2022-10-25
Clang on!
I am often fascinated by what I hear on Arts
Updating
Description
Leading artists, writers, thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives & links between past & present and new academic research. Broadcast as Free Thinking Tues – Thurs 10pm on BBC Radio 3 + Proms Plus events
Apple Podcasts: Customer Reviews
2021-11-02
Declined
Lawrence Scott is incredibly banal and his episodes are uninteresting and the questions shallow. Added to this his voice is beyond irritating.
2021-05-02
Great range
I really enjoy the breadth of topics discussed, the varied guests, and the new thinking. A refreshing diversity of ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds, and contemporary issues. Perhaps a little dry at times, and still probably a little too middle-class academic to be truly inclusive, but a better effort than many others.
2020-10-12
Always interesting and topical; regularly brilliant.
This is surely the best and most improving podcast I listen to, and I listen to quite a lot of podcasts. It does depend a bit on the presenter - to my mind the best are those who have a bit of humour as well as an awe-inspiring breadth of knowledge, like Rana Mitter and Matthew Sweet. But they are all at least good. For me, what is best about this programme is that it at least feels like you are keeping abreast of everything that is happening in culture and academe, and for the most part in an entertaining way. Plus fans of this programme are treated as a community, which encourages you to stay interested.
2020-09-25
Wide ranging & always interesting
Delightfully constructed, beautifully written, and always packed full of great guests with a great range and depth of knowledge and insight. Wonderful. Matthew Sweet presents immaculately, too.
2020-03-09
Jewish Identity
Would have been good to have had a left wing voice on the Jewish Identity episode
2020-03-03
XR & the end of the world
Disappointing that extreme and non-mainstream views of XR were not properly challenged.
2019-11-23
Mill on the Floss Discussion was fantastic!
More like this please and particularly readings by Fiona Shaw - just perfect for an autumnal afternoon
2019-07-03
Marinaded
Philip Dodd overworks the word ‘marinaded’. He is incapable of getting through an interview without throwing it in. I find this irritating. I find myself listening out for it as if it’s a codeword in some clandestine wartime broadcast.
2019-05-16
Greatest podcast
So reliable for interesting and informative and surprising insights.
2019-04-30
Rana Mitter
Rana Mitter, besides being one of the smartest Oxford academics, has a great radio voice.
2019-04-09
Something for everyone
Wide ranging topics and ideas with different presenters who all bring something to the shows. Shahida Bari has some crazy smarts and is delightfully charming too. I hope to see her on BBC4 one day with her own show. A face for Radio she has, not.
2019-03-03
Brilliant, on occasion
I find this podcast to be a little bit and miss, but the Philip Dodd episodes are generally the most intellectually stimulating. They have a knack for tapping into the zeitgeist, and coming up with surprising and sometimes daring ways of thinking about culture today.
2018-05-23
Philip Dodd - is infuriating
Philip Dodd does not conduct an interview he just pushes points he believes in and concedes nothing. He interrupts often, he is dismissive and laughs in a patronising way very often when the guest makes a point.
2018-05-18
Some great podcasts but Philip Dodd is unbearable at times
Philip Dodd is a bloody wind up to listen to, he shouldn’t be hosting podcasts. But still some very interesting shows here
2018-03-03
Free Thinking
The presenters Anne McElvoy, Rana Mitter, Philip Dodd, and Matthew Sweet are great.
They are aided no doubt by a surgically precise production team doing a grand job in all their subjects. Dodd's interrogation of Steven Pinker recently being a highlight and the episode with Tariq Ali was a delight. Brava and Bravo to all
2018-01-20
All hail Matthew Sweet
I love this podcast. I am constantly astonished and impressed by the breadth of Matthew Sweet's cultural and historical references. The fact that he does it all in a Yorkshire accent is even better.
2017-12-17
Brilliant
Very informative and challenging intellectually. Radio 3 at its best- very strong set of hosts especially Phillip Dodds who should be a national treasure as he asks questions that really probe his subjects and is persistent in going where others quail. Anne McElvoy also stands out but whole team are super.
2017-11-16
Varied, interesting and often challenging discussion
Go on, have a listen
2017-07-20
Night Waves (as was)
Consistently brilliant and challenging. A real pleasure to listen to and great credit to the BBC. I cannot recommend highly enough.
2017-06-05
Stimulating.
Every epsiode will leave you wanting to impress your friends with your new knowledge.
2017-04-09
P/cast Junkie
Excellent programmes. Full of worthwhile listening.
2011-11-25
Great, and listen to feedback too!
Fascinating series. Loved so many of them. Shame when I downloaded the Susie Orbach lecture it wasn't her: it was the Chakraborrty one again Any chance of the right one being put up, please?
Update: small bug was fixed in less than 24 hours. Brilliant, thank you Five stars.
2011-11-02
Good weekly arts podcast
Well worth listening to; interesting and tout provoking discussions & interviews.
2011-08-26
An art programe shouldn't talk about unkind political subject.
I don't agree your idea about Aie Weiwei. No one like him in China because his art is indecent and he is absolutely not famous artist. I personally don't like him very much and I think it has been becoming a tool for some people to against China. We call his art "roguish art" and I found the opinion is this podcast is very unkindly political to agaist my country and this suppose to be an art podcast and it shouldn't talk about those content that is so political.
2010-06-24
R3 arts podcast
Quite simply the best arts podcast on iTunes. Fascinating interviews and subject matter. Listen now!
2007-08-31
A very good podcast
Very good content and quality. Varied subjects. Something to look forward to.
2006-08-02
Muriel's Spark
This is a dynamite podcast!
Thank goodness for the decision to keeps the full interview. Muriel is so interesting at full length.