An alternative political gathering in the style of one of Adam Curtis’s BBC documentaries

Photo Steve Rhodes, Flickr

The British party political conference season begins in September 2026, and nobody has an alternative vision, only repackaged versions of the past.

Step forward Adam Curtis, Britain's most famous advocate for an alternative future.

It's ten years since Hypernormalisation, the BBC documentary that revealed how our society has been financialised, narrativised and medicalised to create the illusion of political stability and maintain 'rational' control.

Curtis showed how public relations, algorithms and technocratic management combine to keep us all in a state of confused passivity.

While all around us chaos and corruption proliferate.

Party conference season is when we're supposed to have open debates and discussions about the future direction of the country.

But most of us feel revulsion at the way our political parties are organised.

We want nothing to do with them.

And yet Adam Curtis points out with monotonous regularity, nothing will change until we can imagine an alternative future and then act collectively to grasp the levers of power.

If you're interested in ideas and thinking about ways to take action, this weekend is for you.

Let's unite around a thoughtful figure whose appeal transcends political divisions.

Let's restore the best of BBC light entertainment values to our culture, while enjoying high-brow references to Max Weber and crafting sophisticated stories linking superficially unconnected events.

This get-together is a chance to meet other fans of Adam Curtis and have conversations and debates about his documentaries and ideas.

Could it be the start of a new political mass movement led by genial middle-class people with a sense of humour and an excellent taste in music?

We hope so.

Come to the spiritual home of party political conferences to dance, debate and reject the dark forces of rational control.

The first Adam Curtis Party Conference will be the pretext to launch the new Adam Curtis Society*, which will celebrate the BBC documentary maker's work.

We will have an evening event on the Friday, which will be announced later.

SPEAKERS

Paul Mason

Paul is an award-winning journalist, author and former Economics Editor of BBC Newsnight and Channel 4 News. He has reported on major global political and economic events for more than three decades and is the author of several influential books, including PostCapitalism. His latest work, Reds: A Global History of Communism, explores the history, ideas and legacy of communism from antiquity to the present day.

Izabella Kaminska

Izabella is the founder and editor of The Blind Spot, a new media venture that aims to shine a light on stories being missed by the wider journalistic pack. Izabella is an alumni of the Financial Times, where she spent 13 years in reporting roles, most recently as the editor of FT Alphaville. She spent time in the former Soviet Union at the Caspian Business News, which took her to Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Charlie Waterhouse

Charlie is a co-founder of Absurd Intelligence. Its projects include Hard Art, a cultural collective standing in solidarity in the face of climate and democratic collapse and the Fête of Britain, an arts movement to drive the making of a new world. Charlie helped start Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.

Tobias Ellwood

Tobias is a seasoned politician, military veteran, and strategic thinker dedicated to shaping a secure and prosperous future. With a career spanning pivotal roles in defence, foreign affairs, and national security. His new book, Ten Steps To Prevent World War III was published in July.

Joanna Moncrieff

Joanna is Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry at UCL and an NHS psychiatrist. She has conducted research on the treatment and politics of mental distress. She is author of Chemically Imbalanced: the making and unmaking of the serotonin myth (Flint Books).

Mark Howell

Mark founded a local political party, Poole People, in 2010 which has secured the election of candidates (including Mark) in 5 elections to the Borough of Poole and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council. He is also an author, lawyer and abstract artist.

Brian Jenner

Brian is the founder of the UK Speechwriters’ Guild. He is a former journalist who has written for the Guardian, Daily Mail, The Oldie and The Spectator. He has worked as a professional speechwriter for over 25 years and has been involved in setting up several political organisations.

CONTEXT

Why Bournemouth?

Seaside resorts have historically attracted not only holidaymakers but also mystics, eccentrics, health reformers, artists and political visionaries.

Bournemouth has long hosted religious conferences, esoteric groups and political gatherings for precisely this reason.

It’s a gentle place.

It feels different to other urban areas.

When you get here, you breathe the clean air, you're struck by the green

Description supplied by the event organiser.