In 2024 we partnered Conway Hall in London to present a series of events on Britain in the first ‘atheist age’.
Explaining Atheism: What does its first ‘atheist age’ mean for the UK?
1 October 2024, Conway Hall London
The UK is entering its first atheist age. Whilst atheism has been prominent in our culture for some time – be it through Karl Marx, George Eliot, or Ricky Gervais – it is only now that atheists have begun to outnumber theists for the first time in our history. As the UK welcomes a new atheist Prime Minister, only a year after its new King came to throne as ‘Defender of Faiths’, join us for a panel discussion exploring what it means to live in an ‘atheist society’.
To explore what it might mean to live in an atheist society, Principal Investigators Lois Lee and Aiyana Willard are joined in conversation by Daisy Scalchi, BBC Head of Religion and Ethics; Chine McDonald, Director of Theos the religion and society think tank; Dr Will Gervais from Brunel University London and Cariad Lloyd comedian and host of the Griefcast podcast.
Between Beliefs: Film Screening and Q&A
15 September 2024, Conway Hall 25 London
What might dialogue, pluralism and mutual understanding look like as we enter the UK’s first ‘atheist age’ and traverse this uncharted territory? Filmmaker Briony Campbell working in collaboration with researchers from the Explaining Atheism programme has been exploring the UK’s changing landscape of belief. Screenings included:
Between Beliefs (Briony Campbell and Banyak films) captures conversations between British theists and atheists, offering intimate insights into the diverse values that exist within the growing population of atheists, agnostics and other types of unbelievers and exploring the possibility of understanding across a divide – believer/unbeliever – that has defined how we think about our worldview landscape for centuries.
Big Questions with Little People (Briony Campbell and Speakit) explores belief and non-belief in magic and Gods through the eyes of children – the most atheistic generation in the UK today.
Image: Briony Campbell, “Big Questions with Little People” 2024
