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 - Syrian buildings. Judging Book Prizes. Georgian Literature
Thu 14 Apr 2016
Anne McElvoy talks to architect Marwa Al-Sabouni about Syria's built environment.
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British Conceptual Art.
Wed 13 Apr 2016
Philip Dodd talks to artist Bruce McLean about British Conceptual Art on show at Tate.
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Jonathan Coe and Richard Cameron on stage at Birmingham Rep
Tue 12 Apr 2016
Matthew Sweet talks to Jonathan Coe about the first stage production of The Rotter's Club
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Free Thinking - Economics: Liam Byrne, John Redwood, Luke Johnson, Juliet Michaelson and Matt Wolf
Thu 7 Apr 2016
Anne McElvoy considers new books from Thomas Piketty and Yanis Varoufakis.
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Free Thinking - Saki. Ria Sattouf. Anders Lustgarten. ‘A Thing’
Wed 6 Apr 2016
Rana Mitter talks to playwright Anders Lustgarten & rereads Saki's satirical stories.
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Evelyn Waugh.
Tue 5 Apr 2016
Bryony Lavery, Alexander Waugh, Philip Eade and Adam Mars-Jones celebrate Evelyn Waugh
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Free Thinking: Light: Ann Wroe, Dan Flavin, Blackpool Illuminations, The Sun.
Thu 31 Mar 2016
Ann Wroe joins Anne McElvoy for an exploration of light from Blackpool to the South Downs
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Nationalisms: Jerry Brotton, Elif Shafak, John Breuilly
Wed 30 Mar 2016
Jerry Brotton talks to Rana Mitter about Elizabethan England and the Islamic World.
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Suits. Neil LaBute
Thu 24 Mar 2016
Shahidha Bari explores the history of suits with Anne McElvoy. Plus dramatist Neil LaBute
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Free Thinking - The Green Man. George Monbiot.
Wed 23 Mar 2016
Rana Mitter considers the myth of the Green Man and our relationship with Nature.
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Free Thinking – Daniel Clowes; Alan Clarke's TV career; Ken Loach tribute to Barry Hines
Tue 22 Mar 2016
Phil Davis and Clio Barnard discuss the career of director Alan Clarke.
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Free Thinking - Russia and the Arts: Julian Barnes, Roxana Silbert and Suhayla El-Bushra
Thu 17 Mar 2016
Julian Barnes reviews portaits of Russian cultural figures on show at the NPG.
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Free Thinking - Philosophy: Bryan Magee
Wed 16 Mar 2016
Matthew Sweet considers the state of philosophy today
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Free Thinking – Identity in Britain: Martin Parr.
Tue 15 Mar 2016
Photographer Martin Parr has curated a show exploring views of the UK from outsiders.
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Free Thinking – The Holy Roman Empire; Peter H Wilson, Janet Soskice, Rupert Shortt. Iranian art
Thu 10 Mar 2016
Rana Mitter reads a new history of the Holy Roman Empire & discusses Christianity today.
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Free Thinking – Javier Marias; Cervantes; Spanish politics today
Wed 9 Mar 2016
Javier Marias talks to Philip Dodd about fiction, politics & the writing of Cervantes.
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Free Thinking - International Women's Day: Hollie McNish, Emily Hall, Helen Pearson, Edwina Attlee and Ailsa Grant Ferguson
Tue 8 Mar 2016
Performance poet Hollie McNish and scientist Helen Pearson join Anne McElvoy.
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Free Thinking - Botticelli Reimagined, A New Biography of Hitler
Thu 3 Mar 2016
How German historians view Hitler now and Anne McElvoy reviews Botticelli at the V&A
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Free Thinking – Neil Jordan, The Lonely City
Tue 1 Mar 2016
Film director Neil Jordan on writing fiction. Olivia Laing explores loneliness.
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Free Thinking – Russian Culture Inwards and Outwards
Thu 25 Feb 2016
Anne McElvoy and Charles Clover on the old idea shaping contemporary Russian geopolitics.
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Free Thinking
Wed 24 Feb 2016
Karl Ove Knausgård talks to Philip Dodd in a programme looking at Scandinavia today.
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Free Thinking
Wed 24 Feb 2016
Karl Ove Knausgård talks to Philip Dodd in a programme looking at Scandinavia today.
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Free Thinking - Religion Without Belief: Buddhist thinker Stephen Batchelor; Kader Abdolah; Linda Woodhead
Tue 23 Feb 2016
Rana Mitter discusses a translation of the Qur'an & atheism in the UK & ancient Greece
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Free Thinking - Utopianism in Politics
Thu 18 Feb 2016
Is politics about building a better world, or simply the art of the possible?
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Free Thinking – Delacroix. Petain, De Gaulle. Jonathan Lynn
Wed 17 Feb 2016
Jonathan Lynn & his play about Petain & de Gaulle; Delacroix discussed by Philip Dodd
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Free Thinking – Hieronymus Bosch anniversary
Tue 16 Feb 2016
Tom Shakespeare joins Matthew Sweet in Holland for an exhibition marking Bosch 1450-1516.
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Free Thinking – Screaming Lord Sutch on Stage. Margaret McMillan. Artificial Neural Networks.
Thu 11 Feb 2016
Playwright James Graham discusses his new comedy which puts Screaming Lord Sutch on stage
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Dadaism's 100th anniversary.
Tue 9 Feb 2016
Matthew Sweet looks at the founding of the Dada movement 100 years ago.
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Free Thinking - Dadaism's 100th anniversary
Tue 9 Feb 2016
Matthew Sweet looks at the founding of the Dada movement 100 years ago.