On Day Two at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) London, Sir John Bell of the Ellison Institute of Technology and Lord David Cameron spoke with Tom Standage of The Economist about genomics and the future of healthcare in this country and around the world during their panel ‘A Healthcare Revolution.’
Referencing his son Ivan, who was born 23 years ago with a rare genetic disease that meant he was profoundly disabled, Lord Cameron reflected on how far science has come since that time, disclosing that he had recently received a letter from the mother of a child born with similar symptoms to Ivan whose quality of life was markedly different to 23 years ago.
Cameron went on to discuss the recent death of his mother who had dementia and why he believes scanning both the elderly and very young is so important, stating: “When you get dementia in this country…there are a million people with dementia, virtually no one is offered the chance to take part in a clinical trial. That’s nuts! At the moment there is no treatment for dementia so at least offering people the chance to take part in a clinical trial, there have been side effects [so lots of people may say no] but some people will say yes.”
Sir John Bell also spoke about the importance of predictive analytics from people’s genome sequencing to predict possibilities of future disease: “The predictive analytics are going to be a key part of our preventative agenda, I can foresee a not-too-distant future that most people are going to want their genomes sequenced so that they have predictive analytics to know that they don’t have to worry about one thing, but may have to worry about something else.”
Music legend Wyclef Jean was joined by CEO of KOKO Oliver “Olly” Bengough, Sheniece Charway, Head of Black Music & Culture at YouTube and Tom Höglund, Chief Business Development Officer at Epidemic Sound at SXSW London’s main stage for a panel discussion on ‘Cultural Currency – The Singular Unshakable Constant.’ Commenting on the force of AI, Wyclef said: “AI has to be a slave to me, I cannot be a slave to AI…” continuing, “I want to tell creators, are we getting lazier because of technology, or are we gonna push the technology forward?” Stating all he wants creators in London to know moving forwards, Wyclef said “the belief has to come from you, there is nobody greater than the creator, which is you.”
Actor Joseph Fiennes celebrated SXSW’s expansion to the UK, asking “why did [it] not happen earlier?” and calling the festival a powerful platform to showcase the city’s diversity and creativity. In an intimate one-on-one moderated by President of the Golden Globes Helen Hoehne, Fiennes reflected on his expansive career across film, television, and theatre, offering a candid look at how he has navigated the evolving entertainment landscape whilst emphasising the growing demand for authenticity and representation in storytelling.
Humanitarian and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall DBE said her “proudest moment was when a group of chimps let her approach without running away” during a moving fireside chat at SXSW London’s main stage with CNBC Anchor Tania Bryer which ended with a standing ovation from attendees. Goodall also commented on the use of AI, saying that it is “a tool and it depends on our intellect how we use it.”
22-year-old content creator Inoxtag – the first ever YouTuber to try and climb Mount Everest – explained how his documentary ‘Kaizen’ became a milestone in the French audiovisual landscape by challenging the current media chronology via his courageous, exploring what the future landscape holds with moderator Gregory Bywalski.
Tina Brown (Journalist, Editor & Author) and Mishal Husain (Editor at Large, Bloomberg Weekend) unpacked the rise of political showmanship, the fading grip of legacy media, and the urgent need for a “conglomerate of courage” in a truth-fractured world.
In a fireside chat, actor Sophie Turner spoke with Founder & CEO of Colossal Biosciences Ben Lamm about the science of de-extinction, exploring the breakthroughs, challenges, and real-world impact of engineering life itself.
Dawn O’Porter and Nell Dally took the stage to explore what it really means to lead with purpose and pay the price for it. From launching a female-led venture fund in a system where 98.5% of capital goes to men, to confronting domestic violence and motherhood, the session was an unfiltered look at what it takes to stand up, speak out, and stay true. Nell Dally said: “98.5% of capital goes to men in the UK. I can’t live with that.”
In a bold and timely session, Sehr Thadhani (NASDAQ) unpacked what it takes to lead with vision in a world that rewards conformity; from backing exceptional talent to letting go of control, she challenged the myth that vision alone is enough.
SXSW London’s Interdisciplinary Arts Programme also kicked off today with installations across Protein Studios and Christchurch Spitalfields open to the public for free. ‘SXSW LDB LAB’ at Protein Studios, an exhibition that explores the intersection of art, technology and physical space, features work by Andy Warhol, Beeple, Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst along with a dialogue between Marina Abramović, the voice of her AI counterpart, and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist.
In the crypts of Christchurch Spitalfields, ‘Beautiful Collisions’ is an immersive exhibition featuring leading contemporary artists working across painting, music and performance. The exhibition explores the significant role of Caribbean diaspora artists in London’s cultural scene and features work by Alberta Whittle, Alvaro Barrington, Denzil Forrester, Runkus, Tavares Strachan and Zinzi Minott.
The arts programme is open to the public for free throughout the week, the schedule for which can be found here.
And finally, SXSW London and the Department for Business and Trade celebrate the future of the UK’s creative industries and mark the kick-off of SXSW London festival alongside the opening of UK House and BME at Devonshire Square, by turning the Tower of London blue for the evening.
The convergence of tech and brands 