Royal Society of Arts

Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
AbbreviationRSA
Established1754; 270 years ago (1754)
FounderWilliam Shipley
Founded atLondon, England
TypeRegistered charity[1]
Legal statusRoyal Charter Company[2]
Professional title
FRSA
Headquarters8 John Adam Street
London, WC2N 6EZ
FieldsArts and culture
Membership
30,000+ fellows[3]
Official language
English
Chairman
Tim Eyles
Chief executive
Andy Haldane
Websitewww.thersa.org
Formerly called
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce,[2][4] commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a London-based organisation.[5][6][1]

The RSA's mission expressed in the founding charter was to "embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve our manufacturers and extend our commerce", but also of the need to alleviate poverty and secure full employment.

Notable Fellows (before 1914, Members) include Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Hawking, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela, David Attenborough, Judi Dench, William Hogarth, John Diefenbaker, and Tim Berners-Lee. Today, the RSA has fellows elected from 80 countries worldwide.

  1. ^ a b "RSA (The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce)". Charity Commission. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Our privacy policy". thersa.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Become an RSA Fellow". thersa.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ^ also trading as the Royal Society of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
  5. ^ "About the RSA". thersa.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. ^ Howes, Anton (2020). Arts and Minds: How the Royal Society of Arts Changed a Nation. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-18264-3.