Sally Taylor is executive director of The Culture Capital Exchange, the organisation behind Inside Out Festival. Now in its 4th year, Inside Out sets out to showcase the contribution made by London universities to the capital’s cultural life.

RR: We actually started the 'Think' section of Run-Riot a few years ago when we noticed a growing demand for 'intellectual' events for the general public- do you think universities have responded to the trend by providing more activities for non-students?

ST: Yes, universities have started to open up to the general public, and the Inside Out Festival is very much at the centre of that. It is, however an ongoing process to continue to reach out and get people to fully understand the breadth of events on offer, mostly for free, from universities right on their doorstep. We believe more can certainly be done to engage people and bring them to the events that are happening, and that’s very much at the heart of what we do. The advantage of the festival is it presents a diverse range of walks, talks, screenings, workshops, exhibitions and performances across the capital, and highlights the wealth of experiences that our universities offer us. As most of our events are free people can easily try out anything they wish and hopefully learn

something new, and realise the doors are open, and they can come back again for more.

RR: With the rising cost of tuition fees and living in London, do you think an increasing number of people will choose to develop their further education through events like those at Inside Out Festival rather than full time degrees?

ST: We do know of people who come on a regular basis and enjoy the events and are stimulated by them. We don’t pretend they are substitutes to degrees but people appreciate the quality and depth of the content we provide. What’s important is people realising there is a great deal on offer to keep them interested and energised. They might not get a degree out of it, but they will have plenty to think about and discuss and perhaps on the way they might meet some likeminded people. We do at least hope to inspire people and motivate them to find out more!

RR: There's a series of events within this year's Inside Out Festival that look at Failure- what was the inspiration behind this?

ST: We wanted to show the talent and diversity that exists within higher education and to shine a light on that. Failure is part of the human condition to be examined and celebrated, as it's very important in creativity and research. As failure is so rarely discussed, but such an important part of any learning process, we felt it was time to engage with it head on, and appreciate the positive aspects it can bring.

RR: You used to be the London Director of Arts and Business, encouraging innovative partnerships between businesses and the arts- do you think the recession has been good for innovation?

ST: Yes, there’s a famous quote from Lord Rutherford: “we have no money so we shall have to think.” The arts have tried to be innovative at a time when money is tight, and universities are now realising that reputational gain is good for them, and working with the arts is a great way to achieve that

RR: What events are you most looking forward to in this year's festival?

ST: I’m very much looking forward to our opening debate – 'Failure: What’s It Good For?' This is chaired by the inimitable Helen Lederer, with a fascinating range of speakers on the subject and from a variety of different backgrounds looking at the subject from perspectives such as the arts, business and science. Also, Dr Stella Moss will be presenting; 'Good For You? The Branding of Guinness' on the history of this great brand and the social history of drinking. Professor Rosemary Hollis will present 'The Middle East: News and Narratives' on news reporting in the Middle East and how we come to understand events in the region at present.

RR: The festival has worked with some great partner venues like the ICA, Somerset House, Tate and more- are there any other London landmarks you'd like to take the festival to in the future?

ST: Yes, we’re open to all offers! We particularly enjoy the unexpected and expanding the venues we work with every year. We like to bring our audience to new places where they can make exciting discoveries.

See the full line-up for the Inside Out Festival from 21st-27th October.