Festival of Economics to return for 2023

An economics festival is returning to Bristol for the 12th year.

The Festival of Economics will bring together economists, policy makers, academics and the public to discuss challenges to the economy and some of the possible solutions.

Bristol Ideas is presenting this year’s festival with the Economics Observatory, and it will run from November 13 to 16.

Topics on the agenda this year include the UK’s health and social care needs, the future of home ownership and the increasing demand for housing, the role of technology and the consulting industry in the economy, the looming debt crisis, and the global food crisis and the inflation impacting food supply.

The festival is being co-programmed by Diane Coyle (professor of public policy, University of Cambridge and author of Cogs and Monsters) and Richard Davies (professor at Bristol University and author of Extreme Economies).

They said: “Festival of Economics is an opportunity to discuss the big economic questions of our time. Our events are for everyone, with a strict no jargon and no PowerPoint rule for our experts from around the world.

“They can help us all better understand the latest academic research, government policies and big ideas needed to improve our lives, and we can help them understand what questions people have about the economy.”

The festival will include the Economics Observatory’s Talking Economics series of discussions and debates. The final talk will remember the legacy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and consider what his vision for the future of UK infrastructure might have been for the second half of the 21st century.

Speakers at this year’s festival include author and Cambridge University professor of politics David Runciman, who will examine the question of the ‘Singularity’, and Sky News economics editor Ed Conway who will discuss his new book, Material World.

Other talks will include Linda Yueh tackling the question of how to prevent a future economic crash, and Huw Pill discussing whether there is a looming debt crisis.

As well as talks and panel discussions, there will also be podcast recordings. Tim Harford will record an episode of his podcast Cautionary Tales at St George’s Bristol while Clare Barrett will record the Money Clinic podcast at Bristol Grammar School.

There will also be opportunities for the public to get involved, share their stories and ask questions about the economy.

The Bank of England Citizens’ Panel will invite people to discuss how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting them, while Hargreaves Lansdown will run a breakfast session, with expert speakers discussing financial resilience.

The Festival of Economics takes place across the city from November 13 to 16. For a full programme of events, visit: www.bristolideas.co.uk/projects/festival-of-economics/

Main photo: Jon Craig 

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