Ranging widely across the arts, sciences and humanities, the lectures promote a discourse between cultural, philosophical, economic and political modes of enquiry.

The Promise of Freedom - Spring 2013

Marking the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, the Legatum Institute is hosting a series of lectures exploring the relationship between British and American culture in the period 1953-2013. How did the creative arts in the UK impact on the American cultural scene, and vice-versa? The series will also explore the contribution of culture to wider transatlantic political, social, and economic trends, reflecting the Legatum Institute’s focus on gaining a comprehensive understanding of prosperity.

Download brochure here [PDF].

Promise of Freedom Series - Upcoming Events

23 May 2013 - Women On Stage: Theatre, Social Progress, and Prosperity with Dame Harriet Walter
6:30pm for a 6:45pm start, followed by a drinks reception and 8:45pm close. RSVP required.

Dame Harriet Walter will be delivering a talk on changing attitudes towards women, and the  evolution in the understanding of women's theatrical roles, in the history of the drama in Britain during recent decades.

20 June 2013 - The Arts of Peace and War 1953-2013 with Simon Mayall
6:30pm for a 6:45pm start, followed by a drinks reception and 8:45pm close. RSVP required.

Lieutenant-General Simon Mayall, Senior Adviser Middle East, Ministry of Defence, will be discussing the intellectual and cultural context of military strategy and warfare. This concluding lecture in the series may serve as a reminder that no aspect of the life of a society can be studied in isolation: the arts and the humanities flourished during this period first under the shadow of the cold war, and at the turn of the millennium the conflicts in the middle east became an inescapable part of the public debate in British and American culture.

Promise of Freedom Series - Past Events

21 April 2013 - Three Poems of George Herbert with Sir John Tavener

World Premiere of three choral works composed by Sir John Tavener and commissioned by the Legatum Institute. Tavener's choice of three works by the early 17th century poet George Herbert as the words to be set to music take us back to an earlier chapter in the transatlantic story - the time when religious and political radicals fled the Church and State establishment of England in order to embrace the freedom promised in the new American colonies.

14 March 2013 - The Changing Face of Royal Portraiture with Sandy Nairne

Sandy Nairne, Director of the National  Portrait Gallery, will be discussing the changing face of royal portraiture and how the iconography of the Queen as portrayed in the immense variety of portraits that have been painted of her since 1953 has reflected the changing relationship between the Sovereign and her subjects.

26 February 2013 - "Where Are We Now?" Are the Arts of Any Use Poetry with Lord Gowrie

Lord Gowrie, a former Cabinet Minister with responsibility for the Arts under Margaret Thatcher will deliver the inaugural lecture. He has published several acclaimed collections of verse, and he will be concentrating on how British and American poetry influenced each other during our period. Grey Gowrie's first post was as a teaching assistant to the acclaimed poet Robert Lowell at Harvard, and he will be discussing the work of T.S. Eliot - a poet who moved from the U.S. to live and work in Britain as well as W.H. Auden who travelled in the other direction.

	Is National Indentity Best Served by the Nation State? Has the nation state, a political unit with internationally recognised boundaries, had its day? Does it matter if it disappears? Speaker: Michael Goldfarb, Author, Journalist and Broadcaster More information here.
	Mittleuropa: Central Europe's Past in Today's Globalised World? A conversation on Mitteleuropa, discussing how in many ways it remains highly relevant to the early 21st century debate about the future of the world. Speakers: Professor Robert Evans, University of Oxford More information here.
	How Does Flourishing in the Arts Relate to Vibrant Societies? Artist Ana Tzarev's paintings set the backdrop at London's Saatchi Gallery for a discussion on the notion of ‘renaissance’ and the role of art and culture in society. Speakers: Lisa Erf, Director of the JP Morgan Chase Art Collection, Luke Johnson, Entrepreneur and FT columnist, and Author and Historian Hywel Williams. More information here.
	Freedom in History, the Arts, and Ideas How do civilizations adapt and change? What makes them flourish—and fail? A discussion revolving around the music of Gustav and Alma Mahler, and the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The evening was complemented by musical performances and poetry readings of the era. More information here.

For more information about events in this series, please visit the events page which is updated regularly.

If you are interested in attending an event or would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact info@li.com.