Stephen Daldry, Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy in conversation with Razia Iqbal

In an era defined by political upheaval and climate crisis, Stephen Daldry, Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy examine how storytelling, across stage and screen, can help us make sense of the moment, forge connections, and inspire action.

From Billy Elliot and The Hours to The Crown, Daldry’s work reveals a simple truth: when audiences feel deeply, they begin to think differently and that shift has consequences. Robertson and Murphy, through projects like The Jungle , The Walk and Kyoto, have brought urgent stories of refugees and displacement into public view, transforming distant crises into shared human experience.

Now, as all three artists turn their focus toward dramatising the climate emergency, this conversation asks what role the arts can play , not as an escape from reality, but as a vital force for awareness, empathy, and change.