Skip to content

Tag: Blavatnik Awards Symposium

Winston Churchill at the Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection in London will present Winston Churchill: The Painter, a major retrospective of more than 50 works by Sir Winston Churchill—the first substantial UK exhibition of his paintings since his death—offering audiences a fresh perspective on the former Prime Minister’s lifelong engagement with art and creativity alongside his public service. Spanning his earliest efforts during World War I through to his vibrant landscapes and interiors from the mid-20th century, the show brings together loans from private collections and Chartwell, Churchill’s longtime home, allowing visitors to see a more personal and expressive side of a figure known for leadership in times of crisis. The exhibition has been made possible by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, among other donors and supporters.

Why Aren’t We Using AI to Advance Justice?

Time contributors Amal Clooney and Philippa Webb highlight a widening global justice gap—where women’s rights often exist “only on paper” and underserved communities lack legal support—and argue that artificial intelligence could be a force for inclusion if governed responsibly. Drawing on their work co-founding the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice with the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and the Clooney Foundation for Justice, they describe AI-powered tools that help women in Malawi understand their rights and connect to pro bono lawyers, assist threatened journalists with real-time legal support, and accelerate legal processes like protection orders in ways that make legal systems more accessible and humane. Webb and Clooney also underscore the need to pair innovation with safeguards, tracking AI’s use in courts and training judges to ensure fairness. The Blavatnik School plays a central role in shaping this work by combining research, policy engagement, and convening power to guide how new technologies serve the public good.

Ken Burns Kicks Off Ringling College Speaker Series, Previews Upcoming Documentaries

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns recently kicked off the Ringling College of Art and Design’s TOWN HALL Speaker Series in Sarasota, sharing insights into several upcoming projects, including work on LBJ and the Great Society, Emancipation to Exodus, and a history of the CIA. Burns emphasized the power of storytelling to deepen public understanding of history, a mission that aligns with the Better Angels Society, a nonprofit that supports excellence in American history documentaries and civic engagement, including work associated with Burns. The Blavatnik Family Foundation is proud to support Ken Burns and the Better Angels Society in its efforts to broaden access to meaningful historical narratives that educate and connect audiences across generations.

The Spiritual Yearnings of David Bowie

The Spectator reviews a wave of recent books published a decade after David Bowie’s death, examining how his work continues to be reinterpreted through religion, spirituality and cultural history. The article considers Bowie’s lifelong engagement with belief and meaning, alongside differing critical approaches to his later career. It also reflects on the lasting impact of the V&A’s exhibition David Bowie Is…, which helped reshape public and scholarly understanding of his legacy. In tracing Bowie’s posthumous afterlife, the piece highlights the David Bowie Archive, now open to the public at the V&A East Storehouse. Comprising more than 90,000 items, the Archive was established with major support from the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group. Together, the books, exhibition and archive point to Bowie’s continuing presence in the cultural imagination.

Learn More

Discover the cutting-edge science we fund

Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.

See how we support great cultural institutions around the world

The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.

Visit the Blavatnik Archive

The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.

Blavatnik Family Foundation
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can find more information by this link