BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Free Speech Union - ECPv6.13.2.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://freespeechunion.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Free Speech Union REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20220101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221015T093000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221016T183000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T120606Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230727T120606Z UID:10000051-1665826200-1665945000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Battle of Ideas Festival – Shaping the Future Through Public Debate. DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to be partnering for the second year running with the Battle of Ideas Festival\, taking place in Westminster\, London on 15th and 16th October. \nWe’ll be there all weekend with our stall and will be co-hosting two sessions\, one with Toby Young debating the Online Safety Bill and the other with Free Speech Champions discussing how students can be persuaded to support academic freedom and freedom of speech on campus. \nAcross the rest of the two-day festival\, speakers include Andrew Doyle\, Helen Joyce\, Matt Ridley\, Maya Forstater\, Winston Marshall\, Rosie Kay\, Inaya Folarin Iman\, Allison Pearson\, Frank Furedi\, Laura Dodsworth\, William Clouston\, Sunetra Gupta and many\, many more. \nWe hope to see you there! One-day or weekend tickets can be purchased via this link. FSU members should check their inbox for emails from FSU Events\, containing a special discount code. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/battle-of-ideas-festival-shaping-the-future-through-public-debate/ LOCATION:Church House\, Westminster\, Great Smith Street\,\, London\, SW1P 3AZ\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Conferences & Symposiums ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image001.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221105T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221105T180000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T120245Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230727T120245Z UID:10000050-1667642400-1667671200@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:A day of debate on politics\, economics\, philosophy and more at The Battle of Ideas festival DESCRIPTION:A day of debate on politics\, economics\, philosophy and more at The Devonshire Dome as the Battle of Ideas festival returns to Buxton! \n\nJoin us at this stunning venue in the spa town of Buxton\, in the heart of the Peak District in Derbyshire. \n\nAn opportunity to get to grips with some major public debates and the challenges we face going forwards\, covering politics\, economics and our wider culture. \n\nProduced by the Academy of Ideas with headline partner the University of Derby . \n\nFor ticket details\, see Eventbrite. Please note that due to industrial action\, train services are likely to be disrupted on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November. \n\nPROGRAMME AND SPEAKERS: \n\n10.30 | Welcome address\n\nClaire Fox\n\n 10.45 – 12.15 | Opening plenary: Can we fix Britain? \n\nWilliam Clouston\nSherelle Jacobs\nHilary Salt\nJames Woudhuysen\nChair: Dr Mo Lovatt\n\n12.15 – 13.30 | Lunch & Ideas Market\nBrowse a wide range of stalls while enjoying a sandwich lunch\, courtesy of the University of Derby. \n\n12.30 – 13.15 | Lunchtime Inspirations \n\nLetters on Liberty: Defending the digital self \n\nTracey Follows\nDr Nicholas Joseph\nTimandra Harkness\nChair: Rob Lyons\n\nLetters on Liberty: The liberating power of education \n\nHarley Richardson\nDr Ruth Mieschbuehler\nDr Adam Simcock\nChair: Dr Vanessa Pupavac\n\n13.30 – 14.45 | Politically homeless: what next for Red Wall voters? \n\nSherelle Jacobs\nDr Mo Lovatt\nRick Moore\nGraham Stringer MP\nChair: Hilary Salt\n\nFree speech in crisis: can we take a joke? \n\nTania Edwards\nTimandra Harkness\nIona Italia\nBarry Wall\nChair: Andy Shaw\n\nFrom grooming gangs to child protection: a scandal in plain sight? \n\nSusie Hawkes\nDr Ken McLaughlin\nJordan Tyldesley\nWasiq Wasiq\nChair: Jo Herlihy\n\n14.55 – 16.10 | Build Back Better: why can’t we build anything at all? \n\nSimon Cooke\nRosamund Cuckston\nDr Caspar Hewett\nGawain Towler\nChair: Austin Williams\n\nCop Out: Who do the police serve today? \n\nHeather Brunskell-Evans\nDr Anna Loutfi\nHarry Miller\nGraham Wettone\nChair: Alastair Donald\n\nOnline politics: people power or social-media cesspit? \n\nCallum Breese\nTracey Follows\nJacob Reynolds\nDr Nikos Sotirakopoulos\nChair: Sam Parker\n\n16.10 – 16.30 | Afternoon refreshments\n\n16.30 – 17.45 | Closing plenary: Call to courage: is anything worth fighting for? \n\nMarion Calder\nDennis Hayes\nAlan Miller\nCharlie Winstanley\nChair: Claire Fox\n\nTICKETS\nBuy tickets now via Eventbrite. (Tickets include refreshments and a sandwich lunch.)\n\nStandard ticket – £25\nConcession ticket – £15\nAoI associate ticket – £15\nFull-time students – £5\nSchool pupils – FREE (see ticket offer below)\n\nFREE TICKETS FOR SCHOOL PUPILS\nWe are delighted to make the following special offer to school pupils: a free day-ticket to the Buxton Battle of Ideas festival on Saturday 5 November. \n\nEmail schoolschampion@academyofideas.org.uk stating you would like to attend\, the name of your school and an email address to send your free ticket to. \n\nFor all enquiries about the Buxton Battle of Ideas festival\, including programme information\, partnership opportunities\, or to volunteer\, please email: Mo Lovatt at: molovatt@academyofideas.org.uk URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/a-day-of-debate-on-politics-economics-philosophy-and-more-at-the-battle-of-ideas-festival/ LOCATION:Devonshire Dome\, 1 Devonshire Road\, Buxton\, SK17 6RY CATEGORIES:Conferences & Symposiums ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UDB-4286-3878.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221109T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221109T200000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T115731Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094703Z UID:10000049-1668018600-1668024000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Toby Young in conversation with historian\, TV presenter and author Neil Oliver. DESCRIPTION:With audience Q&A \n\n\n\n\n\n\nOn 9th November Toby Young will be joined in conversation by historian\, author and television presenter Neil Oliver. \n\nAfter a successful career as a TV historian\, Neil had his own brush with cancel culture in 2020 as President of the National Trust for Scotland when some offence archaeologists (not real archaeologists like Neil) discovered a tweet in which he’d praised the historian (and FSU Advisory Council member) David Starkey. Even though the tweet was posted before Starkey’s controversial comments about the slave trade\, some po-faced critics still argued it made Neil unsuitable to serve on the Board of the National Trust. \n\nSince retiring from public life he has become one of GB News’s most popular presenters\, with social media clips of his monologues often racking up several million views. He was an outspoken critic of the lockdown policy and has subsequently raised questions about the efficacy and safety of the mRNA Covid vaccines\, prompting renewed calls for him to be cancelled. \n\nHe will be speaking to FSU General Secretary about his transformation from pillar of the Establishment to anti-Establishment rebel. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/toby-young-in-conversation-with-historian-tv-presenter-and-author-neil-oliver/ LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Neil-Oliver.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221122T140000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221122T173000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230425T192350Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T193000Z UID:10000023-1669125600-1669138200@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Securing Academic Freedom DESCRIPTION:The purpose of the symposium is to bring together those interested in protecting academic freedom in the UK to share knowledge and best practice on how to secure change from within – how to navigate university governance structures\, committees\, policies and other such impediments (and opportunities) in order to nurture a culture of academic freedom from the ground up. \nWhile the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill has been welcomed by many advocates of academic freedom and free speech\, legislation imposed from the top down cannot magically transform the day-to-day culture of our universities. It can\, however\, provide an opportunity for academics and students to begin the work of cultural and institutional change without fear of interference or reprisal. \nThis symposium aims to start a conversation about what change might look like\, and how it can be achieved in practical terms\, by gathering a congregation of academics\, students\, law and policy-makers\, civil society activists and journalists to exchange practical wisdom on driving change from within – what has worked in the past\, what hasn’t worked\, and what might work. \nPlease do not publicise in advance on social media or share this invitation. The Chatham House Rule will apply. \n  \nProgramme\nFrom 1.30pm: Arrival\, tea and coffee in The Hall at The Art Workers’ Guild \n2.00pm: Welcome and Panel One: Know-how \nHow is university policy made? How can it be changed? How can information about university decision-making be acquired? \nPANEL: Dr Arif Ahmed\, Professor Dennis Hayes\, Professor Ellie Lee\, Dr Roger Teichmann \nCHAIR: Dr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director\, Free Speech Union \nTopics include\, but are not limited to: \n\nchallenging university policy\nproposing new university policy\nnavigating university statutes – who interprets them\, and how can they be challenged?\nusing internal petition/question procedures\ngetting the right people on the right committees\nusing freedom of information\nusing open-access information\n\n3.30pm: Break. Tea and coffee \n4.00pm: Panel Two: Networks \nHow can we mobilise the support of internal and external players (e.g. academics\, politicians\, journalists)? What is the role of unions? How to promote or resist institutional affiliations? \nPANEL: Professor Alice Sullivan\, Professor Eric Kaufmann\, James Murray\, Professor Jo Phoenix \nCHAIR: Dr Bryn Harris\, Chief Legal Counsel\, Free Speech Union \nTopics include\, but are not limited to: \n\nthe role of unions\npromoting or resisting institutional affiliations\nattracting press interest\ngetting legal support\nsecuring political support\nmobilising support from academics\nmobilising student support\nlocal ‘academic freedom champions’ – a good idea?\n\n5.20pm: Closing remarks \n5.30pm: Wine reception at the venue until 6.30pm \nWe have booked The Lamb pub on Lamb’s Conduit Street for post-event drinks from 6.30pm. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/securing-academic-freedom/ LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Conferences & Symposiums ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Academic-Freedom.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221212T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221212T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230425T193107Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T194351Z UID:10000024-1670873400-1670882400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:The FSU Christmas Special DESCRIPTION:Round up your comedy-loving friends and family for The FSU Christmas Special\, a one night only extravaganza of comedy with a fabulous line-up. \nIn association with Comedy Unleashed – the home of free-thinking comedy. \nComedy legend Bobby Davro is our Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Amazing! Bobby will be joined on stage by stand-up comedian and GB News presenter Leo Kearse\, Comedy Unleashed favourite Mary Bourke and comedian and presenter Simon Evans. \nJoin the fun with the FSU team and helps us raise funds to defend freedom of speech. \nWE’LL ALSO BE SELLING OUR T-SHIRTS\, FEATURING BOB MORAN’S FABULOUS ‘GEORGE ORWELL’ CARTOON (see below). £20 for one\, £35 for two. They make the perfect Christmas gift\, especially for Secret Santa! \n \nTickets \n£20 FSU member full price / £15 FSU member concessions \n£25 non-member full price / £20 non-member concessions \nRefunds issued on a case-by-case basis. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-fsu-christmas-special/ LOCATION:The Backyard Comedy Club\, 231 Cambridge Heath Rd\, London\, E2 0EL\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Christmas-Comedy-Special.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221213T180000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221213T200000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T115408Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230727T115408Z UID:10000048-1670954400-1670961600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Online Christmas Review! DESCRIPTION:Join the FSU team to discuss the free speech highs and lows of 2022 URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/online-christmas-review/ LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Christmas-Review-V3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230119T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230119T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230425T193640Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T200646Z UID:10000025-1674154800-1674165600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Cardiff Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:We are kicking off 2023 with a new series of Regional Speakeasies around the UK. Each event will be addressed by a senior member of Free Speech Union staff to discuss Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. It’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nSpeaker: Dr Bryn Harris\, FSU Chief Legal Counsel \nBryn has worked as chief legal counsel of the Free Speech Union since 2020. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2018\, and before that he completed a doctorate in classics at the University of Oxford. In a previous life he was a linguist and has worked as a translator and lexicographer. Bryn’s main interests are in law\, philosophy and literature\, and he has a particular interest in the law and practice surrounding academic freedom of speech. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion and for socialising with fellow free speech supporters. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/cardiff-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:The Sandringham Hotel – Grosvenor Suite\, 21 Saint Mary Street\, Cardiff\, CF10 1PL CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Cardiff-Speakeasy.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230123T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230123T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230425T194459Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T194929Z UID:10000026-1674502200-1674511200@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Free Speech and the Right to Protest DESCRIPTION:Join us for an in-person event in central London\, or online if you prefer\, to explore the lines between freedom of speech and the right to protest. \nMost of us can agree that freedom of speech and the right to protest are fundamental to democracy but our shared notions of what is permissible are often tested in the face of actual speech and real-life protests. Recent tactics employed by environmental campaigners have introduced new dilemmas for the public\, the police and for law-makers\, where extended or repeated disruptions to the daily life of some citizens are balanced against the right of other citizens to raise their political or moral concerns in the public domain. The debate over abortion clinic ‘buffer zones’ has also thrown up many important questions about speech and protest. What constitutes speech – does it include images\, silent prayer\, singing? Should legislation deal explicitly with the activities of campaigners motivated by a particular set of beliefs? How does the location and context of speech affect society’s willingness to tolerate it? \nWe have brought together a panel to help us explore these questions – we do not anticipate easy answers! We have two of the main protagonists in the ‘buffer zones’ debate. Ryan Christopher\, director of pro-life group ADF International\, opposes what his organisation terms ‘censorship zones’ on free speech grounds. Ann Furedi\, former chief executive of BPAS\, Britain’s leading abortion provider\, describes herself as a ‘free speech absolutist’ but argues that the targeting of abortion clinic staff and patients by campaigners should not be tolerated. Their fellow interlocutors are Bryn Harris\, the FSU’s Chief Legal Counsel and FSU Case Officer Tim Cruddas\, who was a serving police officer for 26 years and has\, on numerous occasions\, been responsible for the policing of protests and other public order incidents. \n  \nRyan Christopher \nRyan Christopher is director of ADF International in the UK (Alliance Defending Freedom). ADF is a faith-based legal advocacy organization that protects fundamental freedoms and promotes the inherent dignity of all people. Ryan leads the ADF UK’s advocacy efforts and acts as a liaison for politicians\, media\, and other NGO allies working on shared mission issues. He also writes on the relationship between philosophy\, law\, and freedom of expression. \nTim Cruddas \nTim has recently retired from a long career in the Metropolitan Police – mostly in Counter Terrorism and Domestic Extremism; including 4 years in the Intelligence Unit of the Met’s Public Order Branch. This involved working on many major public order operations – including the 2010 student riots\, the 2011 royal wedding and the 2012 Olympics. He is a strong proponent of Free Speech within the law and is able to offer a useful “Police perspective” in FSU matters. \nAnn Furedi \nAnn Furedi is the author of The Moral Case for Abortion. Ann ran the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas)\, which provides about half of all abortions in Britain\, for almost two decades. She recently completed a masters degree in philosophy and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science by Kent University for her work on abortion law and ethics. \nBryn Harris \nBryn has worked as chief legal counsel of the Free Speech Union since 2020. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2018\, and before that he did a doctorate in classics at the University of Oxford. In a previous life he was a linguist and has worked as a translator and lexicographer. Bryn’s main interests are in law\, philosophy and literature\, and he has a particular interest in the law and practice surrounding academic freedom of speech. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/free-speech-and-the-right-to-protest/ LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Public Debates ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Right-to-Protest.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230125T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230125T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230425T195229Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230426T101004Z UID:10000027-1674673200-1674684000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Manchester Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:We are kicking off 2023 with a new series of Regional Speakeasies around the UK. Each event will be addressed by a senior member of Free Speech Union staff to discuss Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. It’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nCome and debate with the Free Speech Union\, Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. \nOur speaker for the evening is Thomas Harris\, FSU’s Director of Data and Impact. Tom joined the FSU from the corporate sector\, where he had become increasingly alarmed by the embedding of ‘woke’ ideas within management structures and workplace culture. He now plays a vital role in helping the FSU understand fast-moving developments in the ideological capture of so many of our institutions\, driving our ability to respond to future political and cultural trends. Which professions and sectors of employment are the worst for free speech? Who is most likely to need our help? What are our most effective responses to members’ travails? How can we campaign most effectively? How can we keep on growing\, so that we can help even more individuals and increase our ability to defend freedom of speech for all? \nIt’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n  \nSpeaker: Thomas Harris\, FSU Director of Data and Impact \nThomas Harris joined the FSU in March 2022 after 25 years in the City of London working as an actuary. In the City\, Tom was content to focus on strengthening the balance sheet of his employer and lucky to be moving in senior circles where the new training philosophies could largely be avoided; but the growth of the HR machine was still disconcerting. His personal life has ranged from senior bible teacher in a conservative evangelical church through to chair of the UK’s largest lesbian & gay swimming club. Consequently\, Tom is comfortable with multiple sides of most debates! URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/manchester-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:The Fountain House – Memorial Hall\, The Memorial Hall\, 14 Albert Square\, Manchester\, M2 5PE\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Manchester-RS.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230126T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230126T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T100531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T091306Z UID:10000028-1674759600-1674770400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Edinburgh Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:We are kicking off 2023 with a new series of Regional Speakeasies around the UK. Each event will be addressed by a senior member of Free Speech Union staff to discuss Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. It’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nFraser Hudghton\, the FSU’s Director of Case Management and Scottish Affairs will offer a brief update on the FSU’s plans for the year ahead before introducing and interviewing our special guest for the evening\, Iain Macwhirter. Iain is a writer\, political commentator and a member of the FSU’s Scottish Advisory Council. \nSpeakers: \nFraser Hudghton \nFraser is the FSU’s Director of Case Management and Scottish Affairs. He joined the FSU in 2020 and oversees our vital work in helping those who have been cancelled or are threatened with cancellation get their lives back. Prior to his time at FSU Fraser worked in key roles for the Law Society of Scotland\, in Scottish politics and in charity fundraising regulation\, for the past decade splitting his time between Edinburgh and London. Fraser is a Forfar Athletic FC and Liverpool FC fan\, lives in a house filled with books and spends far too much time doing crosswords. \nIain Macwhirter \nIain is a political commentator for the Spectator and other outlets. He is the author of several books including Disunited Kingdom: How Westminster won a referendum but lost Scotland and former Rector of Edinburgh University. A BBC TV and Radio presenter for 25 years\, Iain also worked for many years in the Westminster Lobby. He’s been a columnist for the New Statesman\, the Scotsman and the Observer. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion and for socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \nDoors open 7pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £2.00. Please book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/edinburgh-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:The Counting House\, 38 West Nicolson Street\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9DD\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-01-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230207T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230207T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T101056Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T091055Z UID:10000029-1675796400-1675807200@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Oxford Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:We are kicking off 2023 with a new series of Regional Speakeasies around the UK. Each event will be addressed by a senior member of Free Speech Union staff to discuss Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. It’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \n  \nSpeaker – Benjamin Jones\, Deputy Director of Case Management \nBen’s day-to-day work is helping FSU members who’ve been penalised for speaking their minds. He also represents the Union’s views and makes the pro-free speech argument on TV and radio. He’s in the final months of a PhD on British ex-Muslims and their experiences\, focusing in part on how difficult it is for them to speak freely because of the danger\, self-censorship and social taboo around criticising Islam. He holds degrees in history and politics\, and his interest in free speech came about thanks to his years as President and Chairman of the University of Exeter Debating Society in 2010-12. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \nDoors open 7pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £2.00. Please book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/oxford-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:George Street Social\, 34 New Inn Hall St\, Oxford\, OX1 2DH\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-06-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230208T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230208T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T101719Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T090949Z UID:10000030-1675882800-1675893600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Cambridge Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:We are kicking off 2023 with a new series of Regional Speakeasies around the UK. Each event will be addressed by a senior member of Free Speech Union staff to discuss Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. It’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nSpeaker – Karolien Celie\, FSU Legal Officer \nKarolien Celie is the FSU’s Legal Officer. She holds a first-class law degree from the University of Cambridge and also has a background in politics and the social sciences. Karolien grew up across countries and cultures\, an experience which embedded within her a deep appreciation for liberal democratic values. She has always been passionate about human rights and has worked in several rights organisations prior to joining the FSU. \nKarolien will be interviewed by Jane Robins \nJane Robins began her career as a foreign correspondent for The Economist in Asia and was subsequently in the Editorial Policy Unit at the BBC and Editor of The Week in Westminster. More recently\, she has written historical books and contemporary novels. She teaches crime writing at Cambridge University. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \nDoors open 7pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £2.00. Please book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/cambridge-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:The Station Tavern – The Sidings\, 2 Station Square\, Cambridge\, CB1 2GA\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-07-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230215T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230215T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T102155Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T090637Z UID:10000031-1676487600-1676498400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Birmingham Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:Come and debate with the Free Speech Union\, Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. \nOur speaker for the evening is Thomas Harris\, FSU’s Director of Data and Impact. Tom joined the FSU from the corporate sector\, where he had become increasingly alarmed by the embedding of ‘woke’ ideas within management structures and workplace culture. He now plays a vital role in helping the FSU understand fast-moving developments in the ideological capture of so many of our institutions\, driving our ability to respond to future political and cultural trends. Which professions and sectors of employment are the worst for free speech? Who is most likely to need our help? What are our most effective responses to members’ travails? How can we campaign most effectively? How can we keep on growing\, so that we can help even more individuals and increase our ability to defend freedom of speech for all? \nIt’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \nDoors open 7pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £2.00. Please book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else. \n  \nSpeaker: Thomas Harris\, FSU Director of Data and Impact \nThomas Harris joined the FSU in March 2022 after 25 years in the City of London working as an actuary. In the City\, Tom was content to focus on strengthening the balance sheet of his employer and lucky to be moving in senior circles where the new training philosophies could largely be avoided; but the growth of the HR machine was still disconcerting. His personal life has ranged from senior bible teacher in a conservative evangelical church through to chair of the UK’s largest lesbian & gay swimming club. Consequently\, Tom is comfortable with multiple sides of most debates! URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/birmingham-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:Cosy Club – The Boardroom\, 33 Bennetts Hill\, Birmingham\, B2 5SN\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-08-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230220T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230220T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T103013Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T090527Z UID:10000032-1676919600-1676930400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Brighton Regional Speakeasy DESCRIPTION:We are kicking off 2023 with a new series of Regional Speakeasies around the UK. Each event will be addressed by a senior member of Free Speech Union staff to discuss Why Free Speech is Worth Fighting For. It’s your chance to find out why the individuals involved in FSU are so passionate about defending free speech and how our work is developing across many different fronts\, from case work to campaigns\, legislation to original research. It is also an opportunity for us to thank members in person for their continued support\, to meet new members\, introduce others to the work that we do and encourage them to join us. \nSpeaker: Toby Young\, FSU Founder and General Secretary \nToby Young is the founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years and is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where he’s written a weekly column since 1998. He is editor in chief of a blog called DailySceptic.org that has received over 40 million page views. He is the author of several books\, including How to Lose Friends & Alienate People\, and co-founded the Knowledge Schools Trust. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \nDoors open 7pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £2.00. Please book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/brighton-regional-speakeasy/ LOCATION:The Grand Central – Nightingale Room\, 29-30 Surrey St\, Brighton\, BN1 3PA\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-09-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230308T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230308T210000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T114858Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085959Z UID:10000047-1678303800-1678309200@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Defeating Twitter Bans and Defending Free Speech – Toby Young in conversation with Meghan Murphy DESCRIPTION:Join us on Zoom at 7.30pm on  Wednesday 8 th March for an Online Speakeasy with the excellent Canadian writer and podcaster Meghan Murphy. \n  \n\n\nNow living in Mexico\, Meghan is the founder and editor of Feminist Current \, a website and podcast\, and host of The Same Drugs . Meghan was permanently banned from Twitter in 2018 for saying that men are not women\, only to have her account reinstated in November 2022\, thanks to Elon Musk’s takeover. While the focus of her work for many years was on cultural analysis from a feminist and socialist lens\, she has pivoted towards free speech and civil liberties of late\, rejecting ideology and political identities. \n\nFind her on Twitter @meghanemurphy and Substack: https://meghanmurphy.substack.com/ URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/defeating-twitter-bans-and-defending-free-speech-toby-young-in-conversation-with-meghan-murphy/ LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-05-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230327T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230327T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230906T151744Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T133752Z UID:10000033-1679945400-1679954400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Disinformation\, Misinformation and the Freedom to Dissent DESCRIPTION:How do we stop disinformation and misinformation being weaponised to suppress dissent?\nSo-called disinformation and misinformation have been singled out by many governments\, institutions\, charities and commercial businesses as a threat to democracy\, requiring widespread censorship. Is this a genuine concern\, or just an excuse to suppress dissenting points of view on issues like the lockdowns\, mRNA vaccines\, the war in Ukraine and climate change? And even if the threat is real and the concern genuine\, how can we trust these agents to accurately identify disinformation and misinformation? \nCriminalising or suppressing the dissemination of ‘fake news’ often seems to be a convenient way of silencing critics of those in power. New evidence has emerged of the UK Government monitoring people who questioned the wisdom of the Covid-19 lockdown\, including scientists and journalists. A recent report by campaign group Big Brother Watch revealed that at least three government units — the Counter Disinformation Unit\, the Rapid Response Unit and the 77th Brigade — were deployed to track the social media activities of British citizens\, identifying those regarded as problematic\, whom Government departments then reported to social media companies using their ‘trusted flagger’ status. \nWe bring together a panel of experts including the publisher of that report\, Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch\, writer and broadcaster Timandra Harkness\, and two of those identified by a 77th Brigade whistleblower as having been flagged for disseminating content critical of Covid policies\, the journalist Peter Hitchens and FSU General Secretary Toby Young. Join us\, in-person or online\, to discuss what lessons we should learn about how to counter this threat to free speech and defend the right to dissent. \nPANEL: \nSilkie Carlo\, Director of Big Brother Watch \nSilkie works to further human rights and equality particularly in the fields of state surveillance\, policing technologies\, big data\, artificial intelligence\, and free expression using parliamentary lobbying\, strategic litigation\, investigations and public campaigns to successfully change policies and laws. She is regularly invited to give expert evidence on civil liberties matters to UK Parliament and has also given oral evidence on technology and human rights issues to European Parliament and the Bundestag. \n  \nTimandra Harkness\, journalist\, writer and broadcaster \nTimandra is a regular on BBC Radio\, writing and presenting BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing and other series including How To Disagree\, Steelmanning and Political School. BBC documentaries include Data\, Data Everywhere\, Divided Nation\, What Has Sat-Nav Done To Our Brains\, and Five Knots. Her book Big Data: does size matter? published by Bloomsbury Sigma in 2016\, came out in an updated paperback edition in June 2017. She is currently writing her second non-fiction book for Harper Collins. \n  \nPeter Hitchens\, columnist\, journalist and author \nPeter is a columnist for The Mail on Sunday who has spent more than 40 years in Fleet Street\, covered labour affairs\, politics\, defence and diplomacy and been a resident correspondent in Moscow (1990-1992) and Washington DC (1993-1995). He has visited 57 countries\, some of which no longer exist\, and is the author of several books including The Abolition of Liberty. \nCHAIR: \nToby Young\, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union \nToby Young is a British journalist and former Director of the New Schools Network\, a free schools charity. In addition to being the founder and General Secretary of the Free Speech Union\, he is an associate editor of the Spectator and the editor of the Daily Sceptic. \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out more here. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/disinformation-misinformation-and-the-freedom-to-dissent-2/ LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Public Debates ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V3-04-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230418T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230418T200000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T114605Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T193143Z UID:10000046-1681842600-1681848000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:The Power of Difference: Toby Young in conversation with Simon Fanshawe OBE DESCRIPTION:Simon Fanshawe OBE has had a career that stretches from an award-winning comic (Perrier Award 1989) to Sunday Times feature writer\, broadcaster and columnist. He is the author of the best-selling book The Power of Difference which brings together his own experiences and the latest research to explain why inclusion is more than just being nice to people\, why unconscious bias training isn’t the fix we need and why listening to all individual voices\, not assuming that one viewpoint represents a group\, is key. \n\n\nHe co-founded Diversity by Design in 2010\, is Number 2 on HR Magazine ’s 2022 list of most original thinkers. \n\n\nAs a consultant he works with companies to celebrate difference and create true inclusion. But he is a diversity dissident. He thinks it’s a remarkable irony that ‘diversity’ is too often being used as a tool of conformity\, enforced by the weaponising of offence\, and ‘inclusion’ has been turned inside out and now seems to mean that ‘you have to think like this\, speak like this and behave like this. And if you don’t\, we’ll exclude you’. \n\nHe is also now the wrong kind of gay. Not only does he think that sex matters and you can’t make good law based on subjective feelings but\, having been one of the six co-founders of Stonewall\, he has been publicly critical of their ‘no debate’ approach which he believes dishonours the legacy of the way equality for lesbians and gays was achieved between 1989 and 2014. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-power-of-difference-toby-young-in-conversation-with-simon-fanshawe-obe/ LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-10-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230505T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230505T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T113235Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085559Z UID:10000045-1683311400-1683324000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Comedy Unleashed – Stand-up for Free speech DESCRIPTION:THE HOME OF FREE-THINKING COMEDY \n  \n\n\n Friday 5th May – Doors at 6:30pm\, acts on stage 7:30pm \n  \n\n\nHaving consistently sold out shows in London for the past 5 years\,  Comedy Unleashed  brings its refreshing brand of stand-up comedy to The HiFi Club  in Leeds. \n\n\nIf a comedian gets cancelled\, we put them on. We think that the audience should be the only judge and if something is funny… it’s funny. No subject is off limits. We encourage a spirit of exploration and a determination to eschew all things predictable. Comedy Unleashed  comedians have no fear of exploring prejudices\, contrarian views\, hidden thoughts and the real stuff of everyday life. \n\n\nHere’s the sort of thing you’re going to get https://youtu.be/IAqIS6e-dl \n\n Andrew Lawrence \n\nAndrew was cancelled in 2021 and Comedy Unleashed welcomes him back to the stage! Since then Andrew has built up a following for his daily videos\, with characters including Sergeant Detective Officer Peter Pisspot\, Sebastian Fat Salary Director of Marxist c**t waffle and Sir Keir Something. \n\n Tania Edwards \n\nTania is an utterly middle-class sceptic of middle-class sensibilities and ‘right-thinking’ groupthink. She is a popular comic at the London Comedy Unleashed club. \n\n Darius Davies \n\nDarius cut his teeth in the comedy clubs of New York City. But due to “visa irregularities” Darius soon found himself back\, and uncelebrated in London. He’s a distinct voice in a sea of ubiquity. Fearless in his belief in what is funny and forging his own path. High energy\, captivating and fuelled with passion\, soul and wit. \n\n Jay Mack \n\nJay Mack is a Leeds comedian with a pleasantly dark and surreal take on life. \n\n Bruce Devlin – Compere for the evening \n\nBruce is an acerbic Scottish comedian and will be our MC for the evening. “Devlin’s super-charged introductions could make Richard Pryor look like a slow starter!” \n\n\nDoors: 6.30pm until 10:00pm with the first comedian onstage at 7.30pm. Please arrive at the venue no later than 7:00pm so you can get a drink and be seated before the first act takes to the stage. Any arrivals after 7.00pm may unfortunately have to wait until the next available interval to be allowed into the venue. \n\n\nTickets are sold for the Comedy Night as an event and not for individual comedians. Line-ups are subject to change. All acts are confirmed at time of booking. Occasionally\, acts may be replaced for reasons beyond our control. If this happens the act will be replaced with a suitable alternative. We do our best to keep the listings (on our calendar page) as up to date as feasibly possible with the current situation. If this causes any major inconvenience\, please contact info@thehificlub.co.uk or via telephone on 0113 242 7353. \n\n\nFancy dress is not permitted. At the discretion of management and security of The HiFi Club\, same sex groups of 5 or more may be asked for a behavioural bond of £10 per person upon entry to ensure the smooth running of the comedy show. This behavioural bond will be returned at the end of the show as long as the rules of the venue have been adhered to. \n\nFor group enquiries and bookings\, please contact us directly on 0113 242 7353.\nBooking details will be shared with Comedy Unleashed and your email address will be added to the Comedy Unleashed newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe\, there’s a link to do so in your first email. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-stand-up-for-free-speech-3/ LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-02-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230510T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230510T223000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T104344Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T193934Z UID:10000034-1683747000-1683757800@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Blasphemy Law by the Back Door? DESCRIPTION:Are we seeing the return of blasphemy law ‘by the back door’?\n  \nWith Emma Webb\, Rakib Ehsan\, Stephen Evans and Ben Jones – In partnership with Common Sense Society UK\n  \nThe offence of blasphemy was abolished in England and Wales in 2008\, but the disturbing case of the Batley Grammar School teacher – still in hiding two years after showing a picture of Mohammed in an RE class – and the recent punishment of schoolboys in Wakefield for lightly scuffing a copy of the Quran suggest that the imposition of de facto blasphemy laws is unlikely to end soon. \nBlasphemy remains a crime in Northern Ireland\, and while Scotland’s blasphemy law was repealed in 2021\, it was replaced with menacing\, vague new offences against stirring up of religious hatred. Meanwhile\, some would argue the Equality Act has created new categories of ‘blasphemous’ speech and heretical beliefs. ‘Woke’ speech codes in workplaces and universities are often likened to a new religious doctrine\, with new taboos policed not just by twitter mobs but through HR departments and EDI policies\, ironically\, often in the name of ‘inclusivity’ and ‘diversity’. Recent scenes in New Zealand and at Speakers Corner in London remind us that even today\, attempts to silence can still take on the very old-fashioned form of a physical mob\, baying for the blood of heretics. \nIn this climate\, are we seeing the return of blasphemy laws ‘by the back door’? In a pluralist society\, how should we strike a balance between tolerance for diverse beliefs and the right to ridicule or criticise religion? How can we defend the right to free speech against Islamism\, while our institutions routinely censure dissent from woke liturgy? \nJoin our expert panel\, Emma Webb\, Rakib Ehsan\, Steven Evans and Ben Jones for an in-depth discussion followed by audience Q and A. \n  \nAbout our speakers: \nEmma Webb is director of the UK branch of the Common Sense Society. Emma was the co-founder of campaign group Save Our Statues. Before that\, she was director of the Forum on Integration\, Democracy and Extremism (FIDE) at Civitas\, where she remains an associate fellow. Prior to that\, Emma was a research fellow at the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society\, specialising in Islamist social networks and institutions. As a political and cultural commentator Emma has written for the Telegraph\, Times\, Spectator\, Independent\, spiked\, Unherd\, ConHome\, CapX\, among others\, and regularly appears on broadcast media\, including talkRADIO\, GB News and the BBC. \n  \nDr Rakib Ehsan is a research analyst and writer\, specialising in matters of social cohesion\, race relations\, and public security. He is the author of the forthcoming book Beyond Grievance and has worked with a number of think-tanks\, including the Henry Jackson Society\, the Centre for Social Justice\, Policy Exchange\, ResPublica and the Runnymede Trust. Rakib is a columnist for Sp!ked and a regular contributor for The Daily Mail and The Telegraph. He has featured on BBC Newsnight and Good Morning Britain (GMB). \n  \nStephen Evans is the chief executive of the National Secular Society and a regular media commentator on the role of religion in public life. The National Secular Society played a leading role in the campaign to abolish blasphemy in England and Wales and ensuring free speech on religion was protected in Scotland’s 2021 Hate Crime Act. \n  \nBen Jones is Deputy Director of the Free Speech Union’s cases team and he helps members of the public in all walks of life who’ve been penalised for speaking their minds. He also represents the FSU on TV and radio and co-hosts the FSU’s new podcast\, That’s Debatable. And he is in the final months of a PhD on British ex-Muslims\, focusing in part on how difficult it is for them to speak freely because of the danger\, self-censorship and social taboo around criticising Islam. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/blasphemy-law-by-the-back-door/ LOCATION:London – Private\, London\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Public Debates ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-09-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230523T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230523T213000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230426T104945Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085432Z UID:10000035-1684868400-1684877400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Arts Forum: Freedom of Expression in the Arts DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to announce that at our next meeting\, Professor Kathleen Stock and Rosie Kay will lead a discussion on what freedom of expression means for the Arts. \nAlthough now well-known for her public engagement with debates pertaining to gender identity\, Professor Stock forged her academic career through work on aesthetics and the artistic imagination in literature\, music and the visual arts. As well as publishing numerous articles and chapters\, she is the author of the book Only Imagine: Fiction\, interpretation\, and imagination (Oxford University Press\, 2017). Professor Stock will be in conversation with the award-winning choreographer Rosie Kay. Rosie is currently preparing to tour with her show 5 Soldiers. \n  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass-membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. You can find out more about us here. \nThe FSU Arts Forums have been formed to support arts professionals in developing an effective defence of freedom of expression\, capable of standing up to its latest challenges. \n  \nAttendance is by invitation only and the evening will be conducted according to the Chatham House rule. If there are others you think we should invite\, please let us know. \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director\, The Free Speech Union \nJan@freespeechunion.org URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/arts-forum-freedom-of-expression-in-the-arts/ LOCATION:October Gallery\, 24 Old Gloucester St\, London\, WC1N 3AL\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Public Debates ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-10-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230602T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230602T210000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230527T045258Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T085308Z UID:10000036-1685732400-1685739600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Comedy Unleashed – Stand-up for Free Speech DESCRIPTION:THE HOME OF FREE-THINKING COMEDY \nFriday 2nd June . – Doors at 6:30pm\, acts on stage 7:30pm \nHaving consistently sold out shows in London for the past 5 years\, Comedy Unleashed brings its refreshing brand of stand-up comedy to The HiFi Club in Leeds. \nIf a comedian gets cancelled\, we put them on. We think that the audience should be the only judge and if something is funny… it’s funny. No subject is off limits. We encourage a spirit of exploration and a determination to eschew all things predictable. Comedy Unleashed comedians have no fear of exploring prejudices\, contrarian views\, hidden thoughts and the real stuff of everyday life. \nHere’s the sort of thing you’re going to get https://youtu.be/IAqIS6e-dl \nScott Capurro\nIf someone tells Scott to avoid a subject\, he goes straight to it. We bloody love him.\n“He’s evil and should be forced to leave the country” – Daily Mirror.\n“Vaingloriously poisonous” – The Scotsman\n“He’s a right dirty bugger and I love him” Andy Shaw \nJosh Howie\nJosh weaves lengthy tales out of everyday life that are utterly hilarious. He’s a brilliant storyteller. Josh is also a regular on the satirical news show Headliners on GB News. \nStephen Grant \nA hugely popular MC at the London club. Stephen has energy and intellect and has won multiple awards as a result. He makes the place buzz and he has an opinion on everything and everyone. \nMore comedians to be announced soon! \nDoors: 6.30pm until 10:00pm with the first comedian onstage at 7.30pm. Please arrive at the venue no later than 7:00pm so you can get a drink and be seated before the first act takes to the stage. Any arrivals after 7.00pm may unfortunately have to wait until the next available interval to be allowed into the venue. \nTickets are sold for the Comedy Night as an event and not for individual comedians. Line-ups are subject to change. All acts are confirmed at time of booking. Occasionally\, acts may be replaced for reasons beyond our control. If this happens the act will be replaced with a suitable alternative. We do our best to keep the listings (on our calendar page) as up to date as feasibly possible with the current situation. If this causes any major inconvenience\, please contact info@thehificlub.co.uk or via telephone on 0113 242 7353.\nFancy dress is not permitted. At the discretion of management and security of The HiFi Club\, same sex groups of 5 or more may be asked for a behavioural bond of £10 per person upon entry to ensure the smooth running of the comedy show. This behavioural bond will be returned at the end of the show as long as the rules of the venue have been adhered to. \nFor group enquiries and bookings\, please contact us directly on 0113 242 7353. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-stand-up-for-free-speech/ LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-11-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230607T183000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230607T210000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230531T100120Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094346Z UID:10000037-1686162600-1686171600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Whose Values? Whose Voices? Are We Being Silenced By a ‘New Elite’? DESCRIPTION:Professor Matthew Goodwin’s latest book Values\, Voices and Virtue: The New British Politics has stirred up lively discussion about whether a ‘new elite ’\, with values alien to the majority\, has become a dominant cultural and political force in Britain. Stepping into the middle of the culture wars and offering an analysis that is critical of both left and right\, the book has succeeded in opening up debate about the causes and impact of populism\, the nature of power and class identity\, whether society can cohere around shared values and how democracy can be revived.   \n  \nWe have brought together a superb panel to discuss the book with Matthew:\n  \n\n Professor Geoffrey Evans  \n Baroness Claire Fox  \n Sherelle Jacobs  \n\n  \nIn the chair will be FSU General Secretary Toby Young .\n  \nThere will be an audience Q and A and plenty of time to socialise afterwards. A welcome drink is included in the ticket price. The book will be on sale on the night.\n  \n Event Information: \n  \n DATE: \nWednesday 7th June\n  \n TIME: \n7.15pm\, doors open 6.30pm. Complimentary drink on arrival. Debate from 7.15pm to 9pm. After-event social with cash bar until 10pm\n  \n VENUE: \nUpper Hall\, The Emmanuel Centre\, 9-23 Marsham St\, London SW1P 3DW\n  \n TICKETS: \nFSU Members £10 / Non-members £20 / Age 25 and under £12. Join the FSU today for discounted tickets to all events\, membership from as little as £2.49 per month.\n  \n[N.B. this event will not be live-streamed\, but it will be recorded for the FSU’s video platform]  \n \n About our speakers:   \n  \n Matthew Goodwin is Professor of Politics at the University of Kent. The author of four books\, including the Sunday Times bestseller National Populism \, he appears regularly in print and broadcast media including the Sunday Times and the BBC. Goodwin has advised more than 200 organisations on political issues and is a member of the Free Speech Union’s Advisory Council.   \n  \n Geoffrey Evans is Official Fellow in Politics at Nuffield College\, Oxford; University of Oxford Professor of the Sociology of Politics and a Fellow of the British Academy. He has been co-director of the British Election Study since 2013 and is the author of numerous books and articles on the sources and consequences of social\, psychological and political divisions in the UK and cross-nationally. Among his recent books are The New Politics of Class: The Political Exclusion of the British Working Class \, Oxford University Press\, 2017 (with James Tilley) and Brexit and British Politics\, Polity\, 2017 (with Anand Menon).\n  \n Claire Fox is the director of the Academy of Ideas\, she convenes the yearly Battle of Ideas festival and initiated the Debating Matters Competition for sixth-formers . In May 2019\, she was elected as an MEP for the North West England constituency of the UK in the European Parliament elections. In September 2020\, Claire became a member of the House of Lords as Baroness Fox of Buckley. She is the author of I Find That Offensive and I STILL Find That Offensive .\n  \n Sherelle Jacobs is a Daily Telegraph columnist and commissioning editor on the newspaper’s comment desk. She also writes about politics\, geopolitics\, technology\, futurism and bureaucracy. Sherelle previously worked on the Telegraph ‘ s travel desk\, a job that took her across the world\, from Colombia to Mozambique. She has also worked as a freelance journalist in Tunisia\, where she reported on the failures of the Arab Spring and the rise of extremism in the Maghreb.\n   \n CHAIR: \n Toby Young is the founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union . He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years and is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where he’s written a weekly column since 1998. He is editor in chief of a blog called DailySceptic.org that has received over 40 million page views. He is the author of several books\, including How to Lose Friends & Alienate People \, and co-founded the Knowledge Schools Trust.\n  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out more . URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/whose-values-whose-voices-are-we-being-silenced-by-a-new-elite/ LOCATION:The Emmanuel Centre – Upper Hall\, 9-23 Marsham St\, London\, SW1P 3DW CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-08-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230614T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230614T210000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230531T100445Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T194047Z UID:10000038-1686771000-1686776400@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Annual Convention 2023 DESCRIPTION:The FSU Annual Convention\n\nThe Convention affords senior staff and the directors of the FSU the opportunity to thank members for their support and to report back on highlights from the past year – e.g.\, legal victories\, case-work successes and the impact our behind-the-scenes legislative and policy work is having. It’s also a great opportunity to participate in a Q&A where you get to have your say about the work we’re doing.\n\nAttend Online: Gold and Founder FSU members will be sent a link so they can attend this event on Zoom. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/annual-convention-2023/ CATEGORIES:Conferences & Symposiums ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-04-scaled.jpg LOCATION:https://freespeechunion.org/event/annual-convention-2023/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230615T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230615T203000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230531T100944Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094246Z UID:10000039-1686855600-1686861000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:The Battle for Free Speech: Jane Robins in conversation with Toby Young DESCRIPTION:Campus mobs\, preferred pronouns\, artworks consigned to the dustbin of history\, controversial views dismissed as ‘misinformation’\, children’s books censored\, de facto blasphemy laws\, employees sacked for having the ‘wrong’ opinions\, celebrities cancelled for theirs… the battle to defend free speech is never ending.\n  \nThis is your opportunity to hear from the man leading the fightback.\n  \nIn 2020\, inspired by his own brush with cancel culture\, journalist and author Toby Young founded the Free Speech Union. Since then\, the FSU has come to the defence of over 2\,000 people who’ve been penalised for exercising their lawful right to free speech. As the General Secretary\, Toby runs the organisation\, working with a team of fifteen staff on everything from parliamentary lobbying to fundraising\, while raising awareness of free speech issues through his regular appearances in the media. Those who know him will attest that it his drive\, tenacity and prodigious work ethic that has taken the Free Speech Union from zero to 11\,000 members in the space of three years\, transforming it into Britain’s most effective bulwark in defence of free speech.\n  \nJoin us on Thursday 15th June at the Clayton Hotel\, Cambridge\, to hear Toby in conversation with journalist and author\, Jane Robins. Jane has worked as a foreign correspondent for the Economist\, editor of The Week in Westminster on Radio 4\, an adviser in the BBC’s Policy Unit\, and as the media editor of the Independent on Sunday. She now writes books and has published three works of non-fiction and two novels.\n  \nThere will be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters.\n  \nThe bar opens at 6.30pm\, the interview and Q and A goes on from 7.00pm until 8.45pm\, with drinks continuing until 10pm.\n  \nFSU members can book tickets FREE of charge for themselves and their friends. Non-members pay £10. Members receive discounts for live events and exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union if you haven’t already. Membership starts from as little as £2.49 per month.\n  \n DATE: \nThursda y 15 th June 2023  \n  \n TIME: \nBar opens 6.30pm\, main event from 7.00pm until 8.45pm. Social until 10pm.\n  \n VENUE: \nThe Garden Suite\, Clayton Hotel Cambridge  \n27-29 Station Rd\,  \nCambridge CB1 2FB   URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-battle-for-free-speech-jane-robins-in-conversation-with-toby-young/ LOCATION:The Garden Suite\, Clayton Hotel Cambridge\, 27-29 Station Rd\,\, Cambridge\, Cambridge\, CB1 2FB CATEGORIES:Guest Interviews ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-01-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230705T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230705T203000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T112402Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T133854Z UID:10000044-1688583600-1688589000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport and Against Attempts to Silence its Champions DESCRIPTION:Wednesday 5th July\, in-person in Central London or Online \n  \n\n\nOf all the issues thrown up by the rise of gender ideology and the push for trans-inclusivity\, safety and fairness in women’s sport is probably the one that has most grabbed mainstream public attention. And yet\, too often\, debate has been shut down and those who raise questions have been de-legitimised and accused of ‘transphobia’. \n\n\nOne of the most impressively stalwart campaigners\, working to keep the debate open\, is British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies MBE. Sharron is a legendary British Olympian\, the UK’s top female swimmer throughout the 80s. In 1980\, she won Olympic Silver (losing out only to a drugs cheat). She has since become a leading BBC sports pundit. \n\n\nThe Free Speech Union is therefore delighted to host the official launch of Sharron’s new book\, Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport\, written with award-winning sports correspondent Craig Lord. \n\n\n IN-PERSON tickets\, with a discount price for FSU members and a celebratory wine reception\, can be purchased here: \n  \n\n\nhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-person-tickets-unfair-play-sharron-davies-book-launch-tickets-641173155167 \n\n\nFSU members who prefer to join ONLINE\, should register free of charge\, using the link sent in the weekly newsletter and in emails from FSU Events. \n  \n\n\nNon-FSU members who prefer to join ONLINE can pay £5 to register here: \n  \n\n\nhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-ticket-for-unfair-play-sharron-davies-book-launch-tickets-635317661227 \n\n\nAbout the book \n  \n\n\nSharron Davies is no stranger to battling the routine sexism of the sporting world. She missed out on Olympic Gold because of blatant doping among East German athletes in the 1980s and has never received justice. Now\, biological males are being allowed to compete directly against women under the guise of trans ‘self- ID’\, a development that could destroy the integrity of female sport. This callous indifference towards women in sport\, argue Sharron and journalist Craig Lord\, is merely the latest stage in a decades-long history of sexism on the part of sport’s higher-ups. \n\n\nUnfair Play: The battle to save women’s sport provides the facts\, science and arguments that will help women in sport get the justice they deserve. \n\n\nJoin us on Wednesday 5th July to hear from Sharron about why she wrote the book and the struggles she has faced to get her arguments heard. \n\n\nWe have brought together a superb panel to discuss the issues with Sharron: \n\n\nDr Emma Hilton is a prize-winning development biologist who has advised various governing bodies on transgender policy in sport including World Rugby. She is a director of Sex Matters\, a UK-based human rights group that campaigns for clarity on the (UK) protected characteristic of sex in law and in institutions. Her current research activity is an academic scoping review of transgender athlete policies of the most popular UK sports. \n\n\nCathy Devine is an independent researcher and expert in sport policy\, equality and human rights for girls and women. She has published widely in this area over the last 15 years. In the last two years she has advised a number of international and UK sport organisations (often confidentially) on transgender inclusion policies that do not compromise equal sporting opportunities for girls and women. She worked for 23 years as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria\, UK\, and is an erstwhile Secretary of the British Philosophy of Sport Association. \n\n\nIn the chair will be Dr Jan Macvarish. Jan is Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union. Before joining the staff of the FSU\, she worked as an academic sociologist\, studying parenting\, family life\, intimacy and reproductive health. \n\n\nThere will be an audience Q and A and plenty of time to socialise afterwards over a complimentary glass of wine\, courtesy of Swift Press. The book will be on sale on the night and Sharron will be signing copies. \n\n\nDATE: Wednesday 5th July \n\n\nTIME: 7pm until 8.30pm\, (doors open 6.30pm). Followed by celebratory wine reception. \n\n\nVENUE: The Council Chamber\, Hallam Conference Centre\, 44 Hallam Street\, London W1W 6JJ. \n\nTICKETS: FSU Members £10 / Non-members £20 / Age 25s and under £12. Join the FSU today for free speech support and discounted tickets to all events\, membership from as little as £2.49 per month. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/unfair-play-the-battle-for-womens-sport-and-against-attempts-to-silence-its-champions/ LOCATION:The Council Chamber\, Hallam Conference Centre\, 44 Hallam Street\, London\, W1W 6JJ\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V5-07-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230707T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230707T210000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230531T101302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094215Z UID:10000040-1688756400-1688763600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Comedy Unleashed – Stand-up for Free Speech DESCRIPTION:THE HOME OF FREE-THINKING COMEDY \n  \n 7th July – Doors at 6:30pm\, acts on stage 7:30pm \n  \nHaving consistently sold out shows in London for the past 5 years\,  Comedy Unleashed  brings its refreshing brand of stand-up comedy to The HiFi Club  in Leeds.\n  \nIf a comedian gets cancelled\, we put them on. We think that the audience should be the only judge and if something is funny… it’s funny. No subject is off limits. We encourage a spirit of exploration and a determination to eschew all things predictable. Comedy Unleashed  comedians have no fear of exploring prejudices\, contrarian views\, hidden thoughts and the real stuff of everyday life.\n  \nHere’s the sort of thing you’re going to get https://youtu.be/IAqIS6e-dl \n  \n Dominic Frisby \nDominic is a libertarian version of Billy Bragg (with a sense of humour). He tells jokes\, he sings songs and he will be our excellent compere for the evening. Creator of internet sensation ’17 million f*** offs’  and writer of hilarious songs that satirise our bonkers culture\, including the recent ‘Gonna Mary Gary’. \nHere are some videos of Dominic at the London club\n  \n Alistair Williams \nExcluded from most comedy clubs and banned from YouTube\, Alistair Williams is utterly\ncounter-cultural and bloody hilarious. Alistair did a gig at the London club recently and we\nwere inundated with requests to put him on again.\nHere’s clip of Alistair at the London club.\n  \n Victor Daniels \n  \nVictor Daniels is a seasoned comedian with numerous years of experience and has performed at The Comedy Store\, Top Secret\, Glee Club\, Frog & Bucket and Vauxhall Comedy Club to name a few. He recently performed a one man show at the Brighton Comedy Festival 2022.\nCheck Victor out here.\n  \n More comedians to be announced soon! \nDoors: 6.30pm until 10:00pm with the first comedian onstage at 7.30pm. Please arrive at the venue no later than 7:00pm so you can get a drink and be seated before the first act takes to the stage. Any arrivals after 7:00pm may unfortunately have to wait until the next available interval to be allowed into the venue.\n  \nTickets are sold for the Comedy Night as an event and not for individual comedians. Line-ups are subject to change. All acts are confirmed at time of booking. Occasionally\, acts may be replaced for reasons beyond our control. If this happens the act will be replaced with a suitable alternative. We do our best to keep the listings (on our calendar page) as up to date as feasibly possible with the current situation. If this causes any major inconvenience\, please contact info@thehificlub.co.uk or via telephone on 0113 242 7353.\n  \nFancy dress is not permitted. At the discretion of management and security of The HiFi Club\, same sex groups of 5 or more may be asked for a behavioural bond of £10 per person upon entry to ensure the smooth running of the comedy show. This behavioural bond will be returned at the end of the show as long as the rules of the venue have been adhered to.\n  \nFor group enquiries and bookings\, please contact us directly on 0113 242 7353.\nBooking details will be shared with Comedy Unleashed and your email address will be added to the Comedy Unleashed newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe\, there’s a link to do so in your first email. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-stand-up-for-free-speech-2/ LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-03-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230713T184500 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230713T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T104017Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230905T194349Z UID:10000041-1689273900-1689285600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Cardiff Regional Speakeasy - Freedom of Thought\, Freedom of Speech & Religious Belief DESCRIPTION:FREEDOM OF THOUGHT\, FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF \n  \n\n\nFree Speech Union member Ben Dybowski was sacked from a school for sharing his Christian beliefs at a staff-only diversity and inclusion training seminar run by Diverse Cymru\, an organisation that trains teachers on ‘unconscious bias’ and ‘trans\, gender identity and gender expression awareness’. Having taken the trainer at her word when she described the session as a “safe space” in which to “speak freely”\, Mr Dybowski duly did so. \n\n\nDuring a ‘break-out’ discussion about how to avoid offending pupils\, the teacher challenged the group over whether his Christian beliefs were considered discriminatory. He told them he believed marriage was between a man and a woman\, that life began at conception\, and that he was opposed to some aspects of sharia law such as the stoning of men for homosexuality. \n\n\nLess than 24 hours after the session had ended\, Mr Dybowski was summoned before the school headmaster and sacked for “hate speech”. \n\n\nMr Dybowski\, who has an unblemished 20-year career in the profession\, started at the school through a teacher employment agency last October. \n\n\nSpeaking to the Mail on Sunday\, he said he had never discussed his views with pupils and was always respectful of those with different opinions. His dismissal was\, he added\, “an attack on Christianity” and “an affront to freedom of speech and freedom of thought”. \n\n\nFSU General Secretary Toby Young told the Mail that “the way Ben has been treated is outrageous. Had he been an employee of the school\, not taken on through the agency\, he’d have an open and shut case for unfair dismissal.” \n\n\nTeachers’ son Mr Dybowski grew up in Poland but has lived in Britain for almost two decades. “I remember well the final decade of communism there\, with all of the limits on liberty and free speech. Sadly\, some things in Britain now remind me of that period.” \n\n\nCome and here Ben Dybowski in conversation with local group Free Speechers Wales and West. There will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion and for socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n\n\nDoors open 6.45pm\, speaker and discussion starts at 7.30pm. \n\n\nSpeakeasies are free for FSU members. We ask non-members to pay £5.00. \n\nPlease book your places as soon as possible and do let us know if you need to cancel so that we can release your ticket to somebody else. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/cardiff-regional-speakeasy-freedom-of-thought-freedom-of-speech-religious-belief/ LOCATION:The Sandringham Hotel – Grosvenor Suite\, 21 Saint Mary Street\, Cardiff\, CF10 1PL CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-02-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230719T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230719T220000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T105338Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094200Z UID:10000042-1689793200-1689804000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Edinburgh Summer Speakeasy - Can the Arts Survive in Scotland? DESCRIPTION:CAN THE ARTS SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN SCOTLAND? \n  \n\n\nIn a censorious climate\, how can we protect the freedom to imagine for actors\, artists\, comedians\, musicians\, poets\, writers and audiences? \n\n\nLast summer\, comedian Jerry Sadowitz was forced to cancel his show at the Edinburgh Fringe when staff at The Pleasance refused to work at his gigs. He’s back this year\, performing ‘Last Year’s Show’ at the Queen’s Hall\, but recently The Stand Comedy Club made headlines when it tried to cancel an event planned with MP Joanna Cherry as speaker\, on the same grounds of staff sensitivity. After an outcry\, that invitation was reinstated\, but what is the impact of such censorious threats from within the arts world\, on those who are in the business of making us think? \n\n\nWe are all familiar with stories of artists having their reputations and careers attacked as punishment for the expression of views which challenge certain new orthodoxies\, and more subtle attempts to limit the artistic imagination by\, for example\, demanding that artists prioritise non-artistic factors such as ‘inclusivity’\, ‘diversity’ and ‘sensitivity’ when creating their work. \n\n\nAnd this is not just about those who make a living from their creativity. We the audience are increasingly prevented from judging for ourselves the value of a work of art\, performance or literature. Stories abound about retrospective re-writes of literary classics deemed ‘out-dated’\, of sensitivity-readers employed to rule on the ‘appropriateness’ of new works\, ever-growing labels in galleries and museums telling us what to think about the objects and the artists. \n\n\nHow can we make the case for the freedom of the artist and the audience today? \n\n\nWe have a panel of three speakers who are making a stand for freedom of expression in the arts\, poet Jenny Lindsay\, actor\, writer and producer Kirstin McLean and author Ewan Morrison. \n\n\nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n\n\nDATE: Wednesday 19th July \n\n\nVENUE: The Counting House\, 34 West Nicolson St\, Newington\, Edinburgh EH8 9DD. \n\n\nPanel debate 7pm – 8.45pm\, (doors open 6.30pm)\, bar open until 10pm. \n\n\nTickets are £5\, but FSU members can book FREE of charge. \n\n\nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union. Membership starts from as little as £2.49 per month. \n\n\nAbout the Speakers \n  \n\n\nJenny Lindsay is a poet\, writer\, essayist and performer. Her film-poem The Imagined We won the inaugural John Byrne Award for Critical Thinking in 2020 and she also won the Creative Edinburgh Award for Leadership in 2017. Her latest work This Script\, a poetic memoir about her often fraught response to #MeToo\, feminism and gendered expectations\, has been described as “brave\, complex and beautifully performed” and as bringing “a refreshing sense of joy to subject matter often debated in a much more humourless space” by The Scotsman. \n\n\nKirstin McLean has worked in the performing arts in Scotland for the past 22 years – initially as an actress and community facilitator\, and in recent years\, as a writer and director. She has worked in most theatres across Scotland\, alongside her work in television. Since 2021\, she has been artistic director of A Moment’s Peace Theatre Company\, delivering participatory arts projects through a women-only community theatre company and a multi artform group for refugees. She is a founding member and serving Executive Committee member of Cairn\, a new association (and aspiring trade union) representing performance professionals and the allied trades in Scotland. \n\n\nEwan Morrison is a multi-award winning Scottish author. He writes regularly for Areo Magazine and Psychology Today. His novels include How to Survive Everything\, Nina X (winner of the Saltire Society Award for Fiction in 2019)\, Tales from the Mall\, The Last Book You Read and Menage. He has also written for the Independent\, the Scotsman\, the Daily Mail\, New Statesman\, GQ and Esquire\, and Morrison was a weekly columnist for Scotland on Sunday from 2009-2011. Visit his website here. \n\nCHAIR: Fraser Hudghton is Director of the Free Speech Union Scotland. He joined the FSU in 2020 as Director of Case Management and oversees our vital work in helping those who have been cancelled or are threatened with cancellation get their lives back. In 2022\, he also took on the role of Director of Scottish Affairs. Prior to his time at FSU\, he worked in key roles for the Law Society of Scotland\, in Scottish politics and in charity fundraising regulation. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/edinburgh-summer-speakeasy-2/ LOCATION:The Counting House\, 38 West Nicolson Street\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9DD\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-05-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230720T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230720T203000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230727T111613Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094105Z UID:10000043-1689881400-1689885000@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:FSU Manchester Speakeasy – Free Speech: A Radical History DESCRIPTION:SPEAKERS: FSU Manchester Speakeasy with local historian Michael Herbert of Red Flag Walks\, Dr Cheryl Hudson of University of Liverpool and Jonathan Schofield\, writer\, Manchester tour guide and editor of Manchester Confidential. \n\n\nDATE: Thursday 20th July 2023 \n\nVENUE: Friends Meeting House\, 6 Mount St\, Manchester M2 5NS\n\nTIME: 7PM – 8.30PM (followed by social at The Britons Protection).\n\n EVENTBRITE LINK: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-speech-a-radical-history-tickets-643681587957?aff=oddtdtcreator \n\n\nJoin us on Thursday 20th July at the Friends Meeting House\, 6 Mount St\, Manchester M2 5NS\, followed by a social at The Britons Protection. \n\n\nHistorically\, from communists to slavery abolitionists\, suffragettes to religious minorities\, freedom of speech was considered an indispensable value for radical movements\, and indeed democracy more generally. Yet today\, free speech is more likely to be considered a potential problem than a core value\, and concerns about free speech are often dismissed as a right-wing talking point. \n\n\nFreedom of speech is\, and has been throughout history\, used to challenge injustice\, overturn tyrannical regimes\, expose crimes and corruption\, challenge orthodoxies\, and drive scientific debate and progress. At its broadest\, free speech implies the right to decide for yourself what is right and wrong\, true or nonsense\, beautiful or ugly\, good or evil. \n\n\nManchester’s radical past provides plenty of examples of how the struggle for free speech is always at the heart of political struggles against injustice and oppression. We have an expert panel of speakers who can help us explore the lessons we can learn from the bravery of our forebears. \n\n\n Michael Herbert is a freelance historian who first came to Manchester in 1973 to study history at the University of Manchester. His published work includes Never Counted Out!\, a biography of Len Johnson\, the Manchester boxer and Communist; The Wearing of the Green\, a political history of the Irish in Manchester; “Up Then Brave Women”: Manchester’s Radical Women 1819-1918 and “For the sake of the women who are to come after” Manchester’s radical women 1914-1945. He is compiling an anthology of the journalism of Madeline Linford (1895-1975)\, the first woman on the editorial board of the Manchester Guardian. He writes about radical history on his blog Red Flag Walks and about science fiction on his blog “Fantasies of Possibility”. \n\n\n Dr Cheryl Hudson is a lecturer in US Political History at the University of Liverpool\, and is former director of the academic programme at the Rothermere American Institute\, University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the histories of citizenship and political culture in the US and on the philosophy of history. She is co-editor of Ronald Reagan and the 1980s (Palgrave MacMillan\, 2008) and Why Academic Freedom Matters (Civitas\, 2016). Her forthcoming book is titled Citizenship in Chicago: Race\, Culture and the Remaking of America Identity. \n\n\n Jonathan Schofield is a Manchester tour guide\, writer\, broadcaster and public speaker. In 2021 he was awarded the Medal of Honour by the University of Manchester for services to the city and region. There have been fewer than fifty recipients of this medal. Jonathan has been a registered Blue Badge Guide since 1996 and is the Editor-at-Large of Manchester Confidential the city’s largest independent magazine. He is also the Editor of Manchester Books Limited and has written several books on the North West. He is a regular broadcaster on local and national radio. \n\n\nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters. \n\n\nTickets are £5\, but FSU members can book FREE of charge. \n\nMembers receive free speech support and discounts for live events as well as exclusive access to online content\, so do consider joining the Free Speech Union. Membership starts from as little as £2.49 per month. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/fsu-manchester-speakeasy-free-speech-a-radical-history/ LOCATION:Friends’ Meeting House\, Friends Meeting House\, 6 Mount St\, Manchester\, M2 5NS\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-V4-06-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230913T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230913T213000 DTSTAMP:20250624T083813 CREATED:20230904T125610Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T084940Z UID:10000052-1694633400-1694640600@freespeechunion.org SUMMARY:Is There a Left Way Back From Woke? DESCRIPTION:In his provocative new book\, Cancelled: The Left Way Back from Woke\, political scientist Professor Umut Özkirimli describes how the Left has been sucked into a spiral of toxic hatred and outrage-mongering\, retreating from the democratic ideals of freedom\, tolerance and pluralism that it purports to represent. However\, he also warns that the radical identity politics of the contemporary Left are mirrored in identitarian tendencies on the Right and advocates an alternative approach in which we rediscover our common humanity and work across differences to find a constructive and consensual way back from “woke”.\n  \n“Umut Ozkirimli addresses the more extreme forms of woke-ism in this forthright\, often witty examination of contemporary cancel culture… He says he walked into this war zone knowing he’d cop it from both left and right\, and he will surely stir things up.” Sydney Morning Herald\n  \n“This book will make you think\, which is probably what makes it so scary. Özkırımlı’s accessible style helps navigate contentious areas that have\, increasingly\, been seen as too dangerous to debate. Whatever Side you are on in this increasingly vicious culture war\, you would benefit from reading this book. I don’t agree with all of it\, but I am sure as hell glad it made it to the shelves.” Julie Bindel\, feminist and writer.\n  \nProfessor Özkirimli will be joined in conversation by two eminent public intellectuals:\n  \nProfessor Alice Sullivan has been instrumental in providing evidence that clarifies the need to preserve sex-based social categories in data-collection and policy-making. She has also led the UK pushback against the culture of ‘no debate’ about gender theory within and beyond academia\, including rallying academics at University College London to vote to detach the university from Stonewall and ensuring that academic freedom is upheld.\n  \nDr Ashley Frawley is one of the most interesting contemporary critics of identity politics and therapy culture – the prioritising of emotion in public life – bringing her research and insights to a wider audience through frequent engagement with traditional and new media.\n  \nThe panel will discuss Professor Özkirimli’s book and how those on the Left and the politically homeless can be encouraged to reject the divisiveness of ‘woke’ politics and stand up for freedom of speech and democratic values. As ever\, there will be plenty of time for audience Q and A.\n  \nPANEL :\n  \nUmut Özkırımlı is a Senior Research Fellow at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals)\, a professor at Blanquerna\, Ramon Llull University\, and a Senior Research Associate at CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs). He is also the Academic Director of the Barcelona Summer School of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. He is the author of the acclaimed Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction\, currently in its third edition. His writings appear frequently in The Guardian\, openDemocracy\, Times Higher Education\, Huffington Post\, Al Jazeera\, among others.\n  \nAlice Sullivan is Professor of Sociology at University College London (UCL) and Head of Research at the UCL Social Research Institute. Her research focusses on social and educational inequalities in the life course. She has made extensive use of secondary data analysis of large-scale longitudinal data sets in her research\, with a particular focus on the British birth cohort studies of 1958\, 1970 and 2000. She has published on areas including: social class and sex differences in educational attainment\, single-sex and co-educational schooling\, private and grammar schools\, cultural capital\, reading for pleasure\, social mobility\, health inequalities. She is on the Advisory Group of Sex Matters and co-author\, with Selina Todd\, of a new book\, Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader.\n  \nDr Ashley Frawley is Associate Professor of Sociology at Swansea University\, where she lectures on social problems\, the economics of social policy\, parenting culture and the sociology of health and illness. She is a commissioning editor at Sublation Press\, host of the Based AF podcast\, and contributing editor of Compact magazine. Her research and writing explore the rising importance attributed to emotions and behaviour in an era of ‘no alternative’ to capitalism. She is particularly interested in ‘vulnerable’ constructions of human subjects in the rhetoric of new social problems. Her most recent book is Significant Emotions: Rhetoric and Social Problems in a Vulnerable Age\, to be published by Bloomsbury in November 2023.\n  \nCHAIR:\n  \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union.\n  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members.\n  \n___________________________\n  \nPlease note that in-person tickets to this event have now sold out. The event will be live-streamed to FSU members\, meaning you are still able to attend online. Please register using the Zoom link supplied in emails from FSU Events.\n\nAttend Online: FSU members will be sent a link so they can attend this event on Zoom. URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/is-there-a-left-way-back-from-woke/ LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom CATEGORIES:Public Debates ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/US-FSU-ThumbnailDesign-Events-Sept-V2-03-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR