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 Plus Literary - Music & Cinema
Mon 26 Aug 2013
From the very first days of silent film to the contemporary CGI blockbuster, music has...
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Proms Plus Literary - Britten & Poetry
Wed 21 Aug 2013
Benjamin Britten's compositions were inspired by the work of many poets and novelists,...
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Proms Plus Literary - Rudolf Nureyev
Thu 15 Aug 2013
Rudolf Nureyev was one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century. His charisma and a...
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Proms Plus Literary - Sylvia Plath
Thu 8 Aug 2013
To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Sylvia Plath and the publication of her a...
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Proms Plus Literary - Romanticism
Sat 3 Aug 2013
Robert Crawford and Fiona Stafford discuss how the Romantic movement linked Beethoven...
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Proms Plus Literary - Michael Tippett
Thu 1 Aug 2013
Rana Mitter introduces an anthology of unexpected readings from the letters and of the...
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Proms Plus Literary - Light Music
Wed 31 Jul 2013
The writers Simon Heffer and Andrew O'Hagan discuss the halcyon days of light music at...
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Proms Plus Literary - John le Carré
Mon 29 Jul 2013
In a special event John le Carré celebrates the 50th anniversary of his Cold War The...
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Proms Plus Literary - Staging Wagner
Sat 27 Jul 2013
Wagner's stage directions are notorious: giant dragons; underwater singing; horses on...
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Proms Plus Literary - Playing Falstaff
Wed 24 Jul 2013
What makes Falstaff, Prince Hal's fat, boastful and cowardly companion so irresistible...
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Proms Plus Literary - Poles in Britain
Wed 17 Jul 2013
Polish is the third most spoken language in the UK, after English and Welsh, and the a...
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Proms Plus Literary - Mahler
Mon 15 Jul 2013
Rana Mitter talks to conductor and music blogger Kenneth Woods to bust some popular...
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Night Waves - Boris Johnson
Thu 11 Jul 2013
In conversation with Anne McElvoy, Boris Johnson discusses leadership ambitions, what...
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Free Thinking in the Summer
Wed 10 Jul 2013
Rana Mitter chairs a debate from the York Festival of Ideas on whether we can afford...
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Night Waves - Egypt's democracy
Tue 9 Jul 2013
Philip Dodd is joined by the historian Tom Holland and the political scientist Salwa...
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Night Waves - Clive James
Mon 8 Jul 2013
Matthew Sweet talks to award-winning director Jane Campion about her new TV drama Top...
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Free Thinking in the Summer - Chalke
Thu 4 Jul 2013
BBC Radio 3's annual Free Thinking festival of ideas continues its summer of activity...
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Free Thinking in the Summer - Hay
Wed 3 Jul 2013
Philip Dodd discusses the Problem with Love with behavioural scientist Dylan Evans, AL...
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Night Waves - Dystopia & Mexico
Tue 2 Jul 2013
Two new dystopian novels by the scientist Susan Greenfield and academic Martin Goodman...
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Night Waves - Vali Nasr
Mon 1 Jul 2013
Rana Mitter talks to Washington insider Vali Nasr about his new book 'The Dispensable...
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Night Waves - Claire Messud
Thu 27 Jun 2013
With Anne McElvoy, including an interview with the best-selling american novelist her...
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Free Thinking in the Summer
Wed 26 Jun 2013
Rana Mitter chairs a Free Thinking debate from the annual 12-hour My Night With at the...
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Night Waves - Melanie Phillips
Tue 25 Jun 2013
Journalist and broadcaster Melanie Phillips discusses her autobiography Guardian Angel...
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Night Waves - Lowry
Mon 24 Jun 2013
Philip Dodd and Susan Hitch review a new production of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana at...
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Night Waves - David Edgar
Thu 20 Jun 2013
Anne McElvoy talks to David Edgar about his new play 'If Only' which focuses on The...
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Night Waves - The Wasp Factory
Wed 19 Jun 2013
Philip Dodd goes to the V&A to speak to Hari Kunzru about his new work, and discusses...
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Free Thinking in the Summer
Tue 18 Jun 2013
BBC Radio 3's annual Free Thinking festival of ideas hits the road this summer as it...
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Night Waves - Conor McPherson
Mon 17 Jun 2013
Matthew Sweet talks to Conor McPherson about his new play The Night Alive, working his...
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Night Waves - Neil Gaiman
Thu 13 Jun 2013
Anne McElvoy talks to Neil Gaiman, prolific award-winning author of novels for adults...
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Night Waves - Joss Whedon
Wed 12 Jun 2013
Samira Ahmed talks to Joss Whedon, creator of the cult TV hit Buffy The Vampire whose...
