BRIGHTHINK

ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT EVENTBRITE NOW

What Do Russians Really Think About Putin, Ukraine and the West?

Join us for a timely and critical discussion on how the war in Ukraine is understood, interpreted, and justified within Russia.
In this panel event, leading scholars Jeremy Morris Ilya and Yablokov will explore the narratives shaping Russian public opinion, the role of state propaganda, and the broader implications for Russian society and global geopolitics. They will examine how the Kremlin constructs consent, how ordinary Russians respond to the war, and how the boundaries between truth, belief, and coercion are navigated in a time of conflict.
Whether you're interested in international politics, post-Soviet studies, or the dynamics of information warfare, this conversation will offer nuanced insights into one of the most consequential conflicts of our time.

Our chair for the evening will be Stefanie Ortmann.

JEREMY MORRIS is professor of Russian and Global Studies at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. He does ethnographic fieldwork in Russia and writes on many aspects of Russian politics and society. He is the author of books on the Russian working-class and rustbelt, Russian civil society, and Russian ‘everyday’ politics.

ILYA YABLOKOV is a lecturer in digital journalism and disinformation, and co-founder of the Disinformation Research Cluster, at the University of Sheffield. His research is on Russian disinformation, state-led conspiracy theories and the history of media post-1991. He’s written books on Russian conspiracy theories and Kremlin's propaganda and for the New York Times, BBC and Open Democracy.

CHAIR BIO - Stefanie Ortmann is Associate Professor in International Relations at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex. She has previously taught at the American University of Central Asia, Bishkek, and at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research is focused on relations between Russia and Central Asia.

Presentations take place upstairs in the Nightingale Room at the Grand Central Pub, opposite Brighton Station. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair accessibility.

• DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm
• TALK STARTS: 7:30pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:30pm
• BOOK SIGNING: 9pm

ADVANCE TICKETS Available at EVENTBRITE now.

HOW THE MEDIA HOLLOWS OUT DEMOCRACY AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT...

A free media is inextricably linked to a healthy democracy, but in many parts of the world liberal democracies are deemed to be dying or on the decline – enabled by many forms of media whilst they herald themselves as democracy’s saviour. This hollowing out of democracy has left many people questioning the value of (neo)liberal democratic societies and what we can do about it?
Join Natalie Fenton as she explores the potential of our media and tech systems to be democratic and contribute to a just and transformative democracy.
By interrogating different media and their relationship to seven key elements of democracy – power, participation, freedom, equality, public good, trust, and hope – Natalie will ask what is the response of society when the ability of news media to speak truth to power has been restricted by corporate logic? And, how do we tackle a deep-rooted market logic that shifts public debate towards private interest and marginalises progressive perspectives?

Natalie Fenton is Professor of Media & Communications at Goldsmiths, London and Co-Director of the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre. Her research addresses the role the media play in the formation of identities and democracies. She is also a founding member of the Media Reform Coalition, and vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the campaign group Hacked Off, and also Co-Director of the new Centre for the Study of Global Media and Democracy.

This event will take place upstairs in The Nightingale Room at The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access at the venue.

• DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm
• TALK STARTS: 7:30pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:30pm
• BOOK SIGNING: 9:00pm (Books available to purchase on the night)

Advance Tickets available at EVENTBRITE

Cosmetic surgeries are at an all-time high, Ozempic is bringing back ‘heroin chic’ and TikTok, trad-wives are on the rise – after four waves of feminism, what went wrong?
Despite decades of progress, the gains of the feminist movement feel more fragile than ever. But as Atlantic critic and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sophie Gilbert points out, this is not a unique moment. Feminism felt just as fragmented in the early 2000s, when the momentum of third-wave feminists and riot grrrls was squashed by lad culture and the commodification of Girl Power.
In her new book, Girl on Girl, Sophie argues that we cannot move forward without fully reckoning with the ways pop culture has defined us. She casts her eye across pop culture of the past thirty years – from Madonna, the Spice Girls and the Kardashians, to MySpace, #GirlBoss and Real Housewives – and highlights a toxic pattern of progress and misogynistic backlash, claiming that every form of media, heavily influenced by the rise of porn, has shaped and warped women’s relationships with themselves and other women.

Sophie Gilbert will be 'In Conversation' with Hannah Martin and will also be signing copies of her latest book, Girl on Girl, which will be available to purchase on the night.

This event will take place upstairs in The Nightingale Room at The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access at the venue.

• DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm
• TALK STARTS: 7:30pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:30pm
• BOOK SIGNING: 9:00pm (Books available to purchase on the night)

ADVANCE TICKETS Available at EVENTBRITE now.

The UK has seen a 400% increase in far-right terror arrests over the last decade, with under-18s now making up a growing share of those radicalised.
Far-right content is shared up to 10 times more on social media than mainstream political content - thanks to algorithms that reward outrage and conspiracy.

Join Joe Mulhall, Director of Research at Hope not Hate, as he draws from his extensive experience investigating extremist groups across Europe and the U.S., and explores how the far right has evolved in the digital age, infiltrating mainstream discourse through social media and online platforms.
He will also delve into the challenges faced by anti-fascist organisations, including threats and harassment, and the strategies employed to counteract these movements. This event offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into the complexities of modern extremism and the efforts to combat it.

Joe Mulhall will be 'In Conversation' with Suraj Lakhani.

Joe Mulhall is a historian, writer and Director of Research at the UK’s largest anti-fascism organisation, HOPE not hate. He has written several books including Drums in the Distance: Journeys in the Global Far Right and British Fascism After the Holocaust. He also writes for the Guardian about politics and extremism, and appears regularly on BBC News at Ten, Radio 4’s Today programme, The Moral Maze and Channel 4 News. His last documentary Undercover, has been nominated for a BAFTA.

This event will take place upstairs in The Nightingale Room at The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access at the venue.

• DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm
• TALK STARTS: 7:30pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:30pm