Amelia Dimoldenberg, Ash Sarkar and Olly Alexander to Lead ‘Letters To The Future’ at Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre is launching a new weekend festival, Letters To The Future,  celebrating youthful perspectives on the biggest challenges of our time. The programme brings together writers, activists, and performers, including Amelia Dimoldenberg, Ash Sarkar, Olly Alexander, Mya-Rose Craig, and Rebecca F. Kuang, for panel discussions, performances, spoken word, and DJ sets.

Ash Sarkar. Image credit Jonathan Ring

The weekend will feature the inaugural Southbank Centre Annual Lecture, delivered by journalist and activist Ash Sarkar, who will explore The Future of Relationships in the digital age. Sarkar said: “We can’t live without food, water, and shelter; but we have no future as a species without love… I’m delighted to join the Letters To The Future programme and celebrate the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary.”

Each curator also leads a panel on pressing contemporary issues: Dimoldenberg on The Future of Digital Media, Alexander on The Future of Queer Storytelling, Kuang on The Future of Education, and Craig on Beyond the Climate Crisis. The discussions will explore how young people can shape society, from reimagining universities to confronting climate change and the evolving digital landscape.

Amelia Dimoldenberg. Image credit Laura Schaeffer

The weekend includes live music, future-focused spoken word, and collaborative events, such as the National Youth Theatre’s Letters to My Younger/Future Self, and special editions of the Southbank Centre’s futuretense platform. Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Centre, described the programme as “placing young people and their immense potential at the heart of all we do.”

The Future of Images in a Post-Truth Era. Image Credit Antonio Roberts

Part of the Centre’s wider Summer Literature programme, the festival sits alongside appearances from Kimberlé Crenshaw, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and the Booker Prize 2026 Shortlist Announcement, underscoring the Southbank Centre’s commitment to combining cultural innovation with pressing social debate. Discover more about the programme at southbankcentre.co.uk

Date: 18–20 September 2026. Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

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