Championing the creativity and perspective of young people
The Southbank Centre announced a new youth-powered weekender ‘Letters To The Future’ (18–20 September) spotlighting the cultural leaders of the next generation.
Internationally renowned creators, writers, activists, thinkers and multi-hyphenate stars Amelia Dimoldenberg, Olly Alexander, Mya-Rose Craig and Rebecca F. Kuang curate panel discussions tackling the biggest issues of the moment, whilst lecturer, broadcaster and bestselling author Ash Sarkar delivers the inaugural Southbank Centre Annual Lecture.
Complementing these events is a rich interdisciplinary programme including talks, performances, free gigs, DJs sets, and spoken word.
Inspired by the embrace of culture and innovation as a “tonic for the nation” during the 1951 Festival of Britain – the catalyst for the building of the Royal Festival Hall and ultimately the birth of the Southbank Centre itself – ‘Letters To The Future’ champions the creativity and perspective of young people. The weekend foregrounds the voices of the generation who will inherit our society and steer it through its next 75 years; a generation disproportionately affected by the decisions of those who came before them. Across a series of creative, cross-arts events, emerging talents and cultural leaders will take to the stage to confront and construct their visions of the future.
The pinnacle of the weekend is the first in an annual series of Southbank Centre Lectures, in which a leading public figure will address the urgent issues of our time through the lens of art and culture.
For its inaugural edition, journalist and activist Ash Sarkar will present ‘The Future ofRelationships’ (20 Sep) exploring how our complex web of interpersonal connections will continue to shift and change as we move deeper into the digital age.
Ash Sarkar, journalist and activist said: “What has happened since we allowed Silicon Valley to turn love into a commodity? The apps promised us endless possibilities for connection – and they delivered loneliness, ghosting, and disenchantment. We can’t live without food, water, and shelter; but we have no future as a species without love. I’m delighted to join the Letters to the Future programme, and celebrate the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary. The Southbank Centre has been the beating heart of cultural life in London, integral in bringing the avant garde to the mainstream, and I’m honoured to be a part of it.”
Also taking place across the weekend will be four panel discussions put together by our guest curators and tackling some of the most significant issues of our time. Amelia Dimoldenberg explores The Future of Digital Media (18 Sep); Olly Alexander considers The Future of Queer Storytelling (19 Sep), Rebecca F. Kuang interrogates The Future of Education (19 Sep), and Mya-Rose Craig asks us to look Beyond the Climate Crisis (20 Sep). Each curator will convene and participate in a panel discussion with peers, experts and collaborators to unpick some of the knottiest questions facing society today in what promises to be an invigorating and uplifting series.
Amelia Dimoldenberg: The Future of Digital Media (18 Sep), said: “I’ve spent my career navigating the world of digital media (and chicken shops) and I couldn’t be more excited to bring this panel together! The digital space is constantly evolving, and there are so many incredible ways for young people to create something fantastic, on their own terms. I am excited to delve into how to create meaningful work, and how to stand out in a field that’s getting louder every minute.”
Olly Alexander: The Future of Queer Storytelling (19 Sep), said: “I’m really looking forward to being a part of Letters To The Future and exploring the journey queer storytelling has taken and where it might go next. I’m interested in what it means to tell queer stories and how our culture’s shifting attitudes affect them. From the stories we tell ourselves, to the stories we grow up surrounded by, I believe story telling shapes all of us. I’ve been coming to the Southbank Centre since I was 15 years old so to be hosting a panel here feels very special.”
Rebecca F. Kuang: The Future of Education (19 Sep), said: “As my dark academia novels might suggest, I’ve spent nearly half my life involved in higher education – and I’ve been hearing, throughout that time, that the university is under existential threat. I’m a graduate student transitioning to a role as professor at the same time that institutions are under pressure from Large Language Models, political censorship, funding cuts, and tuition costs. But I’m not interested in just writing dystopias! I want to reimagine what a university should look like, and bring together some thinkers already doing the work to reform higher education into something that truly serves those who need it the most.”
Mya-Rose Craig: Beyond the Climate Crisis (20 Sep), said: “We’re standing at a cultural crossroads where the focus must shift from merely surviving the climate crisis to consciously designing what comes next. I am honoured to curate this panel of peers, friends, and experts to explore the architecture of a post-crisis world, one built on equity and a radical realignment with nature. We will ask what work needs to be done to ensure we never return to the brink, and how to dismantle our existing behaviours and transform our core values. There are lots of reasons to be hopeful as we figure out how to build a better future for everyone.”
Booking and full details: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/
