Feminist futures

At a time of social and technological tumult, the question of how to bring purpose to our lives takes on fresh urgency. Instead of being blinded by the permacrisis, can we seize this moment to transform how we relate to our bodies, communities, lovers, families and faith traditions?

Join us for an evening of provocation and imagination with Kate Devlin, professor of artificial intelligence and society at King’s, and Chine McDonald, director of religion and society think tank Theos. Together we’ll explore how feminist and alternative imaginaries might help bring a better world into focus: utopian experiments in living and loving; ways that AI could enhance rather than erode human connection; and exploring the intellectual resources afforded by diverse spiritual and humanist traditions. Our speakers will be joined by the band Stealing Sheep, whose joyous and boundary-crossing soundscapes hint at what might emerge when we attend to our shared tomorrow with courage and imagination.

Kate Devlin

Speaker

Kate Devlin is professor of artificial intelligence and society in the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London. Her research investigates how and why people interact with and react to technologies, both past and future. She is the author of the critically acclaimed 2018 book Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots which examines the ethical and social implications of technology and intimacy. Kate is a co-investigator on the UKRI’s Responsible AI UK programme, which brings together researchers from across the UK to understand how we should shape the development of AI to benefit society. In January 2025 she took over as Chair-Director of the King’s Digital Futures Institute.

Kate can be found on Bluesky at @drkatedevlin.bsky.social

Chine McDonald

Speaker

Chine McDonald is a writer, broadcaster and director of the religion and society think tank, Theos. She speaks and writes primarily on issues of race, faith and gender, and is the author of God is not a white man: and other revelations (2021) which was runner-up for the Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing, and Unmaking Mary: Shattering the Myth of Perfect Motherhood (2025). She has also written for The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Big Issue, Prospect and The Mirror, and regularly contributes to TV and radio programmes such as the BBC’s Thought for the Day on Radio 4. Chine studied theology at Cambridge University and is vice-chair of Greenbelt Festival.

Chine can be found on bluesky at @chinemcdonald.bsky.social and Instagram at @chine_mcdonald

Stealing Sheep

Artist

Stealing Sheep is an all female-identifying band hailing from Liverpool, UK. Over the past 15 years, they have garnered widespread critical acclaim, carving out their own distinct sound, fusing intoxicating pop, psychedelia, disco, post-punk, electronics, folk and sci-fi ambiances. As a band, the three women have created a bold ethos as community builders, championing female identifying artists and groups, through the creation of their G-IRL record label. Since forming in 2010, they have released five studio albums, with their sixth, titled ‘Let’s go!’, set to release in April 2025. Their upcoming record marks a bold new chapter, fusing medieval electronic pop, rave pop, UK garage and PC music into a sonic world that’s both otherworldly and unapologetically DIY.

Stealing Sheep can be found on instagram at @stealingsheep

Sally Davies

Host

Sally is a writer and former executive editor of Aeon magazine, with interests spanning philosophy, science, feminism and culture.