Free Thinking

Latest Episodes:

Free Thinking: Sound Frontiers: People Power Sep 29, 2016

Show notes

John Bew, Kwasi Kwarteng, Helen Lewis and Alison Light join Philip Dodd live in Radio 3's pop-up studio at London's Southbank Centre. In the week of the Labour party conference, when Radio 3 marks the founding of the Third Programme, which sought to disseminate the arts, by broadcasting from a building constructed as part of a people's festival, this edition of Free Thinking looks at people power, changing politics and cultural tastes and Bertold Brecht's satirical idea that we might need to elect a new people.

John Bew from King's College, London, is author of a new biography of Clement Attlee: 'Citizen Clem'.

Alison Light is the author of Common People: The History of an English Family

Kwasi Kwarteng, Conservative MP for Spelthorne, is the author of books including Ghosts of Empire and Thatcher's Trial.

Helen Lewis is deputy editor of the New Statesman.

Free Thinking: Medieval Manuscripts. Emma Donoghue. Sep 22, 2016

Show notes

Medieval illuminated manuscripts are our key to European art for hundreds of years but also to political and social movements. Christopher de Hamel, keeper of possibly the oldest gospel in the Latin world, talks to Matthew about the stories these books can tell beyond their glowing illustrations. We also visit Colour: The Art and Science of Illuminated Manuscripts, currently glowing at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum; Kylie Murray, expert on Scottish medieval literature and a New Generation Thinker, reviews the exhibition. Emma Donoghue author of 'Room' is back with a new novel and another child in claustrophobic setting. This room is an earth-floored room in mid-19th century Ireland, where a Florence Nightingale-trained nurse and 'The Wonder', a devout Irish girl, are locked in a potentially fatal battle over whether the girl is, as she claims, being fed by manna from heaven. Inspired by a historical phenomenon, 'the fasting girls', Donoghue's novel takes place on the battlefield between the forces of Victorian scientific rationalism and traditional religious belief Plus Dennis Duncan on the story of Boris Vian and a post-war best-seller in France - I Spit On Your Graves .

Emma Donoghue's novel is called The Wonder. Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is by Christopher de Hamel - who has worked for Sothebys and is Fellow and librarian at Corpus Christi College Cambridge. The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is marking its first 200 year 1816 to 2016 with an exhibition called COLOUR: The Art and Science of Illuminated Manuscripts. It runs until 30th December 2016 and includes on display the Macclesfield Psalter, an alchemical scroll, a duchess’ wedding gift, and the ABC of a five-year old princess.

Free Thinking: American Power? Suzan-Lori Parks. Gary Younge. Abstract Expressionism. Sep 21, 2016

Show notes

Pulitzer prize winning American dramatist Suzan-Lori Parks talks to Philip Dodd about putting on stage the story of a slave fighting against those seeking to abolish slavery. Journalist Gary Younge discusses American violence, gun culture and the Black Lives Matter movement. Plus Abstract Expressionism at the Royal Academy - how does this art which was used by the CIA to promote American power look today ?

Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) by Suzan-Lori Parks is at the Royal Court Theatre in London 15 Sep - 22 Oct

Abstract Expressionism is on show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London from September 24th to January 2nd.

Gary Younge's book is called Another Day In The Death of America

Frances Stonor Saunders is the author of Who Paid the Piper?: CIA and the Cultural Cold War

William Boyd is the author of many novels including one which presents a fictional biography Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928–1960

Free Thinking: Shelina Janmohamed. Edward Ardizzone's Art. Jewish identity in fiction Sep 20, 2016

Show notes

Shelina Janmohamed on the modern Muslims whom she calls "Generation M". New novels by Amos Oz, Jonathan Safran Foer and Ayelet Gundar-Goshen explore aspects of Jewish identity and the history of Israel. Jonathan Freedland discusses these with Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. Plus Alan Powers and Christianna Ardizzone, the daughter of the artist who created the "Little Tim" series of books, talk to Anne McElvoy about his war art, ceramic figures and murals for ocean liners and his illustrations for both adult and children’s' books.

The new novel from Amos Oz is called Judas. A film A Tale of Love and Darkness directed by and starring Natalie Portman from his memoir is also being released in cinemas in the USA. Jonathan Safran Foer's latest novel is called Who Am I.

Ayelet Gundar-Goshen's Waking Lions has just been published in paperback.

Jonathan Freedland is the author of Jacob’s Gift: A journey into the heart of belonging and of a series of thrillers published under his own name and the name Sam Bourne.

Shelina Janmohamed's book is called Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World

Ardizzone: A Retrospective runs at the House of Illustration in London from 23 September 2016 – 15 January 2017. Alan Powers has co-curated the exhibition and is the author of an illustrated monograph Edward Ardizzone - Artist and Illustrator.

Producer: Eliane Glaser

Free Thinking: Energy and Landscape: Edward Burtynsky, Ella Hickson Sep 15, 2016

Show notes

Large-scale photographs showing the impact of humans on urban and natural environments are discussed by Canadian artist and 2005 TED prize winner Edward Burtynsky. Ella Hickson's new play Oil, directed by Carrie Cracknell, explores the politics of this natural resource from 1889 to present day. She's in conversation with Joe Douglas, director of a Dundee Rep production of John McGrath's drama The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil which is on tour this autumn. Plus, presenter Philip Dodd is joined by analysts Peter Atherton and Jeremy Leggett to consider how we meet energy demands in the face of climate change and a rapidly rising global population.

Producer: Craig Templeton Smith

Essential Elements by Edward Burtynsky is published in hardback. His photographs Salt Pans | Essential Elements can be seen at the Flowers Gallery in Kingsland Road London from 16 September – 29 October 2016

Ella Hickson's play Oil, directed by Carrie Cracknell, runs at London's Almeida Theatre from October 7th to November 26th.

The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil is the the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh from 14th - 24th September; at Aberdeen Performing Arts from October 4th- 6th, Eden Court October 11th - 15th, at Glasgow Citizens Theatre from 18th - 22nd.

Free Thinking - Thames Estuary Festival, Jatinder Verma, Arne Næss Sep 14, 2016

Show notes

From Dickens, through wartime defences to Doctor Who - as a new festival looks at the landscape of the Thames Estuary, Matthew Sweet is joined by the author Rachel Lichtenstein and photographer Chloe Dewe Mathews. Jatinder Verma explains why a novel by Abdul Halim Sharar written in 1899 about the cult of the Assassins is relevant to put on stage now. And as the writings of Arne Næss are republished in English what was the influence of this Norwegian ecologist?

Producer: Luke Mulhall

Rachel Lichtenstein's book is called Estuary: Out from London to the Sea. She is curator of the Shorelines Literature Festival which is part of Estuary 2016. Points of Departure, curated by Gareth Evans and Sue Jones: an exhibition of new and existing work by 28 contemporary artistswhich includes photographs by Chloe Dewe Mathews. On display in the Grade II listed Tilbury Cruise Terminal

Paradise of the Assassins is the opening production at the newly refurbished Tara Arts Theatre in Earlsfield, South London where Jatinder Verma is Artistic Director. It runs from September 15th to October 8th.

The Ecology of Wisdom by Arne Næss is out now.

Free Thinking - Aphra Behn. 1066 and the South Coast. Mark Thompson Sep 13, 2016

Show notes

Playwright, poet, spy. Anne McElvoy discusses Aphra Behn with Professor Elaine Hobby and director Loveday Ingram who has given Behn's play The Rover a South American carnival setting at the RSC. Plus Iain Sinclair and Professor David Bates on the events of 1066 which changed the course of English history. And an interview with Mark Thompson, former Director General of the BBC and current Chief Executive Officer of The New York Times Company.

The Rover runs in rep at The Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon from September 8th until February 11th 2017. The Root 1066 festival runs until October 16th at a variety of venues. www.1066contemporary.com Mark Thompson is the author of Enough Said: What's Gone Wrong with the Language of Politics

Producer: Torquil MacLeod

Free Thinking - Rio, addiction, and saying the unsayable Jul 14, 2016

Show notes

Anne McElvoy looks ahead to the Rio Olympics discussing Brazilian culture with author, politics lecturer and former National Secretary for Public Security Luis Eduardo Suárez and with Dr Edward King from the University of Bristol. The RSC is exploring saying the unsayable this summer with a season of plays, Anne talks with the writer and the director of 'Fall of the Kingdom, Rise of the Foot Soldier' - Somalia Seaton and Nadia Latif. Neuroscientist Marc Lewis explains why he is convinced that addiction is a behavioural problem and not a disease. And Raqib Shaw talks about his new exhibition of self-portraits.

Rio de Janeiro: Extreme City by Luis Eduardo Suárez published by Allen Lane is out now. Digital Technologies in Argentine and Brazilian Culture by Edward King explores the use of science fiction in literature and graphic fiction from Argentina and Brazil. The Biology of Desire: why addiction is not a disease by Marc Lewis published by Scribe is out now 'Fall of the Kingdom, Rise of the Foot Soldier' runs from 27th July at the RSC in Stratford Raqib Shaw's self portraits are at the White Cube in Bermondsey until 11th September 2016.

Producer: Ruth Watts

Free Thinking - War: Tear Gas. New Generation Thinker Anindya Raychaudhuri on the Spanish Civil War. Iraq. Jul 13, 2016

Show notes

Philip Dodd explores war and modern memory with former Colonel Lincoln Jopp MC, the historians, Lloyd Clark, Anna Feigenbaum and Ana Carden-Coyne and the New Generation Thinker, Anindya Raychaudhuri.

Lloyd Clark teaches War Studies at the University of Buckingham and is writing a book on generalship.

Dr Ana Carden-Coyne is co-director of the Centre for the Cultural History of War at Manchester University.

Dr Anna Feigenbaum teaches at Bournemouth University and is currently writing Tear Gas: 100 Years in the Making.

Former Colonel Lincoln Jopp MC studied philosophy and theology at university before taking up a commission with the Scots Guards. He was decorated for gallantry in Sierra Leone and served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan before finishing his military career as assistant head of the MOD's strategy unit.

Dr Anindya Raychaudhuri is a lecturer in the School of English at the University of St Andrews and is conducting oral history research into the impact of Partition.

The New Generation Thinkers prize is an initiative launched by BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to find the brightest minds from across the UK who have the potential to transform their research into engaging broadcast programmes. You can hear more about the research topics of all 10 2016 New Generation Thinkers on our website on a programme broadcast on May 31st and available as an arts and ideas podcast and find clips where you can hear their newly commissioned written pieces on a range of subjects.

Producer: Zahid Warley

Free Thinking - Liverpool Biennial 2016 Jul 13, 2016

Show notes

Matthew Sweet and the critic, Natalie Haynes report from Liverpool where art has taken over the city. They talk to the artists, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, Betty Woodman and Krzysztof Wodiczko as well as the Biennial director, Sally Tallant and the poet and 2015 New Generation Thinker Sandeep Parmar, who is curating a literary programme for the festival.

The Liverpool Biennial runs until October 16th . Sandeep Parmar is the author of two poetry books: The Marble Orchard and Eidolon (a rewriting of Helen of Troy in modern America). Producer: Zahid Warley

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