From their beginning in 1986, the RSA's Better Environment Awards for Industry (BEAFI) maintained close links with the European Better Environment Awards for Industry (EBEAFI) run by the EU which was held every two years. The RSA put forward some of the entrants to the BEAFI as candidates for the European scheme. \n\nIn 1992 the Government announced that there would be a new environmental award, The Queen's Award for Environmental Achievement. The RSA responded with new plans for its 'Better Environment Awards for Industry (BEAFI) which had been running since 1986. There were to be two categories of Award: the first recognising Management initiatives bringing environmental benefits in Britain, the second for the export of appropriate technologies which bring environmental benefit to developing countries. The awards continued as a scheme for British companies. The RSA continued to put forward candidates for the European Better Environment Awards for Industry and in addition winners of the Queen's Awards were invited to apply for selection as candidates for the European competition.\n\nDeveloped from the PATAS (Pollution Abatement Technology Awards) these awards came about largely at the instigation of the European Commission who were setting up an EEC-wide scheme. \n\nSee 'The RSA and the Environment,' edited by Timothy Cantell, 1993\n\nRecords include minutes of committees and general meetings, correspondence and working papers and photographs
The Society held a number of small art exhibitions at John Adam Street. Some of these were in aid of the formation of a National gallery of British Art
This competition was a partnership between the RSA, Boosey & Hawkes and Classic FM. It arose out of Classic FM's Masterclass series for secondary schools. It was an exercise in linking the creativity of composers with the needs of young players to remedy the fact that few developments in musical style had filtered down to what was available for young orchestras and choirs to perform. The competition was launched nationwide on Classic FM and in other music media in the autumn of 1993 with entries to be in by March 1994. This was a 'one-off' venture.\n\nFiles in this series are the entries for the competition. While most files contain an entry for, composition description, cassette recording of the composition and accompanying correspondence.
Many bequests have been made to the Society and Trusts instituted to promote the Society's work in specific areas. The Society became a registered charity in 1962 and its fundraising activities were formalised with the establishment of a development department in the 1990s.\nRecords include administrative correspondence and files, printed matter and publicity material and images
This series includes minutes and rough minutes of the various committees. These are bound by year in chronological order. Also included in this section are manuscript ledgers of premiums awarded and receipts for premiums. This series includes a complete set of the Transactions. Each volume is indexed and cumulative indexes also exist for certain periods.
The Society's commitment to the Commonwealth dates back to colonial development premiums from 1754. The Indian Section was formed in 1869 and merged with the Foreign and Colonial Section to deliver lectures on topics of interest in this area. This had become the Commonwealth Section by 1951. The Commonwealth Section Committee continued to contribute to the lecture programme until 1987 when the Committee was disbanded in favour of two of the members joining the Lecture Programme Committee to enable them to give direct advice to the Lecture Programme Committee as full members of that committee.\nRecords comprise administrative correspondence and papers and photographs. Minutes of the committee have been filed with miscellaneous 20th century committees
The manuscript versions of the Transactions were the draft versions of the printed Transactions, published from 1783 until 1847. They include original correspondence as well as drawings, plans and diagrams in support of claims for premiums and awards. From the late 1840s, papers were read at Society meetings. Some of these papers were reprinted in the Transactions (and the Journal from 1852). Manuscript copies of the text of these lectures, submitted by their authors, are included at the end of this series.\nIncludes correspondence and manuscript versions of papers printed in the Transactions
Records include minutes of the committee, correspondence about awards and attendance at and structure of committee. Additional correspondence to the committee is also included within the Guard Book series at PR/GE/110
Printed matter including Charter and Bye Laws and Rules and Orders, miscellaneous reports, lists of Council members and officers, annual addresses to Members
The Council was established in 1846 with first its Chairmen, Edward Speer and George Bailey. The Council assumed full responsibility for the management of the Society. Chairmen of Council generally serve a two-year term of office. \nRecords include correspondence of Charles Wentworth Dilke and Lyon Playfair as well as general late 20th century correspondence and papers. earlier material can be found within AD.MA/100.
Gifts produced by the Commercial Director for sale, includes calendars, jigsaws, ties and scarves. Christmas cards and postcards appear in a different series, PR.GE/109
Various House Committees were set up at different times to look at the building, its use, function, administration and management.\nRecords include minutes of House committees and correspondence and papers. Later material can be found with AD.MA/300
James Barry was born in 1741 and died in 1806. In 1777 Barry submitted a proposal to the Society to decorate the Great Room of its new premises. He offered to paint the whole room without fee, in return for canvas, paints and models. He began painting in April that year, and although he continued to alter the paintings until 1801, they were exhibited in 1783 and '84, with the proceeds going to Barry.\n\nBarry was his own publisher, and produced numerous works explaining the The Progress's symbolism, later editions of which contained appendices railing against his critics.\n\nIn 1782, Barry was elected to professor of painting at the Royal Academy, receiving a salary in return for six lectures a year. Barry used the position to engage with role of the artist in society, but went too far in putting forth his opinions and, together with his 1798 Letter to the Dilettanti Society's attacks on the state of arts patronage in England, angered the Academy was expelled in 1799. His was the Academy's only expulsion until Professor Brendan Neiland resigned in July 2004.\n\nThe Earl of Buchan came to Barry's aid after he lost his salary, paying expenses and moving him to a larger house so that he could finish his final painting, The Birth of Pandora. James Barry died in February 1806, and his body laid in state in the Society's Great Room, before being interred in St. Paul's Cathedral.
A series of lectures established in the late 1990s to explore more controversial issues beyond the main lecture programme.
The Art for Architecture scheme, managed by the RSA, was a collaborative initiative with the Department of National Heritage. It was established with core funding from the Department of the Environment and restricted only to England initial. In 1992, the scheme was extended to Scottish applicants due to Scottish Office funding and similarly to Welsh applicants in 1993 due to Welsh Office funding. The scheme also had a number of private sponsors. Its objective was to enhance the urban environment by encouraging cross disciplinary approaches to building and landscape projects by appointing and providing funds for artists to work as part of a design team from the earliest stages of a development. Michael Wrotesley, DOE, conceived the idea, which stemmed from RSA Student Design Awards. The scheme has been operating since 1990.\n\nDirectly related to the Scheme was the Jerwood Art for Architecture Award. The Award is a financial reward, sponsored by The Jerwood Foundation, to recognise the project which on completion represents both excellence in artistic quality and design and best practice in collaboration. It was presented to the artist and architect, landscape engineer, who are working together. The Jerwood Award was introduced in 1994.\n\nRecords include administrative correspondence, printed items and publicity material, and photographs.
The Exhibition was held in the galleries of the Royal Academy and was organised jointly by the RSA and the Royal Academy. The objects of the exhibition were to 'impress upon the public the importance of good design in articles of everyday use; to show that British manufacturers, in co-operation with British artists, are capable of producing in all branches of industry, articles which combine artistic form with utility and sound workmanship; to encourage British artists to give to industry the benefit of their talent and training so that the objects with which we are surrounded in our daily lives may have an appearance which is not only attractive but is based on genuinely artistic principles'. The exhibition was held under Royal Patronage and with the active participation of HRH the Prince of Wales as President of the General Committee\n\nRecords comprise photographs and copy photographs of items displayed at the Exhibition