Spaces of Freedom

Spaces of freedom are typically seen as synonymous with public space, where freedom of assembly and expression are inherent rights. Increasingly, though, public space, especially in cities, is being eroded by private, often commercially driven forces. At the same time, we have seen the rise of the digital realm heralded as a new free and democratic space for self-expression and debate. This, however, is also under attack through both corporate and state-sponsored surveillance and data collection. While services on the Internet are ‘free’ to use, the business models that sustain them depend on the collecting and commercialisation of our every digital interaction.

Faced with this context, is it right to now ask whether spaces of freedom still exist? If so, how and where? And if not, how can we create and protect them? Our panel discuss.

Speakers:

Cany Ash – founder partner, Ash Sakula Architects
Owen Hopkins – Architecture Programme Curator, Royal Academy of Arts (chair)
Anna Mansfield – Strategic Projects Director, Publica
James Meek – writer, journalist and author of Private Island
Leslie Topp – Senior Lecturer in History of Architecture, Birkbeck
James Welch – Legal Director, Liberty