Living Freedom Summer School is our flagship event, offering a fantastic opportunity to explore ideas and debate ideals as they relate to the past, present and future of freedom. The three-day residential school takes place in central London on 9-11 July and is open to anyone aged 18 to 30, based in the UK or beyond.

Successful applicants will be receive a Living Freedom Scholarship award that covers 90 per cent of fees. (Scholars will pay just £50, reduced from the full cost of £500.) The deadline for applications is 26 May 2026. A review panel will award 50 scholarships.

OVERVIEW

‘We have it in our power to begin the world over again.’ Published 250 years ago, Common Sense by Thomas Paine was more than a rabble-rousing pamphlet designed to stiffen American spines and hasten a revolutionary break with Britain. In lucid, often incendiary prose, Paine distilled his demand for sovereignty and equality into a popular, democratic call to arms. Many arguments unleashed then – over liberty, authority and rights – still reverberate today.

Anniversaries force us not merely to revisit history but to take stock of our own febrile age, where liberty is again up for grabs. Living Freedom summer school carves out space for serious argument on the defining questions of our time – a forum to think boldly, debate openly and test ideas.

250 years on from independence, much has changed, but some fault-lines look strangely familiar. The cry ‘All men are created equal’ once ignited a revolution. Today, critics argue that EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) orthodoxies and equality law chill speech and corrode equal treatment. Juries once protected dissenters from politicised charges of seditious libel. Yet, when juries acquit activists from groups such as Palestine Action, they are denounced as going rogue, even as governments curtail jury trials in the name of improving justice. What is the principled response?

Free speech remains the frontline. The printing press and pamphlet wars have given way to smartphones and social media – a new public square that elites itch to regulate. How should defenders of liberty respond to initiatives aimed at ‘controlling the narrative’ such as the so-called European Democracy Shield? Is Washington truly a champion of digital freedom when its state agencies regularly lean on companies like Google, Meta and Discord?

Perhaps the biggest challenge is getting to grips with a shifting political landscape of freedom. The decline of ideologically motivated parties means that culture and the pre-political realm are where politics plays out and where many arguments around freedom arise – debates over community, traditions and identity, flag, family and faith. In an era of culture wars, sectarianism and insurgent populism, how do we restate the case for freedom – clearly, confidently and without apology?

SCHOLARSHIPS

The cost of providing a place at the summer school is £500. This includes accommodation in central London and attending the annual Living Freedom dinner.

However, attendees will pay just £50, a massive reduction of £450.

This is because Living Freedom uses a targeted scholarships programme funded by our donors and partners, which will ensure that we can select attendees on merit, irrespective of their financial circumstances.

If you would like to make a donation to support a scholar, find out more here.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

PLENARY LECTURES

• Island of strangers: what is a citizen?

• Women’s freedom: safety versus liberation

• Populism: threat to liberty or demand for freedom?

• Generation Fragile? Growing up in the Culture Wars

• Expert-led parenting to fertility support: should the state intervene in family life?

• Controlling the narrative: European Democracy Shield case study

• America: great bulwark of liberty?

TALKS, DEBATES AND WORKSHOPS

• Should social media be banned for under 16s?

• Woke galleries to diversity casting: disentangling art and politics

• Antisemitism to anti-Zionism: new challenges to free speech on campus

• Restricting jury trials: an assault on liberty?

• Activist staff to office speech police: EDI in the workplace

• Should we scrap the Equality Act?

• Nation, national community, national interests

• What the papers say – reviews workshops

LITERATURE AND LIBERTY: TALKS AND SEMINARS

• Aristotle: The Politics

• David Szalay: Flesh

SPEAKERS INCLUDE

Dolan Cummings writer and novelist; co-director, Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life
Frank Furedi sociologist and social commentator
Timandra Harkness author, Technology is Not the Problem
Ellie Lee co-author, Growing up in the Culture Wars
Phil Mullan author, Beyond Confrontation: globalists, nationalists and their discontents
Ella Nixon curator, writer and art historian
Jacob Reynolds head of policy, MCC Brussels
Zoe Strimpel author, Good Slut: how money, sex and power set women free
Maren Thom co-host, Performance Anxiety podcast
Maya Thomas legal and policy officer, Big Brother Watch
Ella Whelan journalist; co-convenor, Battle of Ideas festival

HOW TO APPLY

Visit the Living Freedom Summer School 2026 page on our website to fill in the application form.

SUPPORTED BY

ENQUIRIES

Should you need further information, please email the Living Freedom convenor, Alastair Donald, at alastair@ideasmatter.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 7269 9234.

Share

Subscribe now

London Freedom Forum, Monday 24 November, 6.30pm, Westminster

Today, over half a century on from the radical emergence of equality movements in 1960s, the growth of an ideological and social splintering between the sexes is frequently making headlines.

A recent report by Onward notes that, in line with international trends, the divide between men and women in the UK is growing, most evident amongst Gen Z. In the 2024 General Election, young women moved leftwards while young men drifted significantly to the right, with the former almost twice as likely to vote Green as young men, who in turn were twice as likely to vote Reform as young women. With Gen Z opting for more radical parties, political polarisation is deepening – and following gendered lines.

Perhaps the problem is social media, with young women tending to use TikTok and Instagram while young men tend towards X and podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience. Socially, Gen Z men and women are also said to be drifting apart. Women now outperform men in education, being more likely to attend university and get higher-paying jobs in their twenties. However, young women are also reportedly more stressed, more lonely and less satisfied with life, while fears over the ‘manosphere’ and toxic masculinity go hand-in-hand with a hardening sense of cultural antagonism and alienation between the sexes.

Some say lower levels of intimacy and sexual activity in Gen Z reflect a loss of emotional connection and long-term commitment. Others point to young men increasingly viewing themselves as ‘left behind’ and more resentful of feminism, equal rights and woke policies that they perceive as discriminating against them. Are political divisions ruining young people’s love lives, too?

Is this divide as alarming or deep-rooted as it seems? Could Gen Z’s polarisation be a passing phase? Or is the growing divide around the sexes now an issue to take seriously – perhaps in ways that class or racial divides might once have been addressed in the past? And when previously ideology or shared social experiences were used to overcome these divisions, what is the route forwards to find common ground between the sexes today?

SPEAKERS
Poppy Coburn
acting deputy comment editor, Daily Telegraph

Emma Gilland
project assistant, Ideas Matter; author, The Corona Generation

Nicholas Stephenson
researcher and data analyst, Onward

Jake Weston
project assistant, Academy of Ideas

REGISTER
This event is free, but please register using the form on our event page.

Living Freedom Xmas Bash Balloon Debate 2025

Thursday 11 December 2025, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Westminster

We would like to invite you to join us for a drink, some good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate.

What is the greatest representation of freedom in culture?

A panel of valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice, whether a work of art or literature, a film, opera, play or song.

Each contestant will have just three minutes to present their case, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice.

Which cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide!

HOST
Alastair Donald
convenor, Living Freedom

This invitation-only gathering will take place in Westminster. We’ll send the venue details after you register.

What: Living Freedom Xmas Balloon Debate
When: Thursday 11 December 2025, 7:00pm-9.00pm
Where: Westminster
Entrance: Free
Register: use the form on our event page.

Panellists to be announced soon.

Subscribe now

There are also a series of events in the next few weeks hosted by Living Freedom fellows.

Battle Book Club: John Boyne’s Water

Wednesday 12 November, 7pm, via Zoom

John Boyne’s Elements quartet—Water, Earth, Fire, and Air—was released as one volume but controversy over his gender-critical views led to backlash and the suspension of the Polari Prize. Our Book Club invites discussion on his writing instead, focusing on Water, where Vanessa Carvin, hiding from her past and her husband’s crimes, wrestles with guilt, morality, and whether it’s possible to wash away complicity and begin again, simply by changing your name.

The event will be hosted online from 7.00pm-8.30pm on Zoom. Hosted by Emma Gilland with an introduction from Ella Whelan. The event is free but please register via Eventbrite.

Together’s 4^th Anniversary event

Sunday 16 November, Novotel London West, Hammersmith

Together is celebrating four years of fighting to take back democracy and advocating for a better future through freedom, free speech, public and accountability.

Speakers include: Baron Maurice Glasman, Lisa McKenzie, Laila Cunningham, Lord Tony Sewell CBE, Allison Pearson.

Under 25s get a free ticket with code: LIVINGFREEDOM

Book tickets here.

The Covid Lockdowns: Challenges, Dilemmas, and Trade-offs – free event 

Wednesday 19 November

Our friends at the Committee for Academic Freedom (CAF) are hosting a free public seminar at Worcester College, Oxford, on Wednesday 19 November, examining the trade-offs that defined Britain’s response to the biggest public health crisis in modern history.

The discussion will bring together Professor Sunetra Gupta (Oxford University), Professor Hugh Montgomery (UCL), historian Toby Green (King’s College London) and medical historian Mark Honigsbaum (City, University of London), with molecular biologist Dr Güneş Taylor (Francis Crick Institute) as the chair.

Book your free ticket here.

Share

‘VIBE SHIFT’: A NEW ERA FOR FREEDOM?

Living Freedom is dedicated to renewing freedom for our times. Our three-day residential school on 26 to 28 June is open to anyone based in the UK or beyond. We aim to bring together participants with a wide range of interests and diverse views. Anyone interested in getting to grips with issues of freedom and free speech should apply – with all first-time attendees benefitting from a Living Freedom 2025 Scholarship that covers 90 per cent of fees (full cost £500). Full details available here.

Across the planet, political discussion is dominated by the American ‘Vibe Shift’ and the implications of Trump 2.0 for reshaping Western politics and culture. After a decade and more of freedoms feeling under siege, some anticipate that actions to counter race and gender ideologies, dismantle the DEI empire or ‘restore freedom of speech and end federal censorship’ will help usher in a more upbeat era, one where free expression again flourishes as the lifeblood of democracy.

Others remain downbeat, fearful that freedoms may founder on the rocks of legal or institutional resistance or be derailed by a partisan political class that rarely embraces the ideal of ‘free speech for all’. Is it sensible to rely on Trumpism for our freedoms? With technologies such as X now operating from the White House, and Meta now seemingly on board with the new regime, is the US government’s influence over ever more of the public square to be feared or celebrated?

Shifting loyalties and cultural hegemonies in the US are one thing, but what will be the impact downstream in Europe? Will Big Tech’s seeming turn against content moderation prevail in the face of European commitments to controlling hate speech and misinformation online? Can the quest for more open political debate survive the firewalling of populist parties in Europe? Can growth and development struggle free of environmental green tape and lawfare? And how best can agency and individual freedom be defended in the face of increasing incursions in the private sphere by officialdom? Is the trajectory towards scepticism of everything, from official fact-checkers to EDI, a sign that the tide is turning, especially with the young, keen to shake off their reputation as Generation Snowflake.

Clearly this is a moment of flux when we need to examine afresh many of the big, historically significant questions related to freedom and free speech.

Living Freedom Summer School 2025 is your chance to be involved in such debates. We’ll place recent trends in wider context through expert lectures on key developments in the history and philosophy of freedom; panel-led debates will cover contemporary challenges and hot topics of our time; workshops allow attendees to explore classic texts and ethical dilemmas.

In changing times, join us to assess the challenges and opportunities and to develop the arguments we need to make the 21st-century case for freedom.

Sessions include

· The Trump effect: step forward or setback for freedom?

· Privacy and Freedom: the rise and fall of private life

· Rule of law vs the rule of lawyers

· Young dissenters: how to fight back against conformism

· Any many more

MORE INFO AND APPLY NOW

Living Freedom is organised by Ideas Matter and supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme administered by Free Speech Union

CAN YOU SUPPORT A LIVING FREEDOM SCHOLAR?

The cost of providing a place at the summer school is £500. However, each attendee will pay just £50, a massive reduction of £450. This is because Living Freedom uses a targeted scholarships programme that ensures that we can select attendees on merit, irrespective of their financial circumstances.

By supporting a Living Freedom scholar, you will play a vital part in encouraging a generational renewal of the values of freedom and free speech. Learn more about supporting a scholar through the link below.

SUPPORT A SCHOLAR

LIVING FREEDOM FORUM
Friday 7 March, 7pm, Westminster

Our next in-person forum event is organised in association with Student Academics for Academic Freedom (SAFAF) and takes place in Westminster on Friday 7 March at 7pm.

Our panel of young thinkers and activists will reflect on the question of how to reclaim the university from the culture wars. How do students who wish to change campus culture navigate questions about intellectual independence and academic freedom? Has managerialism destroyed the university for good, or can it be reformed? What are the biggest problems facing the modern university? How can we in the 21st-century best harness the spirit of true intellectual endeavour, inside and outside the universities?

For more details and to register, see here.

OPEN TO ARGUMENT
Monday 10 March, Queen Mary University of London

‘Open to Argument’ is a new forum organised by Committee for Academic Freedom, in partnership with Queen Mary University of London AFAF and is dedicated to encouraging lively, intelligent, good-faith discussions on controversial topics.

The first debate on Monday 10 March is entitled ‘Will Trump's Second Presidency be Good or Bad for Academic Freedom?’ Panelists Eric Kaufmann, James Orr, Alan Sokal and Helen Pluckrose will examine Trump's ambitious plans for higher education, his sweeping executive orders on DEI and academic policy, and the broader implications of Trump 2.0 for free intellectual inquiry in universities.

The event is free to attend and takes place at Queen Mary University of London. Reserve a place here.

READ ON

With our summer school on the horizon, here’s a selection of reading to get you thinking.

Free Love? A Tentative Victory for Overnight Guests
Felice Basboll, University Times, 26 February 2025

‘If you genuinely think Trump is a fascist, go and have a lie down’
Tom Slater, spiked, 7 February 2025

How to revive our reading culture
Tiffany Jenkins, Engelsberg Ideas, 6 March 2025

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023: The Student Response
JE Long, Student AFAF Substack, 18 January 2025

Britain’s information war on America
NS Lyons, 4 March 2025

Share