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 ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
Episodes to download
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Free Thinking - Sound Frontiers: Books of 1946
Thu 29 Sep 2016
Benjamin Markovits, Lara Feigel and Kevin Jackson discuss the best fiction of 1946
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Free Thinking - Sound Frontiers: Success debated by Peter Frankopan, Edith Hall, Kwame Kwei-Armah
Thu 29 Sep 2016
Anne McElvoy & guests on Success, subject for debate on the Third Programme back in 1967
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Free Thinking: Sound Frontiers: People Power
Thu 29 Sep 2016
Philip Dodd and guests discuss Clement Attlee's legacy, people power and cultural tastes.
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Free Thinking: Medieval Manuscripts. Emma Donoghue.
Thu 22 Sep 2016
Author of Room talks to Matthew Sweet about starvation and sainthood in her new novel
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Free Thinking: American Power? Suzan-Lori Parks. Gary Younge. Abstract Expressionism.
Wed 21 Sep 2016
Pulitzer prize winning American dramatist Suzan-Lori Parks. William Boyd on American art.
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Free Thinking: Shelina Janmohamed. Edward Ardizzone's Art. Jewish identity in fiction
Tue 20 Sep 2016
Shelina Janmohamed explores "Generation M". Plus Edward Ardizzone's daughter on his art.
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Free Thinking: Energy and Landscape: Edward Burtynsky, Ella Hickson
Thu 15 Sep 2016
Photographer Edward Burtynsky, playwright Ella Hickson & experts on energy policy debate.
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Free Thinking - Thames Estuary Festival, Jatinder Verma, Arne Næss
Wed 14 Sep 2016
From Dickens, wartime defences to Doctor Who - Matthew Sweet explores the Thames Estuary.
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Proms Poetry Competition
Wed 14 Sep 2016
Judges Ian McMillan, Jackie Kay & Judith Palmer are joined on stage by the winning poets.
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Free Thinking - Aphra Behn. 1066 and the South Coast. Mark Thompson
Tue 13 Sep 2016
Playwright, poet, spy. Anne McElvoy on Aphra Behn at the RSC. And a festival marking 1066
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Proms Extra: Capability Brown: Anna Pavord
Wed 7 Sep 2016
Anna Pavord considers the landscapes created by 'Capability' Brown - born 300 years ago
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Proms Extra: The Great Fire of London
Wed 7 Sep 2016
Historians Adrian Tinniswood and Tom Charlton look at London in ruins in September 1666.
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Proms Extra: Tagore
Thu 1 Sep 2016
Novelist Tahmima Anam and Preti Taneja join Rana Mitter to explore the writing of Tagore.
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Proms Extra: Germany East and West
Tue 30 Aug 2016
Novelist Philip Kerr and historian Karen Leeder look at Leipzig in 1989 and Germany now.
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Proms Extra: Devils and Paganini
Wed 24 Aug 2016
Rev Richard Coles and poet Imtiaz Dharker on the Devil in Christian and Islamic cultures.
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Proms Extra: Shakespeare – Actors and Acting
Tue 23 Aug 2016
Actor Michael Pennington continues our series on professions in Shakespeare's plays.
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Proms Extra: Shakespeare - Sheep and Shepherds
Mon 22 Aug 2016
Shakespeare's depiction of shepherds discussed by James Rebanks and Dr Emma Smith.
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Proms Interval: What's In A Name?
Sun 14 Aug 2016
Sophie Coulombeau reflects on what history can tell us about Naming the Baby
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Proms Extra: HG Wells: Stephen Baxter and Dr Sarah Dillon
Tue 9 Aug 2016
Author Stephen Baxter and Sarah Dillon on space and time in HG Wells, born 150 years ago.
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Proms Extra: Shakespeare - Shipwrecks and Sea Captains
Wed 3 Aug 2016
The sea and shipwrecks in Shakespeare discussed by sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
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Proms Extra: George Eliot in Germany
Wed 3 Aug 2016
Novelist Patricia Duncker and Clare Walker-Gore on George Eliot and German culture.
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Proms Extra: Shakespeare - Law and Lawyers
Tue 2 Aug 2016
What did Shakespeare know of the law? Geoffrey Robertson QC talks to Anne McElvoy.
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Proms Extra: Shakespeare - Religion and Clerics
Mon 1 Aug 2016
Religion and clerics in Shakespeare considered by Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London.
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Proms Extra: Shakespeare - Soldiers and War
Thu 28 Jul 2016
Colonel Tim Collins & Professor Emma Smith consider Soldiers & War in Shakespeare's plays
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Proms Extra: The Politics of Shaving with Shahidah Bari,
Tue 26 Jul 2016
Facial Fuzz: A short back-and-sided history with Kathryn Hughes and Alun Withey
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Proms Extra:Henry James and Italy
Mon 25 Jul 2016
Novelist Philip Hensher and Professor Philip Horne explore Henry James in Italy.
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Proms Extra: Charlotte Brontë: Gregory Tate talks to Joanne Harris & Claire Harman
Tue 19 Jul 2016
Hear Charlotte Brontë's biographer Claire Harman & Yorkshire-born novelist Joanne Harris
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Proms Lecture: Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Mon 18 Jul 2016
Frank Cottrell-Boyce on the cultural legacy of the 2012 Olympics and the role of the arts
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Free Thinking - Rio, addiction, and saying the unsayable
Thu 14 Jul 2016
Anne McElvoy looks ahead to the Rio Olympics discussing Brazilian culture.
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Free Thinking - War: Tear Gas. New Generation Thinker Anindya Raychaudhuri on the Spanish Civil War. Iraq.
Wed 13 Jul 2016
Philip Dodd discusses war and modern memory.