Under Labour, the arts were charged with challenging social exclusion, celebrating diversity and reasserting Britishness. But is there a contradiction between diversity and national identity? Should theatre foster cohesion or challenge it? If multiculturalism is dead, should theatre be promoting it? Is the theatre’s role to encourage tolerance or provoke outrage?

This two-day conference at Warwick Arts Centre, debated theatre’s relationship with the community, with identity politics, with the emergent nationalisms of Scotland and Wales, multiculturalism and our national history.

Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, led a public lecture at the University of Warwick on Wednesday 15 July, focusing on 'The Role of the Multilateral Trading System in the Recent Crisis'.

The event was chaired by Warwick's Chancellor, and Director of the CBI, Richard Lambert, with a response from Martin Wolf CBE, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator for the Financial Times.