RSA Salon: The Future of Work

Join us as we reinvent the Enlightenment Salon for the challenges of the 21^st century!

Work matters. It is the crucible around which we form our identities, make a living and build relationships – and it’s changing rapidly. Automation, increased insecurity, stagnating productivity, and longer working lives are just a few of the challenges we must navigate – so it’s time for a conversation about what the future of work will look like, and how we can prepare for it.

Will the emergence of new technologies make matters better or worse? Will mass automation drive wages down and enable excessive surveillance in the workplace, or will this new machine age facilitate work that is more human, productive and purposeful? How can we balance flexibility with security, and ensure good work for everyone?

The RSA Future Work Centre was launched to examine how tech is impacting the world of work, and to equip actors across the system with the insights to prepare today’s workers for tomorrow’s workplace. It encourages us to look ahead to 2035 by envisaging four future work scenarios, which are brought to life with an immersive experience and a collection of artefacts in the Future Work Archive. This RSA Salon will provide a chance to explore the Archive, and discuss how to navigate the challenges and opportunities facing us and our work in the future.

In order to harness the power of civic discourse, the Salon format features a short introduction exploring a formidable civic challenge, followed by lively, moderated group conversation at round tables. This is a participatory event; everyone is welcome and warmly encouraged to contribute. All RSA Salons take place in the RSA’s extraordinary Great Room - a hub of great ideas and civic action since the 18^th century.