On 24th April 2023, we were delighted to welcome back to the Blake Studio, the East of England branch of the long-established Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for their latest lecture. This formed part of our series of public lectures on cultural matters held on the school site in conjunction with partner institutions.
The talk was a fascinating exploration of the geographical complexities of the Arctic region which, unlike Antarctica, is a self-contained continent surrounded by multiple countries inhabited by Indigenous peoples. With the Arctic acting as a critical barometer of climate change, the stakes for its peace and security could not be higher. Put simply, the Arctic is one of the world’s most important places and contested spaces.
We had an excellent and knowledgeable guide for the evening in the shape of our very own, Dr Anthony Speca. Not only is he a teacher of politics and economics at Norwich School, but he is also an Honorary Lecturer at the School of Environmental Sciences at the UEA as well as an Adjunct Professor in the School for the Study of Canada at Trent University. Prior to that, he was a senior policy official with the Government of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic, so has real life experience of such issues.
He informed an engaged audience of pupils, staff, RGS members and friends that the Arctic is governed from capitals far away, such as Moscow which oversees half of the region and is now locked in a geopolitical struggle with the Western capitals overseeing the other half. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended Arctic diplomacy and tensions are thus running high, resulting in the activities of the Arctic Council being temporarily suspended. The Arctic, one of the fastest-changing parts of our warming globe, is now fractured along old Cold-War fault-lines.
Dr Speca argued that the Arctic does not however belong to far-removed capitals, but to its own local communities, with the indigenous Arctic peoples acting as the glue that binds the region together. After all, they have called it home since time immemorial—long before far-away capitals incorporated the Arctic into their colonial empires.
Discussions continued into a lively Q&A over refreshments.
The RGS lecture season is now over until the autumn. For those desiring earlier intellectual stimulation, Norwich School will be hosting the following in coming weeks:
- The Norfolk Contemporary Arts Society: a talk to be given by Hazel Soper sharing thoughts on her recent, visually striking exhibition at the OUTPOST gallery in Norwich. All are welcome (pupils free). 9 May in Blake Studio - 19:00-21:00. See: An evening with OUTPOST featuring the work of Hazel Soper — ncas (n-cas.org.uk)
- The Norfolk Cambridge Society: a lecture entitled The Military Instrument – Theory and Practice on 6 June in Blake Studio - 18:30-20:00 – given by Lieutenant General Douglas McKenzie Chalmers, CB, DSO, OBE. General Chalmers is a former British Army officer who served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations) from 2018 to 2021 and is currently Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. See: Lecture: The Military Instrument – Theory and Practice – Norfolk Cambridge Society. All are welcome (tickets to be bought online in advance).
For a complete overview of activities being held at Norwich School this term, please see: At Close Quarters - Norwich School (norwich-school.org.uk)