Festival of Ideas 2025 Focused on Change

In the final two days before half term Canford held their annual ‘Festival of Ideas’ This exciting festival is an opportunity for pupils to listen, interact and be inspired by thought-provoking speakers in a range of talks and interactive sessions. The event aims not just to inform, but to stimulate reflection and discussion around how we respond to rapid transformation. The lineup for the Festival of Ideas 2025, themed around “change” explored how shifts in technology, environment, culture, and society are reshaping our world.

Highlights from the Programme

Thursday 16th October

• Shells (Year 9):
    • Canford Academic Scholars gave short lectures - Lawrence A-H 'Why Intelligence doesn't always always win power.' Natalia P and Fin B 'The Origin and Development of Language.' 
    • Zoe Griffiths: Shapes & Smoke Rings — a talk about topology with live demonstrations
    • David Edwards: Surviving Volcanic Montserrat — insights into volcanic hazards and resilience.
• Fourth and Fifth Form:
    • Canford Academic Scholars gave short lectures - Lawrence A-H 'Why Intelligence doesn't always always win power.' Natalia P and Fin B 'The Origin and Development of Language.' 
    • Titus Mills, Headmaster, Port Regis: Changing Our Perception of Old People — reframing age and legacy
    • Zoe Griffiths: Freaky Probability — challenging intuitions about chance and odds.
• Sixth Form:
    • Amy Peake: Period Poverty — her global work providing menstrual support in displaced communities
    • Alex Ntung: What It Feels to Be a Refugee — drawing on his own asylum journey and research
    • Christian Saenger, Headmaster, Dumpton School: Why EQ Is the New IQ — exploring emotional intelligence in modern life

Friday 17th October

• Shells and Fourth Form:
    • Siya Twani: Power Through Change with Resilience — reflections from his journey through injustice in South Africa
    • Academic Pupil Leaders led a session of interactive challenges
    • Belinda Kirk: Changing Confidence Through Outside Adventure — how expeditionary experience builds resilience.
• Fourth and Fifth Form:
    • Jim Holmes: Humanitarian Vision — a photographic and narrative exploration of global aid work
• Fifth Form (additionally):
    • Tom Rogerson, Headmaster, Cottesmore: AI: Friend or Foe? How Technology Could Shape Your Future
• Sixth Form:
    • Dr Marie‑Louise Sharpe: Is It All About PTSD? — lessons from two decades of UK military deployments
    • Henry Clarke: Energy — The Solution to Everything — connecting engineering, sustainability, and innovation
    • James Landale: Free Speech in a Changing World — reflections on journalism, diplomacy, and public debate

Jamie Ings, Head of Enrichment and the Festival Organiser, said 

Change is both inevitable and exhilarating, it shapes our world and challenges us to reimagine what’s possible. The aim of this year’s Festival of Ideas was to explore the forces transforming how we live and think, from technological innovation and environmental shifts to cultural and artistic evolution. Through a diverse programme of talks and performances, we aimed not only to inform but to spark reflection and conversation about how we navigate change and how we can use it to build a more thoughtful, inclusive future.

For the full Festival of Ideas programme, please visit:

Festival of Ideas

Images from the Festival of Ideas can be viewed here:

Festival of Ideas photographs