speaker of the House of Commons, and subsequently re-elected in 2010, 2015 and 2017. He has served as MP for Buckingham since 1997. Since his election as Speaker, John has sought to champion the rights of backbenchers and has ensured Parliamentary Business is dealt with in a timely manner to enable as many MPs to contribute as possible. In addition, John has granted an unprecedented number of Urgent Questions in order that Parliament discusses the pressing issues of the day. In his lecture, entitled ‘The making of a modern Parliament’, John discusses the Speakership, the modernisation of Parliament and the importance of opening up our democratic processes.

The making of a modern Parliament

As Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies acts as the UK Government’s medical adviser and is the professional head of all directors of public health. She has been widely commended for her leadership of worldwide efforts to address the ‘ticking time bomb’ of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – also known as drug-resistant infections. In this fascinating lecture, Dame Sally discusses the rise of AMR, its implications and the global response to resolve the problem.

Professor Dame Sally Davies: Antimicrobial resistance – the global problem

Lord Peter Hennessy is a journalist, professor and researcher. He is widely recognised as one of the country’s leading historians of British politics and an acclaimed expert on the inner workings of government machinery, from the complexities of constitutional arrangements to the role of the secret state. In this thought-provoking lecture, he draws on his vast experience, and his book Distilling the Frenzy: Writing the History of One’s Own Times, to offer an insight into the challenges of researching and writing about contemporary political history.

Lord Peter Hennessy: Writing the history of one’s own times

David Lough reveals how prime ministers from Robert Walpole to Tony Blair have built fortunes from their post. He discusses how they dealt with the ethical issues of their day, with particular reference to the usually chaotic finances of Winston Churchill.

No more champagne: British prime ministers and their money, from Walpole to Churchill

The lecture draws on research in a post-industrial city where racism has found purchase. Archbishop Justin Welby challenges the neglect of post-industrial cities like this: locations of economic decline, the collapse of self-help institutions and hollowed out democracy. Yet if there are examples of Islamism and racist gangs there are resources of hope too.

Racism, fundamentalism and a democratic education: the challenge for us all

In his lecture, The Best of All Possible Worlds, Michael will explore the subject of writing about the environment for children. It is a subject that he has continued to return to through his books and believes that connecting children with the environment is of critical importance if we are to turn the tide of environmental literacy.

The Best of All Possible Worlds

Parliamentary candidates for Canterbury and Whitstable hustings

Meet the Candidates for the 2015 General Election

Sir Richard Sykes relates his own experiences from working in both industry and academia and then takes a look at where we are today and how we might proceed for the future.

The Role of Universities in Social and Economic Development

Baroness Onora O’Neill spoke together with Mark Hammond on the right to freedom of expression. Their lecture surveyed the history and philosophy of freedom of expression. It introduced a new publication by the EHRC on the legal framework that protects – and restricts – this freedom, with particular reference to hate speech and offence relating to characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010.

Freedom of Expression: a fundamental value and a qualified right

Building on the analysis in his The Question of Conscience: higher education and personal responsibility, David Watson will examine the case for and against universities as sites for moral leadership and what Amartya Sen calls ‘public reasoning’.

The Ethical Idea of the University

Your chance to hear expert speakers from all walks of life debating, informing and extending their passion for their subject. Our public lectures cover subjects as diverse as health, the arts, faith and education. Speakers range from leading academics, to public figures and entertainers.

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Canterbury Christ Church University's Public Lecture Series

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