"the optimism we need is going to come from our fellow human beings"
Elif Shafak
5x15 EartH Hackney
"A luminous evening – hopeful, heartfelt & deeply inspiring."
Akram Khan Company
"The line-up, under any circumstances would have been intriguing... the event was sold out... there was an electricity in the room..."
The New Yorker
"5x15's packed soirees feel like an evening of offline, communal surfing, it's due as much to the eclectic menu of speakers as to the short time allotted to each..."
The New York Times
"The ability to 'think intelligently' about subjects that tickle, exercise and expand your mind is at last tangible with entertaining talks at 5x15."
The Telegraph
"a brilliant concept of five 15-minute talks delivered by significant voices..."
The Financial Times
Upcoming Events
5x15: Five Leading Thinkers on the Unique Magic of Venice
Five cultural figures each deliver a fifteen-minute talk exploring Venice through art, literature, history and design. In support of Venice in Peril Fund’s Acqua Granda Appeal.
Royal Geographical Society, SW7
Royal Geographical Society, SW7
Featuring Talks By:
Martin Gayford
on Venice, the City of Pictures
Sara Wheeler
on travel writer Jan Morris and her lifelong fascination with Venice
Stephen Bayley
on architect and designer Carlo Scarpa
5x15: Five Leading Thinkers on the Unique Magic of Venice
Five cultural figures each deliver a fifteen-minute talk exploring Venice through art, literature, history and design. In support of Venice in Peril Fund’s Acqua Granda Appeal.
Royal Geographical Society, SW7
Cadogan Hall, SW1
Featuring Talks By:
Susie Cave
on creativity, style, motherhood and the role art can play in surviving loss.
Bella Freud
In conversation
5x15 Special: Susie Cave in conversation with Bella Freud
An exclusive London event with Susie Cave and Bella Freud, exploring creativity, motherhood and the role art can play in surviving loss. In partnership with Chelsea Arts Festival.
Cadogan Hall, SW1
Emmanuel Centre, SW1P
Featuring Talks By:
Angela Duckworth
How to Succeed in Work and Life
5x15 Special: Angela Duckworth on How to Succeed in Work and Life
Bestselling author of Grit, Angela Duckworth, comes to the 5x15 stage for an exclusive London event to discuss her new book Situated.
Emmanuel Centre, SW1P
The Tabernacle, W11
Featuring Talks By:
Sir Ben Okri
on poetry, painting and storytelling
Frank Cottrell-Boyce
on childhood in contemporary Britain
Lani Watson
on the power of asking questions.
Louise Doughty
on love, family and a discovery made after losing her parents.
Emma-Lee Moss
on pop music and her quest to reconcile the Hong Konger and British sides of her inheritance.
5 Speakers, 15 Minutes Each - September 2026
5x15 returns to The Tabernacle in style with a stellar line-up of writers, thinkers and musicians, for an evening of captivating stories.
The Tabernacle, W11
Union Chapel, N1
Featuring Talks By:
Slavoj Žižek
on the books, music and movies that have shaped his work
5x15 Special: Slavoj Žižek’s Cultural Orgy
A shameless tour through the films, books and music that shaped a philosopher. Join us for a very special evening of film, philosophy and cultural mischief with Slavoj Žižek.
Union Chapel, N1
Conway Hall, WC1R
Featuring Talks By:
Gary Kemp
on 1967 and The World of the Beatles
Simon Halfon
and Brian Epstein
Tom Holland
In conversation
5x15 Special: Inside The World of The Beatles with Gary Kemp, Simon Halfon & Tom Holland
Musician Gary Kemp and filmmaker Simon Halfon explore the extraordinary world of The Beatles, in conversation with historian Tom Holland.
Conway Hall, WC1R
Conway Hall, WC1R
Featuring Talks By:
Baroness Beeban Kidron
on how big tech took control and how to fight back
Sandi Toksvig
In conversation
5x15 Special: Beeban Kidron & Sandi Toksvig on Reclaiming Childhood from Big Tech
Filmmaker and campaigner Baroness Beeban Kidron, author of new book USERS, speaks to writer and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig about childhood, technology and power in the digital age.
Conway Hall, WC1R
5x15 Special: Inside The World of The Beatles with Gary Kemp & Simon Halfon (Brighton)
The Old Market, Brighton, BN3 1AS
The Old Market, Brighton, BN3 1AS
Featuring Talks By:
Gary Kemp
on 1967 and The World of The Beatles
Simon Halfon
and Brian Epstein
5x15 Special: Inside The World of The Beatles with Gary Kemp & Simon Halfon (Brighton)
The Old Market, Brighton, BN3 1AS
About
5x15 produces events of ideas, insight and inspiration for the world’s leading organisations and most discerning audiences. We bring internationally acclaimed speakers to the stage to share stories that are informative, provoking, and above all, entertaining.
Wade Davis @ 5x15 - Cultures at Risk
Wade Davis is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker whose work has taken him from the Amazon to Tibet, Africa to Australia, Polynesia to the Arctic.
About
5x15 produces events of ideas, insight and inspiration for the world’s leading organisations and most discerning audiences. We bring internationally acclaimed speakers to the stage to share stories that are informative, provoking, and above all, entertaining.
