Ai Weiwei in Conversation with Stephen Sackur
Sat, 31 January 2026
7:30 pm – 8:45 pm GMT
In conversation with Stephen Sackur, Ai Weiwei returns to How To Academy to share his personal experiences of censorship – and warn us against its spread through authoritarian regimes and even democracies.
Faced with tyranny and violence, can an artist really hope to make a difference? Does human creativity truly have the power to change our world for the better?
Ai Weiwei is living proof that it does. Raised in a labour camp and later beaten, surveilled and secretly detained for 81 days without being officially charged by the Chinese state, Weiwei has dedicated his life to the struggle against corruption and oppression of all kinds. As a conceptual artist and activist fighting for justice, he has become an icon in his own lifetime, renowned world-wide for his work promoting freedom of thought and expression, compassion, and humanitarian values.
In conversation with internationally renowned journalist Stephen Sackur, Weiwei will share his personal experiences of censorship at the hands of the state, and show us how authoritarian regimes across the globe suppress freedom of thought and expression. Importantly, he will show us how censorship and self-censorship affect liberal, democratic countries in hidden, pernicious ways – and issue a rallying cry against complacency.
Those who control the narrative control the future: Ai Weiwei is here to help us fight back.
All tickets to this event include a copy of Ai Weiwei’s new book, On Censorship (RRP £12.99).
Tickets to this event are £15 off for subscribers to How To Plus.
How to get here?
Storey’s Gate, Westminster, SW1H 9NH
Closest tube stations: Westminster or St James Park
