I mentioned the RSA a few days ago via their iPhone app, RSA Vision.
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity (and on the building’s frieze The Royal Society of Arts – see photo). It was founded in 1754 and was granted a Royal Charter in 1847. Notable members have included Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, William Hogarth, John Diefenbaker, Stephen Hawking and Charles Dickens.
While it has the trappings of an Establishment body, at many times in its history the RSA has been a radical body which has sought to challenge the status quo and change the world around it. A prospectus was issued inviting people to form a society in which concerns were expressed that developments in society were leaving too many people behind. Its founding charter expressed the purpose of the society as being to “embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve our manufactures and extend our commerce”, but also of the need to alleviate poverty and secure full employment.
Why has it taken 38 years for me to discover this organisation? I really should get out more!