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For the Love of Learning since 1597
Gresham College provides outstanding educational talks and videos for the public free of charge. There are over 2,500 videos available on our website. Your support will help us to encourage people's love of learning for many years to come.
School and College Bookings
If you are from a UK school or sixth form college and want to bring a school group to one of our free, public lectures, please get in touch by emailing schools@gresham.ac.uk
When there is room, we can usually reserve up to 20 spaces, but occasionally we can do more. Please note tickets are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
You may be able to recieve a grant towards travel from the City of London. Find out more
We also live-stream all our lectures and leave them online so that you can show them again in the classroom, or your students can watch them in their own time.
Schools-only events
We also broadcast ‘schools-only’ talks on a variety of subjects, mostly in the early afternoon. Below you can read about this term's schools' lectures. To sign up to watch a schools' lecture on live-stream, please email schools@gresham.ac.uk and indicate which lecture(s) you would like – and a link will be sent to you in advance.
You can also learn about future events by joining our schools newsletter.
Autumn 2025
Do Vaccines Work? with Professor Robin May
Weds 1 October • 2.00 – 3.00 pm
Vaccination has changed the world, saving millions of lives and enabling us to eradicate a lethal disease for the first time in human history – not to mention its critical role in ending the Covid-19 pandemic. This lecture explores how a vaccine actually works, why mRNA vaccines are truly groundbreaking and why we can’t simply vaccinate against everything. We’ll also consider some of the opportunities and challenges that might be around the corner, from ‘self-spreading’ vaccines to those that might modify your mood
Mathematical Puzzles and Paradoxes with Professor Sarah Hart
Weds 8 October • 2.00 – 3.00 pm
In this lecture we’ll take a tour through the world of mathematical riddles, puzzles and paradoxes. From ancient water-pouring puzzles to famous paradoxes like Achilles and the tortoise. Professor Hart will show you how they can lead to some fascinating mathematical ideas and discoveries.
Let’s Talk About Autism and Environmental Toxins with Visiting Professor Ian Mudway
Weds 22 October • 2.00 – 3.00 pm
This talk will delve behind the headlines to navigate the complex science surrounding autism spectrum disorder. In an era of widespread misinformation and misreporting, we'll clarify the nuanced understanding of autism's origins. We'll explore the strong role of genetics and the evolving research into how various environmental influences, in the broadest sense, may interact with predispositions to contribute to autism's increasing rates.
TITLE TBC with Dr Lade Smith CBE
Weds 19 November • 2.00 – 3.00 pm
Dr Shubulade (Lade) Smith CBE is the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Lade is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London. This talk will be on the subject of mental health and inequality.
Much Ado About Numbers: Shakespeare’s Mathematical Life and Times with Rob Eastaway
Weds 26 November • 2.00 – 3.00 pm
In this engaging and interactive talk, author Rob Eastaway reveals the surprising mathematical connections between Shakespeare and the world he lived in. Find out how Tudors multiplied, why 7 was such an important number, and why Shakespeare really did make much ado about 'nothing'. With historical asides about calendars, optics, music, and magic thrown in, this is a fascinating insight into a Renaissance world in which every subject was connected.