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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Proms Extra: Hans Christian Andersen 20 August 15
Thu 20 Aug 2015
Lars Tharp and Julia Eccleshare on the work and legacy of Hans Christian Andersen.
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Proms Extra: The National Trust - 17.08.15
Mon 17 Aug 2015
The history of the National Trust with Dame Helen Ghosh and Patrick Barkham.
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Proms Extra: DH Lawrence's The Rainbow 09 August 15
Sun 9 Aug 2015
Novelists Helen Dunmore and Louise Welsh on DH Lawrence's 1915 novel, 'The Rainbow'.
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Proms Extra: Oscar Wilde in 1895: 3 Aug 2015
Mon 3 Aug 2015
Philip Hoare and Merlin Holland discuss Wilde's tumultuous year. With Shahidha Bari.
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Proms Extra: Memory in Performance – 2 Aug 15
Sun 2 Aug 2015
Actress Lisa Dwan and singer Susan Bullock discuss the role of memory in performance.
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Proms Extra: Alice in Wonderland 30 July 15
Thu 30 Jul 2015
Anne McElvoy discussses the enduring appeal of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'.
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Proms Extra: Ezra Pound's 'Cathay - 29 July 15
Thu 30 Jul 2015
Poets Jo Shapcott and Sean O'Brien discuss Ezra Pound's poetry collection, 'Cathay'.
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Proms Extra: Holst's The Planets Suite
Tue 28 Jul 2015
Oscar-winning composer Steven Price on the inspiration of Holst's Planets Suite.
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Proms Extra: Fiddler on the Roof
Sat 25 Jul 2015
Rana Mitter discuss the appeal of Fiddler on the Roof.
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Proms Extra: Beethoven and German Romantic Poetry
Fri 24 Jul 2015
Anne McElvoy discusses the German Romantic poetry which inspired Beethoven.
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Proms Extra: 1895 The First Proms
Sun 19 Jul 2015
Rana Mitter with Nicholas Kenyon and Leanne Langley
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Free Thinking - Chalke Valley History Festival: 16 July 15
Wed 15 Jul 2015
Anne McElvoy discusses heroic triumph and failure with a trio of eminent historians
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Free Thinking - Bryan Stevenson, Slunglow Camelot, Go Set A Watchman, Utopia at the Roundhouse: 15 July 15
Wed 15 Jul 2015
Philip Dodd discusses Camelot: The Shining City and reviews the new Harper Lee
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Free Thinking - French Thought - The prophecies of Thomas the Rhymer - French rom-com
Thu 9 Jul 2015
Anne McElvoy on French intellectual traditions & rom-com; prophecies of Thomas the Rhymer
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Free Thinking - Legal Aid, Law, Language and Gore Vidal v William F Buckley Jr: 8 July 15
Wed 8 Jul 2015
Philip Dodd discusses Legal Aid, Law, Language and Gore Vidal v William F Buckley Jr
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Free Thinking: Landmark Jaws: 7 July 15
Tue 7 Jul 2015
Matthew Sweet on Jaws 40 years on with Gareth Fraser, Ian Hunter, Will Self and Fiona Tan.
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Free Thinking - Pather Panchali: Sunjeev Sahota; Neil Bartlett: 6 July 15
Mon 6 Jul 2015
Tariq Ali discusses Satyajit Ray's 1955 film Pather Panchali.
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Free Thinking - Museum of the Year 2015: 02 July 15
Thu 2 Jul 2015
Anne McElvoy at Tate Modern with the Museum of the Year finalists.
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The power of dance and the meaning of 'public'.
Wed 1 Jul 2015
The links between dance, art and the brain and the meaning of "the public"
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Free Thinking - Worrying - Joseph Cornell - Spy Fiction - First film: 30 June 15
Tue 30 Jun 2015
Matthew Sweet on worrying - Joseph Cornell - Spy Fiction and the First film.
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Free Thinking - Tales of Scotland: A Nation and its Literature: 25 June 15
Thu 25 Jun 2015
Anne McElvoy discusses the ways Scottish writers negotiate what it means to be Scottish.
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Free Thinking - Community. The Amber Collective. Poet Claudia Rankine: 24 June 15
Wed 24 Jun 2015
Philip Dodd discusses community and talks a poet Claudia Rankine.
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Free Thinking - Political and Bardic Traditions in Wales: 23 June 15
Tue 23 Jun 2015
Matthew Sweet examines Welsh politics and poetry with Gwyneth Lewis and Iain Sinclair.
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Free Thinking - Muriel Spark, Digital Life, Diversity in British Poetry: 18 June 15
Thu 18 Jun 2015
Laurence Scott talks to Rana Mitter about living in a digital world.
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Free Thinking - Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: 17 June 15
Wed 17 Jun 2015
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks talks to Philip Dodd about confronting religious violence
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Free Thinking - John Boorman; 16 June 2015
Tue 16 Jun 2015
Director John Boorman looks at his film-making career with Matthew Sweet
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Free Thinking - Othello, Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Thu 11 Jun 2015
Poet Hans Magnus Enzensberger reflects on his writing, and German history
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Free Thinking - Saul Bellow
Wed 10 Jun 2015
Martin Amis, Zachary Leader and Sarah Churchwell join Matthew Sweet
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Free Thinking - Carsten Höller, freaks and fairground
Tue 9 Jun 2015
Matthew Sweet has a go on Carsten Höller's slide at the Hayward Gallery
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Susan Abulhawa - Gregory Tate - Eugenia Cheng
Thu 4 Jun 2015
Anne McElvoy discusses maths and music with Mathematician Eugenia Cheng.
