12 October 2016

Southbank Centre announces programme for new

year-long festival Belief and Beyond Belief - exploring what it means to be human in the 21st century

Featuring prominent writers, thinkers, artists and scientists including Karen Armstrong, Professor Stephen Hawking, Richard Holloway, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Roger

Norrington, Krzysztof Penderecki, Elif Şafak and Mona Siddiqui OBE

In partnership with London Philharmonic Orchestra

Also including Remona Aly, Julian Baggini, Nick Baines, Sarah Bakewell, Edmund de Waal, A.C. Grayling, Anab Jain, Joanna Kavenna, AL Kennedy, Sara Khan, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Abdul Rehman Malik, Sayed Razawi, Philippe Sands, Marcus du

Sautoy, Indarjit Singh, Jasvir Singh, Murray Shanahan, Nick Spencer, Nathalie Stutzmann, Colm Tóibín and more to be announced

Stephen Hawking (credit Philip Mynott), Vladimir Jurowski (credit Thomas Kurek), Mona Siddiqui (no credit)

Belief and Beyond Belief 10 January – 17 December 2017

Southbank Centre southbankcentre.co.uk/beliefandbeyondbelief

#BeliefandBeyond @southbankcentre

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Southbank Centre’s new year-long festival Belief and Beyond Belief built around eight themed weekends throughout 2017 offers a diverse programme of music, literature, performance, talks and debates featuring some of the most prominent writers, thinkers, artists and scientists of today including Karen Armstrong, Professor Stephen Hawking, Richard Holloway, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Roger Norrington, Krzysztof Penderecki, Elif Şafak and Mona Siddiqui OBE. The cross-artform programme investigates the great questions surrounding our experiences of life, death, religion and spirituality and explores what it means to be human in the 21st century - debating which religious beliefs remain relevant today. Jude Kelly CBE, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre, said " Belief and Beyond Belief is a landmark investigation into what it means to be a human in the 21st century. In a world of both secular and religious convictions, the current polarisation of faiths, deficit of happiness and rise of mental health issues suggests we are struggling with a wider discussion of spiritual and community life. With our partners London Philharmonic Orchestra, we tackle society's most pressing moral dilemmas and examine the meaning of spirituality today through music, theatre, art, discussion and debate. The festival, like Southbank Centre, is for absolutely everyone - all ages, backgrounds and belief systems." Highlights include:

● In an exclusive event to mark Professor Stephen Hawking’s 75th birthday and the launch of the landmark app Stephen Hawking’s Pocket Universe: A Brief History of Time Revisited , Professor Stephen Hawking is in conversation discussing his proudest accomplishments as a physicist in Royal Festival Hall (16 January)

● London Philharmonic Orchestra devotes nearly all of its concerts in 2017 to Belief and Beyond Belief , providing the musical backbone of the festival. With 27 concerts built around the weekend themes, LPO and Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Vladimir Jurowski - together with a host of leading conductors and artists - explore what it means to be human in the 21st century in works ranging from Haydn’s The Creation and Beethoven’s life-affirming Choral Symphony - to John Adams’s Harmonielehre and Krzysztof Penderecki’s cataclysmic 1966 St Luke Passion

● Keynote addresses from prominent leaders, writers and thinkers including Mona Siddiqui CBE (Does Struggle Give Life Meaning? 21 January), Marcus du Sautoy (God of the Gaps, 4 February), Elif Şafak (When Politics Meets Religion: Power and Faith, 8 April), Karen Armstrong (Is Religion Inherently Violent? 4 November) and A.C. Grayling (Can War Ever Be Justified? 5 November)

● Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh and author of A Little History of Religion joins a panel discussion on The Search for the Meaning of Life followed by a candid discussion on his struggles with religion (21 January)

● Composer Krzysztof Penderecki in conversation with Director of Music at Southbank Centre, Gillian Moore, in a free pre-concert talk, ahead of LPO’s performance of Penderecki’s St Luke Passion (4 March)

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● Irish author Colm Tóibín discusses writing from the perspective of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, in his Booker-shortlisted novel, The Testament of Mary (16 December)

● A broad range of panel discussions featuring leading authors, religious leaders, philosophers, scientists and artists including Remona Aly, Julian Baggini, Nick Baines, Sara Khan, Joanna Kavenna, Indarjit Singh, Sarah Bakewell and more

● A diverse programme of performance and participation events explore and celebrate humanity, religion and spirituality including The Monkey Trial a theatrical performance based on the 1925 Scopes Trial which debated the teachings of evolutionism versus creationism (4 – 5 February); and a series of Sunday Assembly's (from 21 January) which explore the themes of each weekend in a foot-stomping show, with music and stories from the local community.

● A variety of free events including storytelling, pre-concert talks, yoga, mindfulness, workshops, singing groups, craft activities, a parade inspired by the Mexican festival Day of the Dead and more.

The eight weekends of Belief and Beyond Belief look at challenges to spiritual belief and ask which, if any, of the mores, rituals and practices of religious belief can be relevant and useful to the world in the 21st century. It asks what are the risks to societies if they become more secular and how that will influence artists. Belief and Beyond Belief also looks at the broader questions of what it means to be human, what is the human spirit and what qualities separate us from the animal kingdom. It will attempt to disentangle the positive contributions of religious beliefs from ideological or politically motivated manifestations which, in some cases, reinforce discrimination and even fuel violence. Through music inspired by spiritual belief and the search for something greater than ourselves, the festival attempts to ‘lay open the grandeur, enigma, and conflict in our search for, and understanding of, the divine.’ (Vladimir Jurowski) Including as broad a range of religious and secular viewpoints as possible, above all, the festival addresses the seemingly innate need in so many people to find meaning for their lives and a sense of where they fit into the universe. Over eight weekends Belief and Beyond Belief explores;

1. The Search for the Meaning of Life (20-22 January 2017) 2. Science versus Religion: Do We Need to Choose? (3-5 February 2017) 3. How do we live with Death? (3-5 March 2017) 4. Prophets, Visionaries and Power (7-9 April 2017) 5. For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society? (5-7 May 2017) 6. How To Be Good: Gurus, Gods and Guidance (22-24 September 2017) 7. With God on our side ... Religion and War (3-5 November 2017) 8. Rituals and Seasons: Religion and our natural life (15-17 December 2017)

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ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL EVENTS In an exclusive event to mark Professor Stephen Hawking’s 75th birthday and the launch of the landmark app Stephen Hawking’s Pocket Universe: A Brief History of Time Revisited , Professor Stephen Hawking is in conversation about some of his proudest accomplishments as a physicist. This includes his Singularity Theorems with Roger Penrose, ‘Hawking Radiation’, and his No Boundary Proposal. A Brief History of Time is Professor Hawking’s best known work. Since its first publication in 1988, it has been published in 40 languages and has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. Illustrated by the cutting-edge design featured in the app, this exclusive evening allows the audience to to rediscover A Brief History of Time in an entirely new way (16 January). In a special event to mark the 70th anniversary of the publication of Primo Levi’s If This is A Man , award-winning author A. L. Kennedy and Professor of Law at University College London Philippe Sands QC lead a live reading of the full text of Levi's account of survival in Auschwitz (30 April). A broad range of musical performances take place in Royal Festival Hall including London Philharmonic Orchestra’s programme (further details below). KEYNOTES Leading academic and commentator on religion, Mona Siddiqui OBE delivers a keynote address drawing on Islamic and Christian traditions to explore whether struggle gives human life meaning, in Does Struggle Give Meaning to Life? The Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at the University of Edinburgh explores what spiritual leaders and visionary thinkers have uncovered about the nature of existence, how Muslim and Christian thinkers reflect on the themes of struggle, suffering and hope and whether struggle should be embraced as an opportunity for spiritual purification and growth, and accepted as a part of being human (21 January). Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, and Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science, Marcus du Sautoy delivers a keynote - God of the Gaps - which explores whether there are things about the world that even science can’t explain. From questions about the edges of the universe, to the complexities of the human brain, many fields of scientific exploration from cosmology to neuroscience are pushing against the limits of human knowledge (4 February). Award-winning novelist Elif Şafak delivers a keynote address on the complex and sometimes chaotic relationship between politics and religion, at a time when extremism and terrorism is on the rise. Ranging from recent events in her home and of Turkey across a broad spectrum of political theatres, Şafak shines a light on the clash between power and religion during these troubled time in When Politics Meets Religion: Power and Faith (8 April).

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One of the world’s most renowned writers on religion Karen Armstrong, whose books include Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence, challenges the idea that religion is inherently violent, looking at many shocking and disturbing examples of violence wrought in the name of God, from the bloodletting of the crusades to the killing sprees of contemporary jihad. Is Religion Inherently Violent? investigates how much of this originates in the religions themselves, looking at differing views on religiously motivated violence (4 November). One of our foremost public philosophers A.C. Grayling delivers a keynote on the relationship between conflict and religion and discusses his latest book War in Can War Ever Be Justified? Grayling tackles today’s debates about Western military intervention or abstention from conflict in the Middle East and poses questions about whether war can ever be justified (5 November). TALKS AND DEBATES Belief and Beyond Belief includes an extensive programme of over 70 talks and debates across the year. Highlights include:

● How to be a Shaman: Searching for Meaning in Indigenous Religion; a panel including journalist Abdul Rehman Malik explores the world of indigenous religion and what lessons can be drawn from these unique belief systems (21 January)

● What’s it all about? The Search for the Meaning of Life; A panel of writers, religious leaders and experts shine a light on the ways humanity has sought to understand the mysteries of existence. Including Mona Siddiqui OBE, Richard Holloway, novelist Joanna Kavenna and Bishop of Leeds (also known as ‘The Blogging Bishop’) Nick Baines. Chaired by Abdul Rehman Malik (21 January)

● Meaning for Atheists: What do Atheists Believe?; with atheism on the rise in the West, writers and religious leaders discuss the origins and underpinnings of atheism, including Nick Spencer, Director of Research at Theos Think Tank (22 January)

● What if God Was a Woman?; A panel debates the role of women in religion from past to present, and asks how the world might be different if we imagined God was a woman. Panelists include journalist Remona Aly (22 January)

● Science Versus Religion: Do We Need to Choose?; a panel of scientists, religious experts and thinkers debate whether religion should move aside and allow science to be the main authority over our lives, or if science should remain in the laboratory. Speakers include philosopher Julian Baggini (4 February)

● It’s Alive! Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Playing God; A panel of robotics experts, including Professor of Cognitive Robotics at Imperial College London Murray Shanahan and co-founder and director of Superflux Anab Jain, debates the ethical challenges of creating artificial intelligence (4 February)

● Right to Die? The Assisted Dying Debate; since 1961 it has been legal to commit suicide in the UK, but it remains a criminal offence to help someone else do it. With Dignitas in Switzerland continuing to attract headlines, a panel of experts and leading moral thinkers come together to discuss this pertinent issue (4 March)

● How to Live; an expert panel draw on a broad range of teachings and philosophies to discuss what makes a good life, including Nick Baines and Sarah Bakewell, author

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of How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer (4 March)

● The Way to Immortality: Technology and Transcendence; when our bodies die what happens to our digital selves? a panel of scientists, technologists and futurologists debate technology and transcendence (5 March)

● Separation of Powers: God in Politics; a panel of religious leaders and experts debate whether it is ever entirely possible to separate religious belief from the business of politics, including Indarjit Singh, a member of the House of Lords, and Sayed Razawi, a government advisor on religious affairs (8 April)

● The Battle for British Islam: Across Britain, Muslims are caught up in a battle over the very nature of their faith and extremists appear to be gaining the upper hand. A panel of experts debate the battle for British Islam, including human rights activist Sara Khan and Sayed Razawi (8 April)

● For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society?; from holy war to the treatment of women as second class citizens, religion in its many forms has often fueled violence and discrimination. An expert panel explore how religion has shaped society including Jasvir Singh, who advises the Labour party and is Chairman, Legal and Media Relations Director for City Sikhs (6 May)

● How Can Faith's Work Together?; a range of grassroots activists, faith leaders and politicians debate the difference that greater cooperation between faiths can bring to society (6 May)

● Terrorism and Society; what is terrorism doing to the fabric of society? Is it turning non-believers against religion? And what about the problems it raises for the believers themselves? (7 May)

● Beyond Good and Evil; from Hollywood movies, to Twitter and the media, the world is often divided into good versus evil. But does seeing the world in these absolute terms prevent us from seeing the moral complexity of the world around us? (23 September)

● Jihad: Is it a perversion of Islam?; does Islam condone violence in the name of maintaining and spreading the religion? Or is this a perversion of Islamic teachings of peace? A panel of Islamic scholars, religious experts, activists and religious leaders debate the meaning of the contentious word jihad (4 November)

● Rituals and seasons: Belief and nature; from ancient natural religions to contemporary faiths, a panel discuss the religious beliefs which draw deeply from nature and the rituals which give form and focus to the ineffable (5 November)

● Climate Change and Belief; Majorities in over 40 countries in the world believe that climate change is a serious problem which threatens the future of the planet. Could religion help to tackle climate change, or could it insulate believers from the harsh scientific reality of the situation? (5 November)

For all talks and debates from January - May 2017, please see listings below. LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PROGRAMME Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Vladimir Jurowski and LPO provide the classical music backbone of Belief and Beyond Belief with 27 concerts across 2017 built around the themed weekends.

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Opening the ‘Meaning’ weekend is Beethoven’s celebration of the human spirit, Fidelio, conducted by Jurowski with an all-star cast (21 Jan), before a concert of 20th century perspectives by Kancheli, Martinů’s and Vaughan Williams (25 Jan). Exploring ‘Science’, Jurowski conducts works that speak of the elements, creation and sky rockets from Rebel, Milhaud and John Adams (28 Jan), while Sir Roger Norrington conducts a stellar cast in Haydn’s The Creation (4 Feb). Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts two science-themed programmes including works known from Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey by Ligeti and Strauss (10 Feb), as well as Ives’s The Unanswered Question , John Adams’s Doctor Atomic Symphony , and Philip Glass’s The Light, written for the centenary of the Michelson-Morley experiment on the properties of light (11 Feb). The FUNharmonics concert for families and young people takes science as its main theme with the first ever live science experiments with the orchestra (18 Feb). In exploring ‘Death’, Jurowski conducts Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15 in a programme that sees the welcome return of Patricia Kopatchinskaja performing Berg’s Violin Concerto – written “to the memory of an angel” and a rare outing for Denisov’s 1996 Symphony No. 2, written in the composer’s final year (22 Feb). Jurowski returns for Penderecki’s 1966 masterpiece St Luke Passion, with narrator Omar Ebrahim, and soloists Elizabeth Atherton, Dietrich Henschel and Thomasz Konieczny (4 Mar). Gavin Bryars’ seminal Jesus’ blood never failed me yet and The Sinking of the Titanic explore death in its many guises (15 Mar). The final concert in the ‘Death’ series explores the afterlife from contrasting perspectives: Mozart’s Requiem and Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration, conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann (25 Mar). Jurowski conducts a glittering cast in Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’, with Tallis’s 40-part Spem in Alium opening the concert as part of its ‘Ideology’ theme to complement the festival’s Prophets, Visionaries and Power weekend (8 Apr). This continues with Marek Janowski’s Wagner-focussed concert, featuring music from Die fliegender Holländer and Die Walküre. Bruckner called Wagner his “beloved Master” and his dream-inspired Symphony No. 7 also features (26 Apr). Strauss’s Four Last Songs is sung by soprano Angel Blue alongside excerpts from Parsifal in a concert exploring music that strives for transcendence. John Mauceri also conducts Schoenberg’s homage to Bach, the Prelude and Fugue in E flat major (St Anne), and Hindemith’s musical vision of the miracles of St Francis in the Nobilissima Visione suite (28 Apr). The final theme, ‘Society’ for the 2016/17 classical season, is exemplified by Beethoven’s life-affirming work of hope and humanity, his Ninth ‘Choral’ symphony – ‘a kiss for all the world’ as the composer puts it – conducted by Christoph Eschenbach (6 May). Further programme information for the latter part of 2017 will be announced in January. ADDITIONAL CONCERTS

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More than half of Southbank Centre’s International Chamber Music Series concerts feature as part of Belief and Beyond Belief including pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich performing Messiaen’s Visions de l’amen (24 January), cellist Alisa Weilerstein performing the complete cycle of Bach’s Cello Suites (8 February) and the Colin Currie Group performing works by Steve Reich (5 May). Southbank Centre Associate Orchestra Aurora Orchestra and director and violinist Anthony Marwood perform Strauss’ Metamorphosen in a concert presented by artist and author Edmund de Waal who offers the historical and cultural context to the piece (4 Feb) whilst Southbank Centre Associate Orchestra BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Keith Lockhart perform a concert exploring the representation of death and spirituality in music for film and theatre (25 Feb) Southbank Centre Resident Orchestra London Sinfonietta and conductor Brad Lubman perform Georg Friedrich Haas’ in vain, written in protest to the rise of the far-right Freedom Party in the 1999 Austrian elections (27 April); and Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra and conductor Semyon Bychkov perform Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony (22 June). PERFORMANCE, PARTICIPATION and FREE EVENTS Acclaimed Belgian theatre collective company STAN present The Monkey Trial, a performance based on the proceedings of the fascinating ‘The Scopes Trial’, in which the American State of Tennessee took a young biology teacher to court in 1925 for teaching evolutionism (4 - 5 February). The festival welcomes The Sunday Assembly, a secular congregation that celebrates life, in a series of events which explore the themes of each weekend in a foot-stomping show, with music and stories from the local community. The festival holds a number of screenings of The Sea is an Edge and an Ending , a short film written and directed by poet Lavinia Greenlaw, investigating what it means to lose your memory, followed by a talk from the director (21 - 22 January). Belief and Beyond Belief offers a Guided Festival Course providing additional content and context, framing each festival weekend and introducing the ideas, speakers, and topics that will be discussed. The course consists of a 90-minute ‘What You Need to Know’ introduction ahead of the festival weekend, followed by a post-festival debrief offering a chance for further discussion after the weekend has taken place. Free events throughout the year-long festival explore the themes of each weekend and encompass a diverse range of activities including storytelling, yoga, mindfulness, workshops, pre-concert talks offering insight into the repertoire, singing groups including a Big Sing of the chorus from Haydn’s The Creation , craft activities including Shrine Building, a parade inspired by the Mexican festival Day of the Dead and more.

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# ENDS # NOTES TO EDITORS Belief and Beyond Belief is in partnership with London Philharmonic Orchestra. Southbank Centre is pleased to partner with Coexist House on some elements of programming in this festival. LISTINGS AND ON SALE DATES BELOW For more information on ticket onsale dates please see listings below, visit the Southbank Centre website southbankcentre.co.uk or call 020 7960 4200 For further press information and interview requests please contact: Louise Gilbert, Press Manager: louise.gilbert@southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 7921 0780 Naomi French, Press Officer: naomi.french@southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 7921 0678 Please find a link to press images here LISTINGS JANUARY - MAY 2017 June - December listings will be available in the new year Ticket Information: All events go on sale to members on Thursday 13 October, and to the general public on Friday 14 October, unless stated otherwise. A number of events are included in a Day Pass or a Weekend Pass. Day passes are available for £15. Weekend passes are available for £25. TALK / A Brief History of Time: Stephen Hawking in Conversation Monday 16 January 2017, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £25 - £45 Hear legendary physicist Stephen Hawking speak about the most rewarding achievements of his distinguished career. PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: What You Need to Know - The Search for the Meaning of Life Wednesday 18 January 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes Post-Festival Debrief) Hear a 90-minute introduction of ‘What You Need to Know’ for the upcoming festival weekend, including the weekend’s activity, speakers, subjects, and concepts and initial discussion from course tutors and invited guests PANEL / What’s it all about? The Search for the Meaning of Life Sat 21 January 2017, 11.30am - 12.30pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall A panel of experts shine a light on the mysteries of life. Panelists include: Mona Siddiqui OBE, Richard Holloway, Joanna Kavenna, Nick Baines. Chaired by Abdul Rehman Malik. *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 FILM / The Sea is an Edge and an Ending Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 January 2017, (Sat: 12.35pm, 2.05pm, 3.35pm, and 5.15pm); (Sun: 1.05pm,

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2.35pm, 4.05pm, 5.45pm), Blue Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall The Sea is an Edge and an Ending is a short film written and directed by poet Lavinia Greenlaw, investigating what it means to lose your memory. The screenings on Saturday 21 at 5.15pm and Sunday 22 at 5.45pm are preceded by a talk by the director Lavinia Greenlaw. *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Loving Your Neighbour: Meaning and Community Sat 21 January 2017, 1pm - 2pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall Faith and community leaders come together to discuss the meaning of helping others. Panelists include: Sayed Razawi and Nick Baines. *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PERFORMANCE / Stories of Creation Sat 21 January 2017, 1pm - 3.30pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Storytellers, poets, musicians and artists from community groups share their own interpretations of creation stories from global cultures and religions. PANEL / Losing My Religion: Faith and Doubt Sat 21 January 2017, 1pm - 2pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Former bishop Richard Holloway discusses his struggles with religion in a candid talk. *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / How to be a Shaman: Searching for Meaning in Indigenous Religion Sat 21 January 2017, 2.30 - 3.30pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall A panel explores the world of indigenous religion and what lessons can be drawn from these unique belief systems. Panelists include Abdul Rehman Malik *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / All in the Mind: Neuroscience and Belief Sat 21 January 2017, 2.30 - 3.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall A panel of neuroscientists, psychologists and scientists with religious beliefs discuss what neuroscience and cutting edge research can tell us about the brain chemistry of belief *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 KEYNOTE / Does Struggle Give Life Meaning? Sat 21 January 2017, 4pm - 5pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Leading academic and religion commentator, Mona Siddiqui OBE delivers a keynote address *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PRE-CONCERT TALK / Beethoven’s Fidelio Saturday 21 Jan 2017, 6.15pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Conductor Vladimir Juroswki, Professor Laura Tunbridge and Gillian Moore, Director of Music at Southbank Centre offer insight into LPO’s forthcoming performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Meaning Saturday 21 Jan 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets now on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor ; Ben Johnson tenor, Jaquino, Sofia Fomina soprano, Marzelline, Kristinn Sigmundsson bass, Rocco, Anja Kampe soprano, Leonore, Christopher Purves baritone, Don Pizarro, Michael König tenor, Florestan, Ronan Collett bass, Don Fernando, London Voices L. Beethoven: Fidelio (120’) PERFORMANCE / Sunday Assembly: The Search for the Meaning of Life Sun 22 January 2017, 12noon - 1pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall The Sunday Assembly is a secular congregation that celebrates life. The first in a series of events sees them exploring the big question - the meaning of life - in a foot-stomping show. *Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25

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WORKSHOP / Find Your Meaning Sun 22 January 2017, 1pm - 3.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Join a series of activity-based workshops including Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, drawing, writing and crafting to explore your inner thoughts and feelings. PANEL / Meaning for Atheists: What do Atheists Believe? Sun 22 January 2017, 1.30 - 2.30pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall A panel of writers, atheists and religious leaders discuss the origins and underpinnings of atheism, including Nick Spencer, Director of Research at Theos Think Tank *Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Mindfulness Sun 22 January 2017, 1.30 - 2.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Explore if mindfulness can help us find meaning in our daily lives in this discussion *Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 TALK / Bites Sun 22 January 2017, 3pm - 4pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall Hear a range of speakers tackle all kinds of topics from Belief and Beyond Belief *Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Mystics and Meaning Sun 22 January 2017, 3pm - 4pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall From Sufism to the divine revelations of Julian of Norwich, discover an ancient and storied tradition of revealing the mind of God to humanity. *Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / What if God was a Woman? Sun 22 January 2017, 4.30 - 5.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall A panel of religious leaders, writers and historians debate the role of women in religion from past to present, and ask how the world might be different if we imagined God was a woman. Panelists include Remona Aly *Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: Post-Festival Debrief - The Search for the Meaning of Life Mon 23 January 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes What You Need to Know session) A 90-minute post-festival discussion covering weekend highlights and experiences, re-visiting discussed topics with course tutors and invited guests, and signposting towards further research and discussion CONCERT / Pierre-Laurent Aimard & Tamara Stefanovich Tuesday 24 Jan 2017, 7:30pm, St John's Smith Square, Tickets on sale £10 - £38 Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano; Tamara Stefanovich, piano J. Brahms: Sonata in F minor for two pianos, Op.34b (39’) O. Messiaen: Visions de l'amen (48’) Part of International Chamber Music Series 2016/17 CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Meaning Wednesday 25 Jan 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor; Isabelle van Keulen viola G. Kancheli: Mourned by the wind - liturgy for viola & orchestra (44’) B. Martinu: Memorial to Lidice (8’) R. Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.9 in E minor (33’) CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Science Saturday 28 Jan 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor J. Rebel: Les élémens (Simphonie nouvelle) (23’)

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D. Milhaud: La Création du monde, ballet (16’) J. Adams: Harmonielehre (13’) PARTICIPATION / Guided Festival Course: What You Need to Know - Science versus Religion: Do We Need to Choose? Wednesday 1 February 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes Post-Festival Debrief) Hear a 90-minute introduction of ‘What You Need to Know’ for the upcoming festival weekend, including the weekend’s activity, speakers, subjects, and concepts and initial discussion from course tutors and invited guests PERFORMANCE / The Monkey Trial Saturday 4 - Sun 5 February 2017, 7pm, Blue Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £16 Watch a theatrical performance from Belgian theatre company STAN based on the 1925 Stokes Trial, which debated the teachings of evolutionism versus creationism. In association with the British Council PANEL / Science Versus Religion: Do We Need to Choose? Sat 4 February 2017, 11.30am - 12.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall A panel of scientists, religious experts and thinkers debate both sides of the argument. Speakers include Julian Baggini *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PANEL / Quantum Theology: When Faith Meets Science Sat 4 February 2017, 1pm - 2pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall Panelists debate whether scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of God *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PANEL / The Cloud Versus Heaven: Technology and Religion Sat 4 February 2017, 1pm - 2pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Panelists ask if today’s miraculous new technologies mirror religious ideas *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PARTICIPATION / Voicelab Big Sing: Haydn’s The Creation Sat 4 February 2017, 1pm - 3.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE (£3.25 for score hire) Come and sing the choral music from Haydn’s The Creation , directed by conductor and educator Dominic Peckham. All singing abilities are welcome to join. However, the ability to read music is strongly advised due to the pace and nature of the session. PANEL / The Big Bang and Beyond Sat 4 February 2017, 2.30 - 3.30pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall Speakers delve into the scientific explanations for the origins of the universe, and how they compare to religious accounts of the creation *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PANEL / It’s Alive! Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Playing God Sat 4 February 2017, 2.30pm-3.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall What happens if a machine outgrows its purpose to defy its maker? A panel of robotics experts and futurologists including Murray Shanahan and Anab Jain debates the ethical challenges of creating artificial intelligence. *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 KEYNOTE / God of the Gaps Sat 4 February 2017, 4pm-5pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Marcus du Sautoy delivers a keynote talk on about the universe’s mysteries that science can’t explain. *Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 CONCERT / Aurora Orchestra Saturday 4 Feb 2017, 4:00pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £20

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Aurora Orchestra; Anthony Marwood, director, violin; Edmund de Waal ,speaker R. Strauss: Metamorphosen (27’) PRE-CONCERT TALK / Haydn’s The Creation Saturday 4 Feb 2017, 6.15pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE BBC Radio 3’s Sara Mohr-Pietsch leads a panel including Dr Keith Chapin of Cardiff University to discuss LPO’s forthcoming performance of Haydn’s The Creation CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Science Saturday 4 Feb 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Sir Roger Norrington, conductor ; Susan Gritton, soprano ; Thomas Hobbs, tenor ; Christopher Maltman, baritone ; London Philharmonic Choir J. Haydn: The Creation (109’) PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: Post-Festival Debrief - Science versus Religion: Do We Need to Choose? Mon 6 February 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes What You Need to Know session) A 90-minute post-festival discussion covering weekend highlights and experiences, re-visiting discussed topics with course tutors and invited guests, and signposting towards further research and discussion CONCERT / Alisa Weilerstein Wednesday 8 Feb 2017, 7:00pm, St John's Smith Square, Tickets on sale £10 - £38 Alisa Weilerstein, cello J.S Bach: Suite No.3 in C for solo cello, BWV.1009 (20’) J.S Bach: Suite No.5 in C minor for solo cello, BWV.1011 (24’) J.S Bach: Suite No.4 in E flat for solo cello, BWV.1010 (22’) J.S Bach Suite No.2 in D minor for solo cello, BWV.1008 (20’) J.S Bach: Suite No.1 in G for solo cello, BWV.1007 (17’) J.S Bach: Suite No.6 in D for solo cello, BWV.101 (28’) Part of International Chamber Music Series 2016/17 CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Science Friday 10 Feb 2017, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor ; James O'Donnell, organ J. Haydn: Symphony No.22 (The Philosopher) (18’) F .Poulenc: Concerto in G minor for organ, strings and timpani (23’) G. Ligeti: Atmosphères (9’) R. Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra (35’) CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Science Saturday 11 Feb 2017, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor ; Marina Piccinini, flute P. Glass: The Light for orchestra (24’) A.J Kernis: Flute Concerto (UK premiere) (20’) C. Ives: The Unanswered Question (Contemplation No.1) (6’) J. Adams: Dr Atomic Symphony (24’) CONCERT / LPO FUNharmonics: Conducting Science Saturday 18 Feb 2017, 12pm, Royal Festival Hall, Prices are Children £5 - £9, Adults £10 - £18 Featuring onstage experiments, music meets science as we discover the secrets behind the extraordinary sounds of London Philharmonic Orchestra. CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Death Wednesday 22 Feb 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski, conductor ; Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin E. Denisov: Symphony No.2 (30’) A. Berg: Violin Concerto (28’)

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D. Shostakovich: Symphony No.15 (46’) CONCERT / BBC Concert Orchestra: Music to Die For Saturday 25 Feb 2017, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £34 BBC Concert Orchestra, Keith Lockhart, conductor Programme TBC PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: What You Need to Know - How do we Live with Death? Wednesday 1 March 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes Post-Festival Debrief) Hear a 90-minute introduction of ‘What You Need to Know’ for the upcoming festival weekend, including the weekend’s activity, speakers, subjects, and concepts and initial discussion from course tutors and invited guests PANEL / What Happens Next? Sat 4 March 2017, 11.30am - 12.30noon, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall A panel of secular and religious experts will discuss the big question of what comes after we die. This talk is British Sign Language-interpreted and Speech-to-Text-transcribed. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PARTICIPATION / Celebrating Life Sat 4 March 2017, 12noon-5pm, Level 2 Foyers (Green Side) at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Inspired by the Mexican festival Day of The Dead, this event explores customs and cultures around the globe that choose to honour their dead with a huge, vibrant, and colourful celebration of life. Take part in performances and crafts, and experience our very own Day Of The Dead parade PANEL / Right to Die? The Assisted Dying Debate Sat 4 March 2017, 1pm-2pm, Blue Room, Level 1 at Royal Festival Hall A panel of experts and leading moral thinkers come together to discuss this pertinent issue. This talk is Speech-to-Text-transcribed. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25

PANEL / How to Live Sat 4 March 2017, 1-2pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall A panel of experts and writers including Nick Baines and Sarah Bakewell draw on a broad range of teachings and philosophies to discuss what makes a good life. This talk is British Sign Language-interpreted Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 TALK / Bites Sat 4 March 2017, 2.30pm-3.30pm, Blue Room, Level 1 at Royal Festival Hall Hear a range of speakers tackle all kinds of topics from Belief & Beyond Belief. This talk is Speech-to-Text-transcribed. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Burial Rites: From Viking Funerals to the Present Sat 4 March 2017, 2.30pm-3.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall From the burning ships of Viking ceremonies to Zoroastrian sky burials, Hindu cremation and Christian graveyards, the way people mourn their dead reflects their values in the present and offers a glimpse of eternity. This talk is British Sign Language-interpreted Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 KEYNOTE / How Do We Live With Death? Sat 4 March 2017, 4pm-5pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall A keynote speech explores how those without religion make sense of a life that has to end

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This talk is British Sign Language-interpreted and Speech-to-Text-transcribed. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PRE-CONCERT TALK / Penderecki’s St Luke Passion Saturday 4 March 2017, 6.15pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Composer Krzysztof Penderecki and Gillian Moore, Director of Music, Southbank Centre discuss LPO’s forthcoming performance of Penderecki’s St Luke Passion CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Death Saturday 4 March 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor ; Omar Ebrahim, narrator ; Elizabeth Atherton, soprano ; Dietrich Henschel, baritone ; Tomasz Konieczny, bass K. Penderecki: St Luke Passion for 3 voices, narrator, choruses & orchestra (80’) No interval PERFORMANCE / Sunday Assembly: How do we live with Death? Sun 5 March 2017, 12noon - 1pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall The Sunday Assembly is a secular congregation that celebrates life. The second in a series of events sees them exploring what it means to build spirituality and community in a secular world Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PARTICIPATION / Honouring Death Sun 5 March 2017, 12noon - 5pm, Level 2 Foyers (Green Side) at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Learn about ways of contemplating loss by replicating the practice of shrine-building and creating your own version of Norse Burial Boats. PANEL / Life After Life: Creativity and Death Sun 5 March 2017, 1.30 - 2.30pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall A panel of writers, artists and musicians including author Kate Atkinson talk about making art as a celebration of being alive. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Apocalyptic Religion Sun 5 March 2017, 1.30 - 2.30pm, Blue Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall A panel debate how visions of the end of the world have shaped society Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Last Words: Great Writers at the End Sun 5 March 2017, 3pm - 4pm, Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall There are many examples of writers who have offered witty and surprising revelations in their final moments. A panel discusses these famous authors and their final moments, in a bid to uncover a vision of our world to come. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / This Way to Immortality: Technology and Transcendence Sun 5 March 2017, 3pm-4pm, Blue Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall We bring together a panel of scientists, technologists and futurologists to debate technology and transcendence Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / A Death in the Family Sun 5 March 2017, 4.30pm-5.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Our speakers debate what we can learn from religion, the medical world, and philosophers about living with grief, taking a more realistic approach to ageing, and the art of dying well. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: Post-Festival Debrief - How do we live with Death?

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Mon 6 March 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes What You Need to Know session) A 90-minute post-festival discussion covering weekend highlights and experiences, re-visiting discussed topics with course tutors and invited guests, and signposting towards further research and discussion PRE-CONCERT TALK / Gavin Bryars Wednesday 15 March 15 2017, 6.15pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE British composer Gavin Bryars discusses two of his best known works and his career to date. CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Death Wednesday 15 March 15 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 Members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Synergy Vocals G. Bryars: The sinking of the Titanic - version 1 (24’) G.Bryars: Jesus' blood never failed me yet (35’) S. Reich: Music for 18 musicians (57’) CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Death Wednesday 22 March 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor ; Anssi Karttunen, cello M. Lindberg: Cello Concerto No.2 (UK premiere) (25’) A. Bruckner: Symphony No.9 (61’) CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Death Saturday 25 March 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor ; Kateryna Kasper, soprano ; Sara Mingardo, contralto ; Robin Tritschler, tenor ; Leon Kosavic, bass ; London Philharmonic Choir R. Strauss: Tod und Verklärung (24’) W.A. Mozart: Requiem (47’) PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: What You Need to Know - Prophets, Visionaries and Power Wednesday 5 April 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes Post-Festival Debrief) Hear a 90-minute introduction of ‘What You Need to Know’ for the upcoming festival weekend, including the weekend’s activity, speakers, subjects, and concepts and initial discussion from course tutors and invited guests PANEL / Separation of Powers: God in Politics Sat 8 April 2017, 11.30pm-12.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall A panel of religious leaders and experts debate whether religious values of compassion, forgiveness and loving thy neighbour can inspire a more balanced political discourse, or if it has no place in politics. Speakers include Indarjit Singh and Sayed Razawi Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PANEL / Has Nationalism replaced Religious Fervour? Sat 8 April 2017, 1pm - 2pm, Blue Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall A panel explores the link between the rise of nationalism and the desire for religious belief Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PANEL / Prophets Who Changed the World Sat 8 April 2017, 1pm - 2pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Discover the prophets, preachers and religious thinkers who have radically reshaped society. TALK / Bites / Women Reformers of Religion Sat 8 April 2017, 2.30pm – 3.30pm, Blue Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall Hear a range of speakers tackle the topic of women in religion. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15

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PANEL / The Battle for British Islam Sat 8 April, 2.30pm – 3.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Debate the struggles of British Islam with our panel of experts including Sara Khan and Sayed Razawi Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 KEYNOTE / When Politics Meets Religion: Power and Faith Sat 8 April, 4pm - 5pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Elif Şafak delivers a keynote on the role religious teachings play and should play in the way we shape our political systems. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PRE-CONCERT PERFORMANCE / LPO Soundworks Saturday 8 April 2017, 6pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Creative cross-arts ensemble LPO Soundworks takes to the stage. Join young performers from across London and expect the unexpected at this celebration of young music-making. CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Ideology Saturday 8 April 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £12 - £75 London Philharmonic Orchestra;Vladimir Jurowski, conductor ; Melanie Diener, soprano ; Anne Schwanewilms, soprano ; Sofia Fomina, soprano ; Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano ; Patricia Bardon, contralto ; Torsten Kerl, tenor ; Matthias Goerne, baritone ; Matthew Rose, bass ; London Philharmonic Choir; Tiffin Boys' Choir T. Tallis: Spem in alium (10’) G. Mahler: Part 1 from Symphony No.8 (Symphony of a Thousand) G. Mahler: Part 2 from Symphony No.8 (Symphony of a Thousand) (79’) PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: Post-Festival Debrief - Prophets, Visionaries and Power Mon 10 April 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes What You Need to Know session) A 90-minute post-festival discussion covering weekend highlights and experiences, re-visiting discussed topics with course tutors and invited guests, and signposting towards further research and discussion PRE-CONCERT TALK / Stephen Johnson Wednesday 26 April 2017, 6.15pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Is Mahler's Eighth a confession of faith? What was Wagner's philosophical agenda in Die Walküre and what was Bach to Hindemith and Wagner: embodiment of faith, `Germanness' or both? Stephen Johnson explores how this is expressed musically in LPO's late April concerts. CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Ideology Wednesday 26 April 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Marek Janowski,conductor; Egils Silins, bass R.Wagner: Overture, Der fliegende Holländer (10’) R.Wagner: Overture,r: Leb wohl, du kuhnes, herrliches Kind! (Wotan's farewell) from Die Walküre, Act 3 (8’) R.Wagner: Overture,: Der Augen leuchtendes Paar from Die Walküre, Act 3 (3’) R.Wagner: Overture, Loge, hör! Lausche hieher! (Magic fire music) from Die Walküre, Act 3 (4’) A.Bruckner: Symphony No.7 (64’) CONCERT / London Sinfonietta Thursday 27 April 2017, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £15 - £25 London Sinfonietta, Brad Lubman, conductor G. F. Haas: in vain CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Ideology Friday 28 April 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; John Mauceri, conductor; Angel Blue, soprano

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J.S Bach: Prelude and Fugue in E flat, BWV.552 orch. Schoenberg (16’) P. Hindemith: Nobilissima Visione Suite (22’) R. Wagner: Excerpts from Parsifal, Act 3 arr. Stokowski (15’) R. Strauss: Four Last Songs (21’) PERFORMANCE / If This is a Man Sunday 30 April 2017, 3.15pm and 10pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £15 - £25 To mark the 70th anniversary of the publication of Primo Levi’s If This Is A Man , A.L. Kennedy and Philippe Sands lead a live reading of the full text of Levi's account of survival in Auschwitz. CONCERT / LPO Funharmonics: All Aboard the LPO Sunday 30 April 2017, 10am-12noon, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, Prices are Children £5 - £9, Adults £10 - £18 The orchestra travels thousands of miles every year to play to people around the world. At this event you can join the players on a whistlestop tour of some of the cities they’ll be visiting in 2017. PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: What You Need to Know - For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society? Wednesday 3 May 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes Post-Festival Debrief) Hear a 90-minute introduction of ‘What You Need to Know’ for the upcoming festival weekend, including the weekend’s activity, speakers, subjects, and concepts and initial discussion from course tutors and invited guests CONCERT / The Colin Currie Group Perform Reich Friday 5 May 2017, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £12 - £38 Colin Currie Group; Synergy Vocals S. Reich: Tehillim (30’) S.Reich: Drumming (70’) Part of International Chamber Music Series 2016/17 PANEL / For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society? Saturday 6 May 2017, 11.30am – 12.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Come along to this discussion on religion’s contribution to human progress with panellists including Jasvir Singh Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / How Can Faiths Work Together? Saturday 6 May 2017, 1-2pm, Blur Room (Spirit Level) at Royal Festival Hall Discuss how we can unite to make positive change in society. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Does God Love Me? Religion and Equality Saturday 6 May 2017, 1-2pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Discuss whether we are all equal in the eyes of God in this panel discussion. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 TALK / Bites Saturday 6 May 2017, 2.30pm – 3.30pm, Spirit Level (Blue Room) at Royal Festival Hall Come along for personal revelations and profound meditations from a diverse array of writers, experts and more, covering the full spectrum of our festival. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Religion Behind Bars Saturday 6 May 2017, 2.30pm – 3.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall We discuss what hope and guidance religion potentially offers the incarcerated in the darkest of times, and what religious messages appeal most to inmates.

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Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Voting With God: American Politics and Religion Sat 6 May 2017, 4pm - 5pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall We look into how religion affects political life in one of the world’s most powerful countries. Included in Saturday Day Pass £15 PRE-CONCERT TALK / Dr Benjamin Walton Saturday 6 May 2017, 6.15pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, FREE Beethoven was born into a world of transition and turmoil. Dr Benjamin Walton, Cambridge University, explores how this was reflected in his music. CONCERT / London Philharmonic Orchestra: Society Saturday 6 May 2017, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Tickets on sale £10 - £65 London Philharmonic Orchestra; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor ; Susanna Hurrell, soprano ; Justina Gringyte, mezzo-soprano ; David Butt Philip, tenor ; Jihoon Kim, bass ; London Philharmonic Choir M. Lindberg: Two Episodes * (15’) L. Beethoven: Symphony No.9 (Choral) (68’) No Interval PERFORMANCE / Sunday Assembly: For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society? Sunday 7 May 2017, 12noon - 1pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall The Sunday Assembly is a secular congregation that celebrates life. The third in a series of events explores the impact of religion on society. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Faith and Fashion Sunday 7 May 2017, 1.30pm – 2.30pm, Spirit Level (Blue Room) at Royal Festival Hall We discuss the intersections between clothing and religion. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / How has Christianity Shaped Society? Sunday 7 May, 1.30pm – 2.30pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Take a tour through the history of Christianity in this conversation with experts. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Religion and Education Sunday 7 May, 3pm – 4pm, Spirit Level (Blue Room) at Royal Festival Hall We hear from a range of faith leaders and educators about religion in the classroom. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Terrorism and Society Sunday 7 May, 3pm – 4pm, Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall Discuss whether the actions of some is affecting the belief of others in an illuminating discussion. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PANEL / Women Faith Leaders Sunday 7 May, 4.30pm – 5.30pm, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Meet the women of faith who are leading their communities and making the world a better place. Included in Sunday Day Pass £15 and Weekend Pass £25 PARTICIPATION/ Guided Festival Course: Post-Festival Debrief - For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society? Mon 8 May 2017, 7pm - 8.30pm, Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, Tickets £22 (includes What You Need to Know session) A 90-minute post-festival discussion covering weekend highlights and experiences, re-visiting discussed topics with course tutors and invited guests, and signposting towards further research and discussion

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About Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre, occupying a 21 acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the 1951 Festival of Britain. Southbank Centre is home to the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery as well as The Saison Poetry Library and the Arts Council Collection. For further information please visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Southbank Centre is carrying out vital restoration work on the Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room to make the buildings fit for future generations to enjoy, more information can be found here: letthelightin.southbankcentre.co.uk Let the Light In In September 2015, our iconic Brutalist arts venues Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery closed their doors for two years so we could give them the essential refurbishment they deserve. Renowned for their architectural significance, the buildings are most importantly recognised for the exceptional performances and exhibitions that have happened in them since they first opened nearly 50 years ago. The £25 million refurbishment project has been funded by Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and through the generous support of Southbank Centre friends. We launched the Let The Light In campaign to raise £3.9 million and have just £1.9 million left to raise so we can transform these buildings for the reopening in 2018 and for future generations to enjoy. For more information, visit: letthelightin.southbankcentre.co.uk

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