The past decade has seen political polarisation – accelerated by social media’s filter bubbles and echo chambers – deepen and mutate. An ominous era of a polycrisis has shattered any remaining societal consensus. Meanwhile, powerful anti-establishment voices have stepped into the void.

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever.

With division running deep in many facets of modern Britain, the need for empathy and greater understanding is stronger than ever. After investigating this in our Citizenship Sector Snapshot, Canvas8 spoke to nine people from the UK to find out how interested they were in bridging divides.

Some Brazilian football fans are eschewing the famous yellow jersey of their national team amid a growing association between the strip and the country’s far right. Political tensions are ratcheting up in advance of Brazil's general election, with football acting as a cultural flashpoint.

As a centuries-old symbol that has been used widely across politics and pop culture, the Union Jack has a complex history, sparking feelings of pride, guilt, and everything in between. With COVID-19 and Brexit shaking up national identity, what is the future for the ‘Cool Britannia’ brand?

The Eurovision Song Contest, a cultural juggernaut born in 1956, has grown into a global phenomenon, entertaining over 160 million viewers annually with its eclectic and unpredictable performances. It remains a cornerstone of the cultural landscape and celebration of nuanced national identity.