BBC Radio 3 Feed

On Interviewing Tony Benn

2014-03-14T15:53:35+00:00

It’s no great boast to say you met Tony Benn. Tony Benn wanted to meet everyone, and must have come somewhere near achieving it. By the end of his life, the warm feeling between him and the British public was mutual. That wasn’t always the case: some of those paying posthumous tribute now once considered him the enemy within. This country, I suppose, always prefers its rebels in retrospect. Perhaps, when his MI5 file is declassified, it will allow historians to assess the sincerity of these remarks.

Benn’s life was spent in a long embrace with the Labour Party - which was sometimes loving, and sometimes had a touch of the Reichenbach Falls. He belonged to a tradition of English radicalism that could trace its roots back to the Civil War – quite separate from the Marxist one that gave Labour its ideological framework. It was a distinction he observed when writing about his greatest political hero, the seventeenth-century social reformer Gerrard Winstanley. (“England is not a free people,” wrote Winstanley, “till the poor that have no land have a free allowance to dig.”) Benn drew out the distinction again in his last volume of published diaries, which was the pretext for our conversation in November.

Veteran politician Tony Benn shares his views on being portrayed as a 'national treasure'

He’d recently moved into a flat off London’s Bayswater Road, into which was crammed the evidence of his political and personal life. The faces of old allies and old enemies – most of whom he had outlived – gazed down from the spines of their memoirs. Under his chair was a copy of Game of Thrones, the spine uncracked. (It scarcely seemed his cup of tea.) By his television was a VHS of The Proud Valley (1940) – the Ealing studios picture in which Paul Robeson plays an American sailor who finds work in a mining community in the Rhondda Valley. It was Benn’s favourite film. He would, I suspect, have loved it all the more had wartime restrictions not put paid to the ending of the original script – in which the miners take control of the pit from its owners and run it as a syndicalist co-operative.

He wasn’t the easiest person to interview: he gathered up what he wanted from a question and used its material to move to a subject of his own choosing. But those manoeuvres could be telling. I remember his firm, but polite refusal to discuss the future he had imagined for this country as a young man. Anyone who was once young can answer this question, but he wouldn’t be drawn - I think because the answer might have made him sound like a Utopianist or a failure. It was probably a wise decision. Some of the strongest images of Benn come from the TV footage of him absorbing the news that he has lost the 1981 Labour Party deputy leadership contest by one per cent of the vote. He did not want this to be his defining moment. And he may yet win that battle with posterity – leaving behind the image of a man who spent his last years encouraging us to use the powers granted to us by democracy – and taking that message from platform to platform, and person to person.

Matthew Sweet

Visit the Free Thinking homepage

Free Thinking 2013 at Sage Gateshead - day two

2013-10-27T17:04:03+00:00

Ian McMillan warms up the crowd for 'The Verb' at Free Thinking 2013

Music Matters

What was my first reaction on seeing the panel for Music Matters on Saturday? Exasperation and disappointment. The topic is 'Who's really in charge of today's music world?' and five people on the podium, four of them men. Thank goodness for hard-hitting composer's advocate Susanna Eastburn, CEO of Sound and Music. Particularly interesting was learning from Gabriel Prokofiev of the practical problems facing someone wanting to break out of the traditional mould of classical presentation. From funding to audience involvement, there was abundant material for in-depth discussion here and it was a shame not to have an extended edition of the programme for this live broadcast and time for some audience questions as well. Listen to or download the programme on the Radio 3 web site.

Controlling Moods and Minds: Depression and Smart Drugs

Very well-moderated by Rana Mitter, this was my highlight of the Free Thinking Festival so far. A thought-provoking discussion of a topic touching the lives of many. Having the journalist and author Clare Allan on the panel as well as two medical experts, gave a valued and refreshingly honest insight from someone who has dealt with issues of mental health. Anyone considering taking 'smart drugs' to enhance their brainpower should make sure they catch the comments from Professor Barbara Sahakian on this programme. Her answer to whether she'd take them herself certainly surprised audience and panel alike.

How on Earth can we cope with less?

I'd never really considered the implications of what 'scarcity' means in a sense wider than not being able to buy the shoes or concert tickets I want because they are out of stock or sold out! Free Thinking always provides an opportunity to delve into something out of our 'comfort zone' and this discussion epitomised that principle. Considering such matters as: whether scarcity can be liberating, or whether it can legitimise a set of ideological processes with three eminent university professors on the platform is one guaranteed way to rouse the lesser-used parts of one's brain. However as often happens at Free Thinking, the killer quote came from our presenter Philip Dodd by way of Godot: "What do we do now we are happy?" Well worth a listen at 10pm on 31st October.

Words and Music

Always one of my favourite Radio 3 programmes and always a highlight when there is a chance to watch a live recording of this juxtaposition of a myriad of composers, writers, styles and emotions. Excellent performances from musicians and readers alike, with an especially familial contribution from Inspector Morse star Kevin Whately, his wife Madelaine Newton and their mezzo-soprano daughter Kitty Whately - a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. Combine that with folk maestra Kathryn Tickell and the Leonore Piano Trio; throw in Shakespeare, Sondheim, Shostakovich and much more... go and listen this afternoon at 5.30pm or later on-demand.

The Verb: Letting go is good for you

Ian McMillan should be declared a National Treasure and 'The Verb' made compulsory listening for all GCSE English students. This romp through the English language is even more fun when you can be at a live recording. Audience participation – we had to practise really hard and woe betide us when we got it wrong – evocative ballads from singer/songwriter Nadine Shah, a poem written while we listened by Kate Fox and much more. This celebration of the power of words perfectly rounded off a day of intense, challenging, provocative and fun Free Thinking. One last day on Sunday, bring it on! Listen next Friday at 10pm.

Free Thinking 2013 at Sage Gateshead - day one

2013-10-26T16:05:22+00:00

Rosalind Porter is our regular Free Thinking guest blogger. She's in Gateshead for the 2013 festival and is going to bring us a daily blog post rounding up the intellectual action.

Once again it is time to wake up the little grey cells and head to Sage Gateshead for a feast of Free Thinking. This year's theme is ‘Who's in control?" and ironically our speaker for the Free Thinking Lecture – the internationally renowned medical researcher, Sir Michael Marmot – demonstrated how easy it is for us to lose control of our own lives, by being delayed due to train problems.

However, it was well worth the wait to hear Sir Michael's thoughts on the question: 'self control - the key to a long life?" He started by giving us some truly shocking statistics demonstrating social inequality in health and a quote: 'social injustice kills on a grand scale" which certainly made an instant impact on a packed Hall 2 audience. It was revealing to learn from him how the process of social disempowerment – in other words, not having the self control to influence our lives - drastically affected the health of diverse communities in different but equally devastating ways.

Without doubt the most inspiring part of Sir Michael's lecture was discovering how social empowerment can be facilitated in practical terms and the strikingly positive results that such plans will have. I especially appreciated the story of the impoverished self-employed Indian women selling vegetables by the side of the roads. How a few basic steps such as ensuring fair prices for growers and sellers, setting up a credit union and providing child care for their children enabled the women to dramatically improve their health and wellbeing. Ably demonstrating another of Sir Michael's beliefs that: "Poverty is not destiny" and that empowerment for women is vital for improving health in poorer countries.

It was easy to be swept along with the optimism of Sir Michael's philosophy of social action for improving health and presenter Philip Dodd tried his best to be a Sancho Panza to Sir Michael's ever enthusiastic Don Quixote, but without much success. This fascinating lecture was an excellent opener to what looks like a lively, challenging and entertaining BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking weekend. Download the lecture on the Radio 3 web site.

Rosalind Porter

Today's viewing from Free Thinking at The Sage Gateshead

2012-11-04T12:18:49+00:00

Rosalind Porter is a Radio 3 Listener Blogger

Whatever the weather, wherever you are - do come along to The Sage Gateshead today for the final frantic round of Free Thinking events. But even if you prefer to stay at home in the warm - there's plenty of Free Thinking to be cogitated on via the Live Video Stream. Today features a debate on Islam and Christianity; Billy Elliot screenwriter and playwright Lee Hall; Mark Pagel on the future of Evolution and Humanity; and don't forget the little green men... Aliens - The Ultimate Them and Us! Plenty of food for thought to warm up the little grey cells. Watching the live stream is the only way to experience the whole unedited version of each programme ... visualised radio at its very best.

If you are a Words and Music regular listener than tonight's broadcast will be unmissable, and if you aren't, well shame on you - but do tune in at 6.30pm on BBC Radio 3 for a melange of surprising bedfellows. A brass band and a chamber music ensemble on the same platform, two of Britain's finest actors, a charismatic soprano singing repertoire from Purcell to Cole Porter with a diversion to Poulenc along the way? It could only be one of a Words and Music's inimitable journey. We all had such fun at the recording last night!

What makes good radio viewing?

2012-11-03T15:33:15+00:00

Music Matters panel: (l to r) Paul Morley, Zoe Martlew, Tom Service, Kathryn Tickell, Graham Vick

Rosalind Porter is a Radio 3 Listener Blogger.

It has been an interesting morning so far, snuggled up near a warm radiator, my laptop on my knees with the Free Thinking guide beside me. I'm starting to quickly form an impression in my own mind of what works and what doesn't with live streaming. Overall it seems to be important to remember that this is described as 'visualised radio' rather than an on-the-cheap version of television. To give some background to the technical set-up: for each event there is one manned camera and two robot cameras, backed up behind the scenes with a team of three people to vision mix, operate captions and direct/produce the live stream. So obviously the results that viewers are seeing on their laptops are influenced by the resources available. For example, it isn't possible to have members of the audience asking questions on camera.

Certainly, the highlight of this morning was the conversation between Philip Dodd and Colm Toibin. It was naturally easy for the cameras to focus on what was important at each moment and also be ready to capture the various 'special' incidents during the programme. This was followed by two programmes in the presenter-and-panel discussion format, posing similar issues for live streaming one might say, but surprisingly it turned out not to be the case. In 'Is Social Mobility Overrated?' one had a lively panel with a wide range of opinions, but the frequently heated and animated discussion was exceptionally well controlled by presenter Anne McElvoy; she ensured that each panellist had their time to make points, clamped down on the over-verbose and I would imagine made the lives of those involved in filming and direction much easier as the camera could concentrate on whoever was making a point at the time, with group shots to gauge general reaction. It was a fascinating discussion covering a wide range of subjects from education to inherited wealth and one came away mentally buzzing at the suggestions - some highly controversial - which were made.

However the opposite seemed to be the case in 'Music Matters' where presenter Tom Service in my opinion didn't seem to exercise such control, allowed panellists to talk over each other or interrupt - which definitely made the job of visualising the debate much harder given the resources and perhaps resulted in a less satisfactory experience for the live stream viewer. Perhaps rather like the efforts to make classical music accessible, the general effect was disorientating. I seem to remember we had a similar debate last year at Free Thinking and I'm rather disappointed that nothing new actually arose from the discussion. Particularly that one never gets to hear from those to whom classical music is supposed to be reaching out. Why no teenager on the panel who has never been to a symphony concert, to find out from the horse's mouth what puts them off, or on the opposing side a member of a youth orchestra to discover how they were captivated by the world of classical music? Rather than being truly enterprising, apart from some excellent ideas from opera producer Graham Vick, it turned out the "same old, same old".

Do please comment on your impressions of the streaming, and this morning's debates.

Watching Colm Toibin - Free Thinking's Books at Breakfast

2012-11-03T15:02:37+00:00

Philip Dodd (left) and Colm Toibin. Photo: BBC

This live streaming webcast was an absolutely brilliant programme. It immediately reminded me of the old style culture programmes one would get on TV years ago with the inimitable Huw Weldon's 'Monitor': One interviewer - in this case Night Waves' Philip Dodd and one single subject - the Irish writer Colm Toibin. No frills, no fills, simply two people in discussion.

There's no doubt that this interview will make a fine radio programme when it is broadcast on BBC Radio on 6^th December at 10pm, but the additional bonus of watching on the live stream was observing the mannerisms of Colm Toibin: After completing the answer to a question or when he obviously felt that an issue had been analysed enough, he'd look quickly down at the floor, an emphatic gesture that signalled that segment was over, so let's move on. His passion for words and opinions was mirrored in the intensity of his facial expressions, something which the excellent cameraman quickly focussed on. In a way it was like watching a musician or actor on stage, yet there could be no doubting his sincerity.

Often when authors read their own work out loud, it has the unfortunate impression of an adult version of 'Listen with Mother' yet with Colm Toibin the impression was more of a dramatic soliloquy or the skilled recitation of a poem. Toibin's prose has a constant ebb and flow with such a great empathy for the sounds of words - he personally mentioned his love of words like 'misfits' and 'malcontents' - a skill best described in my view as an innate musicality. Combined with the passion of his speaking one could sense the live audience and indeed Philip Dodd being almost enchanted by the lyricism and pure power of the prose passages. I loved the description of Colm Toibin's local Irish countryside near Wexford and even more the almost beatific look the author had on his face whilst describing and discussing it.

I found myself envying the students he teaches in New York; there could be no doubt that Mr Toibin is an inspiring teacher; he's also an inspiring communicator and this was a most evocative hour in his company. Unmissable.

Rosalind Porter is a Radio 3 Listener Blogger

Listen to Mary Robinson's Free Thinking Keynote Address

Visit the Free Thinking website and watch the video streams

Full details of Radio 3's Night Waves programmes

Blogging on ... to the Free Thinking video stream

2012-11-03T12:31:51+00:00

Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson. Photo © BBC

Radio 3 Listener Blogger Rosalind Porter reports from Free Thinking 2012 at The Sage Gatehead

Once again the foyers and halls are bustling with thinkers and there's a major new innovation to bring more people into the live experience: many of the sessions are streamed live on the Radio 3 website. If you can't be in Gateshead to share your thoughts in person, then you can watch online, and you can let Radio 3 know your impressions - positive or negative - by commenting on this Blog. Does the live streaming add to your enjoyment of the Festival? Does a visual image distract from events which are produced as radio programmes? Does watching the live streams make you more likely to listen to the broadcasts on radio? I'm going to be providing some blogs on both the internet and live experience this weekend and all feedback is very welcome.

Last night kicked off with a live broadcast of In Tune, providing a smorgasbord of contributors who will be sharing their views over the weekend, combined with the usual diverse mix of music and musicians ranging from BBC Radio 3 Young Generation Artists Leonard Elschenbroich (cello) and Alexei Grynyuk (piano) to local folk music maestro Alistair Anderson and his band. Having a live audience adds a certain frisson to any radio broadcast and presenter Sean Rafferty certainly seemed to relish our presence. The excellent Voices of Hope Choir under the direction of Simon Fidler, provided a heartfelt a cappella contribution including a very apt rendition of 'When the Boat comes in' and an intense performance of Bruckner's moving Ave Maria. But my personal highlight had to be the pairing of Leonard and Alexei and their interpretation of Debussy's cello sonata. Several members of the audience around me commented on the impressive fact that Leonard performed all of his pieces from memory, something which wouldn't normally be picked up if we were simply listening at home as usual.

Hopefully many In Tune listeners will have been inspired by the wise words of Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, to listen to her Free Thinking Lecture later in the evening, and there was a real treat in hearing the author Colm Toibin read an extract from his latest book The Testament of Mary, such evocative and musical prose gave an enticing preview to his interview this Saturday morning, which I'll be commenting on later.

Drama of the Free Thinking Drama ...

2012-11-02T15:31:09+00:00

Broadcasting live radio drama is a seat-of-the-pants exercise. Producer Kate Rowland describes what goes in to this Sunday's Free Thinking Drama from Gateshead's Baltic Exchange ...

Each year the Freethinking drama does two things to me, it gives me a huge creative adrenalin rush, and in equal measure makes me tense, (one with childcare scenarios that rival Heath Robinson constructions, and two with the classic production nightmare where you stand on stage, and absolutely nothing happens.

However this year's drama penned by the brilliant poet and writer Simon Armitage is all going to plan. Like the holiday countdown - passport, tickets, money - with live drama you go script, actors, venue, script, actors, audience. So far so good.

The Torchbearers deals with Simon's fascination with this year's Olympic torch runners, the ordinary men and women on the sidelines of the media circus. Who were they? and what drove them? What's great about the Freethinking drama is the immediacy of the collaboration with the writer, as you are asking them to write about something that is in the ether, that has got under their skin, and that will provoke the audience both in the venue and listening at home to think about how they feel and what it triggers in them.

In creating the characters of Paula, Ray, Colin, Spencer and Chloe, Simon has brought a range of characters to life who surprise and shock us with their behaviour. You think you know someone only to discover that not everything is what it appears to be. But to make a drama work you need actors that can truly inhabit someone else's world. And how lucky are we to have the most fantastic cast to do just that. It is so rare that you are able to cast your ideal but in this case with Kevin Whately, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Benton, Christopher Connel and Philippa Wilson we have the perfect group of strangers, who will bring this new world into being. The Baltic is a wonderful venue to work in as you are surrounded by the most inspiring artworks and the team there are so welcoming. Paul Cargill, the studio manager, has done every Freethinking Drama with me and so knows my foibles! Because when it comes to it we only have a day and a half to rehearse with the actors before we go live on R3 on Sunday November 4^that 9.00pm, making sure that both the emotional journey and all the technical effects works together .

Everyone involved with the Free Thinking Festival and the production team have all been so supportive, so now it's up to me to make sure that we create the most compelling listen.

Free Thinking online and in living colour

2012-10-31T14:47:29+00:00

Free Thinking, Radio 3's annual festival of ideas, is this weekend. It starts on Friday evening with a special In Tune, live from The Sage Gateshead, and the festival goes on all weekend, covering dozens of big issues. The theme this year is 'them and us'.

The band of interesting, provocative speakers and debaters booked to entertain you this year include: writer and thinker Amos Oz, correspondent Kate Adie, novelist Philippa Gregory, campaigning journalist Polly Toynbee, evolutionary scientist Mark Pagel and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson. There are dozens more. Read the whole programme on the Radio 3 web site.

And the big online story this year is that we're streaming live video from the festival all weekend. Free Thinking has always been a vivid live event in a physical venue in the real world. It's now also a live event in your study or your kitchen or your living room, wherever you happen to live.

Fourteen sessions, starting with that special edition of In Tune on Friday and going right through Saturday and Sunday, will be streamed in vivid colour on the Radio 3 web site. Join us. It'll be amazing.

And we'll be tweeting and updating the Facebook page throughout, of course. If you're watching the live stream or if you're coming to The Sage Gateshead, use the hashtag #freethinking.

Steve Bowbrick, Head of Interactive, BBC Radio 3

Follow @BBCRadio3 on Twitter for updates and insights from the festival throughout. The hashtag is #freethinking.
Bookmark the Free Thinking homepage for the live stream.
Check the times of live streamed sessions in the schedule (PDF).

Introducing Free Thinking 2012

2012-07-25T16:00:01+00:00

Radio 3 Producer Tim Prosser reveals the plans for this year's Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival

We're delighted to announce that the Free Thinking Festival will be returning to The Sage, Gateshead in November for a packed weekend of debate, talks and performance (Friday 2 Nov - Sunday 4 Nov) and three weeks of stimulating broadcasts on Radio 3.

This year's opening lecture will be given by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Now in its seventh year, Free Thinking is a platform for today's innovative and high-profile thinkers from politics, literature, science and the arts, brought together by Radio 3 to debate the ideas shaping our lives. This year's theme is 'Them and Us' and we'll be asking if the world is becoming a more divided place, discussing social inequality, difference and how we define ourselves in relation to others. Key speakers already lined up include Amos Oz, Michael Ignatieff, Philippa Gregory, Tony Harrison, Mona Siddiqui, Colm Toibin, Tom Holland and Lee Hall.

All events are free and we hope you'll want to come to Norman Foster's fabulous concert hall on the banks of the Tyne and join in the debate. Plus there'll be poetry, music and drama. We'll be announcing lots more names in the coming weeks, so do check The Sage, Gateshead website for updates. Free tickets will be available from Friday 17 August.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, will be arguing that female leaders are better placed than men to confront the crises of the 21^st Century.

Amos Oz, one of Israel's leading writers, challenges our thinking about the seemingly implacable Middle East divide.

Ian Goldin, former Vice President of the World Bank and now Oxford Professor of Globalisation, questions whether globalisation is a force for good, or the source of an ever more unequal and risky world.

Michael Ignatieff - broadcaster, academic and former Leader of the Liberal Party in Canada, tackles partisanship in politics. Why do politicians treat opponents as enemies, and what needs to be done to restore people's faith in politics?

Mark Pagel, Head of Evolution Laboratory at the University of Reading, explains why we have evolved with so many different languages and cultures. Does the future mean greater diversity, or will humans now evolve to speak a universal language?

Simon Armitage is writing a new drama for Free Thinking to be performed at Baltic and broadcast live on Radio 3.

Irish writer Colm Toibin (Brooklyn, Mothers and Sons) and best-selling historical novelist Philippa Gregory (The Boleyn Girl, The White Queen) discuss their work and ideas in the festival's Books at Breakfast

Muslim theologian Mona Siddiqui and historian Tom Holland discuss what divides Islam and Christianity, and how that impacts upon the world today.

Ian McMillan presents his cabaret of word - Radio 3's The Verb - with guests including Kate Mosse, Don Patterson, and Tony Harrison, who will perform his poem 'Them and Uz'. Plus live music by the Sunderland band The Lake Poets.

The winners of Radio 3's New Generation Thinker Scheme - the search to find the brightest new academic voices with a talent for broadcasting - will discuss their latest research and take part in Speed Dating with a Thinker, where the public can meet them face to face.

Sean Rafferty will host Radio 3's In Tune with live music and guests. Tom Service presents a live edition of Radio 3's Music Matters.

You can book FREE TICKETS from Friday 17 August at www.thesagegateshead.org or call 0191 443 4661. Keep checking for regular updates on new speakers and events. There will be over thirty events over the three days, so plenty to choose from!

To request a free festival brochure email us at freethinking@bbc.co.uk

Listen to previous Free Thinking broadcasts