The RSA President's Lecture: Why Creativity is the New Economy

Dr Richard Florida, one of the world's leading experts on economic competitiveness, demographic trends and cultural and technological innovation will show how developing the full human and creative capabilities of each individual, combined with institutional supports such as commercial innovation and new industry, will put us back on the path to economic and social prosperity.

The 2012 RSA President’s Lecture

We are living in a time of "Great Reset" - when economic crisis provides an opportunity to rethink virtually every aspect of our lives - from how and where we live, to how we work, to how we invest in individuals and infrastructure, to how we shape our cities and regions.

Taking a deeper look at the forces reshaping our economy, and giving us a provocative new way to think about why we live as we do - and where we might be headed, Richard Florida shows how these forces, when combined, will spur a fresh era of growth and prosperity, define a new geography of progress, and create surprising opportunities for all of us.

Using lessons from the last ten years to show how Creative Class theory has grown from a prediction to a prescription for an economy in turmoil, Florida argues the need for a new social compact to put us back on the path to economic growth. Florida’s Creative Compact commits to developing the full human potential and creative capabilities of every person, and suggests a new set of institutional supports to ensure a more robust and sustainable social system around the new world of work.

Speaker: Dr Richard Florida, director, the Martin Prosperity Institute and Professor of Business and Creativity at the University of Toronto and NYU; senior editor, The Atlantic and is the author of several influential global best sellers, including the award-winning ''.

Introduced by: HRH The Princess Royal, RSA President.

Chair: Luke Johnson, RSA Chair.