The Future of… will include a series of fireside chats on The Future of Britain between Old Pauline Club President, Lord Vaizey of Didcot, and an array of alumni.
On the 2 March, Simon Fox OP, 1974-78, and Patrick Spence OP, 1981-85, join us to discuss The Future Of: Britain’s Arts. Expect a wide-ranging discussion on the effect of Covid, potential changes at the BBC and much more…
As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Old Pauline Club, we have decided to look to the future. We are modernising and updating the Club, hoping to attract greater involvement from Old Paulines across the ages.
The Future of… series will highlight and share with our community important discussions about the future direction of Britain. A number of eminent Old Paulines, who have generously agreed to volunteer their time, will discuss this future and talk frankly on a number of topics. What will happen in British politics over the next ten years? What will change about Britain’s place in the world? What is the future of key public services like healthcare and education? What does the future hold for the business sector and the arts?
This event is online only and will be live-streamed to our community via Zoom.
Speakers:
Simon Fox OP, 1974-78, is Chief Executive of Frieze, a contemporary art magazine which runs arts fairs in the UK, US and Asia, since 2020. Previously, he was the Chief Executive of Reach plc (2012-2020), publisher of the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, OK! and 80 other regional news brands. Simon spent most of his career in retail and e-commerce. He was the Chief Executive of HMV Group (2006-2012), which operated the HMV brand in the UK and overseas, MaMa Group (live music) and Waterstones bookstores. His non-executive roles have included the Guardian Media Group and the RAC and currently chairs the Good Business Charter.
Patrick Spence OP, 1981-85, has worked in television for thirty years. He started as Script Editor on Cracker before moving to the BBC, where he developed and commissioned amongst others, Waking the Dead, Silent Witness and Doctors through to Line of Duty and the Sundance Film Award winning Five Minutes of Heaven. In 2010 he became a Producer with his own company, Fifty Fathoms. Recent credits include Adult Material, The A Word, Fortitude, Peaky Blinders and Marvellous, for which he won a BAFTA. Patrick joined ITV Studios last year as Creative Director. Current productions include Alex Cary’s adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce and Anna Maxwell Martin; George Kay’s Litvinenko, starring David Tennant; Gwyn Hughes’ People vs Post Office, about the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history; and Pete Bowker’s Ralph and Katie, a romantic comedy about the early days of marriage for a couple with Downs Syndrome, starring, written and directed by people with disability.
Suggested donation – £10 per household.
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The views, information, or opinions expressed during The Future of… series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of St Paul’s School and its employees. These events are available for private, non-commercial use only – you may not edit, modify or redistribute.