Public speaking

I chair conferences and live panel events for a range of arts, business and state organizations, and lecture regularly on journalism at universities and schools, using TV and new media clips for lively and engaging talks, tailored to each class or audience.

ABOVE: Chairing The Singing Detective reunion at the BFI (July 2015) 

My private conference and presentation work ranges across a broad range of subjects. They include cultural discussions and book launches with directors, authors, actors and historians for  The British Museum, The Theatres’ Trust, the Southbank Centre, The British Council and the British Film Institute National Theatre Live and The Royal Shakespeare Company.

I specialise in events around science culture and public engagement and have worked on films, debates and curated events for The Royal Institution, The Science Museum London, The British Science Association and Humanists UK where I chair the annual Rosalind Franklin lecture.

I have extensive experience in chairing public policy events around tackling violent extremism, child poverty and serious organised crime for a number of government departments since 2001 including for the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Trades Union Congress.

I presented the Civil Service Awards for the Cabinet Office for the 5 years from their inception till 2010. I interviewed the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and chaired a well received Q & A about plans to slash jobs and pensions at Civil Service Live.

Public speaking and events for charities and businesses have included Opportunity Now, Linklaters, KPMG, St Alban’s Cathedral Trust, Teach First, the deafblind charity Sense, Refugee Action, the Fawcett Society, Amnesty International, Action Aid UK, Southall Black Sisters, the Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre, and Downview Women’s Prison in Surrey.

Some recent work

British Museum chairing discussion on the future for the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria (December 2018)

Introducing NT Live – Antony and Cleopatra in cinemas – (Dec 2018)

British Science Association Huxley Summit (November 2018)

Westminster Abbey Sixth Form Question time – chair (October 2018)

British Museum – chairing discussion on The Science of Belief with Colin Blakemore and Tom McLeish (Jan 2018)

Home Office Serious and Organized Crime National Conference (Birmingham, March 2017) – chairing conference for police and joint governmental agencies  on tackling serious organized crime including people trafficking, sexual exploitation, drugs, counterfeiting

Introducing cinema screenings and interval discussions for National Theatre Live (since Dec 2016) –

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Nov 2016) – chairing panel discussion on gender rights

British Film Institute: In Conversation events with Nichelle Nichols, Danny Glover, Sir Alan Bennett

Chairing The Singing Detective reunion panel discussion (July 2015) – as above

Interviewing Toby Jones and the writer and director of BBC2 drama Marvellous (Sept 2014)

BAFTA children’s television question time (Jan 2014)

Science Museum – presenting a film for the new Mind Maps exhibition (December 2013)

 St Alban’s Cathedral Trust Sixth Form Question Time – chair of panel

Chairing British Council panel discussion about Korean Literature at the Korean Cultural Centre (October 2013)

Migrant and Refugee Women Awards March 2013-16

2012 BBC Re-Think Festival – Introducing BBC’s first Religion and Ethics festival chairing conversation between Professor Richard Dawkins and Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

2012  – Chairing first London Mayor Hustings with 4 main party candidates

Oxford Brookes University public lecture – From Hogarth to Hackgate: Does British journalism have an attitude problem?

WOW Festival, Southbank Centre – chairing panel with women journalists/activists on the Arab Spring

The Law Society, London – Chairing career inspiration panel discussion with  black and Asian Judges.

EU Journalism conference:Media Futures – Policy, Politics and Power (Brussels) – Chairwoman/moderator

2011 Latitude Festival, Southwold– Discussion on Class in modern Britain with Owen Jones, author of Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class.

Launch of United Nations report on women – House of Commons – chairing event and discussion

Chairing Discussion for the Royal Shakespeare Company on the King James Bible.