Turner and Catastrophe

Dame Maggie Smith and Baroness Helena Kennedy QC in conversation

Linda Moreno gives a talk for the Mansfield College seminar series.

Joe Klein and Paul Solman give a talk for the Mansfield College seminar series.

Professor Carol Sanger, Hon. Fellow, Mansfield College, gives a talk for the Mansfield college lecture series.

Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North gives a talk for the Mansfield college seminar series. Labour Member of Parliament for Ilford North and member of the Treasury Select Committee. Wes has previously been Head of Education at Stonewall, Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation, Deputy Leader of the London Borough of Redbridge and President of the National Union of Students.

Professor Lord (David) Alton of Liverpool gives the 2017 John Milton Lecture. Member of the House of Commons from 1979-97 and Independent Crossbench Peer since 1997; Chair and a founder of the All Party Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief who has authored reports on North Korea, Sudan, Tibet and Pakistan; a founder of the Jubilee Campaign; author of twelve books including Building Bridges: Is there Hope for North Korea? with Rob Chidley (2013).

Author and expert on Russia; producer several of feature films and books including the prize-winning Epics of Everyday Life (1990) and Lost and Found in Russia (2009); nonexecutive director and founder of openDemocracy and editor of openDemocracy Russia.

Franny Moyle gives a talk for Mansfield College. Freelance executive producer and writer; former BBC Commissioner for Arts and Culture; author of Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde (2011), Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites (2009) and The Extraordinary Life and Momentous Times of J. M. W. Turner (2016).

Raoul Martinez gives a talk for Mansfield College. Writer, artist and award-winning documentarian whose paintings have been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery; author of Creating Freedom: Power, Control and the Fight For Our Future (2016), which explores freedom through the lens of economics, philosophy, political theory and neuroscience and is a call for a better politics. Bruce Waller, a leading voice in the area of freedom and responsibility described Martinez' book, Creating Freedom (2016) as: 'A superb book; it is not only beautifully written, vigorously argued and remarkably researched, it is a unique contribution to a subject - discussed for more than two millennia - where unique contributions are rare indeed. There is nothing in the literature that places the issues of freedom and responsibility in such a broad and enlightening context, enriching familiar debates surrounding punishment and the justice system but also going far beyond. Indeed, the discussion of markets, the media, political and corporate power, and global degradation - in close connection with the undermining of freedom and the damaging effects of belief in moral responsibility - is a singular contribution to these vitally important issues. No one has examined the issues of freedom and moral responsibility in such an extensive and fascinating context, or done more to show that these issues are not ivory tower debates but absolutely life and death issues for individuals and quite possibly for our species.'

LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell gives a lecture for Mansfield College. Leading campaigner for human rights and LGBT freedom since 1967; member of OutRage! Through the Peter Tatchell Foundation he campaigns for human rights in Britain and internationally; author of six books, including The Battle for Bermondsey (1983) and We Don't Want to March Straight - Masculinity, Queers and The Military (1995).