Arts & Ideas Podcast
Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
Episodes to download
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Time
Fri 29 Oct 2021
As the clocks go back, Matthew Sweet and guests host a party for time travellers
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Green Thinking: Media
Thu 28 Oct 2021
Do photos of polar bears or recycling bins make us care more about the climate emergency?
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New Thinking: Diverse Classical Music
Thu 28 Oct 2021
Digging into the music of composers Joseph Boulogne, Kikuko Kanai and Julia Perry
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Celebrating Buchi Emecheta
Wed 27 Oct 2021
Shahidha Bari leads a discussion of Nigerian-born novelist Buchi Emecheta (1944-2017).
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Green Thinking: Trees
Tue 26 Oct 2021
Is a Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winner on to a new sustainable energy source?
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Twilight
Tue 26 Oct 2021
Poet Pascale Petit, photographer Jasper Goodall, Alexandra Harris, composer Sally Beamish
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Green Thinking: Sustainable Development
Mon 25 Oct 2021
How can mangos, cocoa husks and rice be turned into fuel and impact climate change?
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The Language of Flowers
Thu 21 Oct 2021
Rebecca Solnit's book Orwell's Roses explores his interest in gardening
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Green Thinking: History of climate summits
Thu 21 Oct 2021
How could meetings like COP and the targets they set be organised differently ?
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Rationality & Tradition
Wed 20 Oct 2021
Steven Pinker on Rationality and Tim Stanley on Tradition - Anne McElvoy hosts
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Green Thinking: Landscapes
Wed 20 Oct 2021
How can understanding the history of landscape help planners, policies and people?
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New Thinking: Black British Theatre. An Afro-Cuban star
Tue 19 Oct 2021
From a Black Juliet in the 18th century to Ira Aldridge’s daughter Amanda + Rita Montaner
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Green Thinking: how we see nature
Fri 15 Oct 2021
How can we give nature a louder voice in climate change discussions?
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Frieze: Museums in the 21st century
Tue 12 Oct 2021
Anne McElvoy talks to the directors at London's National Gallery, Yale and New York's Met
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Green Thinking: Health
Fri 8 Oct 2021
How can we deal with the health challenges presented by the climate crisis?
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New Thinking: Black British Theatre
Wed 6 Oct 2021
From a Black Juliet in the 18th century to Ira Aldridge’s daughter Amanda.
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The British Academy Book Prize 2021
Wed 6 Oct 2021
New ways of thinking about global problems - Rana Mitter reads this year's shortlist.
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Breakfast
Tue 5 Oct 2021
Literally "breaking the fast" - Matthew Sweet moves from the Full English to Tiffany's.
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Green Thinking: Transport
Fri 1 Oct 2021
The impact of walking to school, the energy use of electric cars and should we fly less?
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Order & Chaos
Thu 30 Sep 2021
Clutter, indexes, and jazz improvisation. Ruth Ozeki and others join Shahidha Bari
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Thomas Mann
Wed 29 Sep 2021
Novelist Colm Toibin joins Anne McElvoy to discuss the German author's life and struggles
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New Thinking: Researching a House Through Time
Tue 28 Sep 2021
Producer Kat Feavers & house historian Melanie Backe-Hansen on preparing the TV show
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The continuing appeal of Tudor history
Tue 28 Sep 2021
Philippa Gregory tells Matthew Sweet why the Tudors are still so hot.
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Green Thinking: Soil
Thu 23 Sep 2021
Do we need to change the way we think about soil to make it sustainable?
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Hannah Arendt's exploration of Totalitarianism
Tue 21 Sep 2021
Why do Hannah Arendt's ideas continue to fire the imaginations of artists and thinkers?
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Belonging
Thu 16 Sep 2021
A teacher's view, a Frankenstein-inspired ballet, outside status and circus paintings
