BBC Radio 3 announces full line-up for 2014 Free Thinking Festival

Sage Gateshead: Friday 31 October – Sunday 2 November

Booking opens Monday 6 October

Now in its ninth year, BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival returns to Sage Gateshead from Friday 31 October – Sunday 2 November 2014 for a weekend of provocative debate, new ideas, live music and performance. The festival brings together high-profile figures from the worlds of arts, science, politics and literature to discuss and challenge current thinking on a range of topics, this year focusing on a theme of ‘The Limits of Knowledge’. All tickets are free to the public and will be made available on Monday 6 October. Free Thinking is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 over the weekend of 31 October – 2 November and in the three weeks following the festival. All the debates and lectures will be available as free downloads. This year’s Free Thinking Lecture is by Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s leading thinkers about religion, who argues that, in the current global situation, a recognition of how little we know is the only way to peace. A former Roman Catholic nun, Armstrong has addressed members of the US congress. She was appointed by Kofi Annan to join the United Nations group ‘The Alliance of Civilisation’ and, in 2008, won the TED prize. She is the author of more than 20 books on faith, including The Case For God and Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence. The Festival will feature this year's newly-announced BBC Radio 3 and Arts and Humanities Research Council New Generation Thinkers who will be delivering a series of essays on topics including: ‘Is Marriage an Identity Crisis?’, ‘The History of Press Censorship’, ‘The Spin Doctors of Nineteenth Century America’, ‘Beards, Whiskers and the History of Pogonotomy’ and ‘Beastly Politics’. Debate and lecture highlights throughout the weekend include: · An interview with Turkey’s bestselling female writer, Elif Shafak · ‘Antarctica: Testing Ground for the Human Species’: a discussion between writer Meredith Hooper, polar explorer Ben Saunders, research station architect Hugh Broughton and Professor Jonathan Bamber · ‘Bringing The Rich To Book – The Wealth Gap in Fact and Fiction’: author John Lanchester discusses how easy it is to understand the language of money · ‘Burning The Facts: The Link Between Lord Lucan and Joan of Arc’: author Laura Thompson (‘The Mysterious Case of Lord Lucan’) and historian and author Helen Castor (‘Joan of Arc’) discuss which historical ‘facts’ should be burned and the ways mythmaking can cloud history · ‘Knowing your Enemy: Conciliation In An Age Of Uprisings’’: Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov, conflict resolution expert Gabrielle Rifkind and journalist John Kampfner discuss protest, foreign policy, intervention and peace- making · ’Happy Talk’: Professor Paul Dolan, Dr Vincent Deary and Beatrix Campbell discuss how much self-knowledge you need to be happy · Scottish playwright David Greig in conversation with Matthew Sweet · ‘Right Thinking People – A History Of Conservative Thought’: How useful is knowledge to today’s politician? Philip Dodd is joined by writer and philosopher Roger Scruton and the Rt Hon David Willetts MP. · ‘From Flat Caps to Benefit Caps – Is A Working Class Hero Still Something To Be?’ with historian Alison Light, author David Almond, and singer-songwriter Eliza Carthy · ‘Animals: Watching Us Watching Them Watching Each Other’, with primatologist Andrew Whiten, social anthropologist, Dr Katie Slocombe from the Department of Psychology at University of York and Professor Alex Bentley of Bristol University · ‘You Must See This: Has Technology Changed Cultural Taste?’  with author Naomi Alderman, music journalist Dave Hepworth, poet Kei Miller and Prospect Magazine’s Digital Editor Serena Kutchinsky · ‘Fear or Wonder - Everything Under The Moon’ with Roger Luckhurst, Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck College, University of London, novelist Naomi Alderman and Curator of Exhibitions & Research at BALTIC, Alessandro Vincentelli. · Verb New Voices: An opportunity to meet the three Northern writers chosen in a new scheme to mentor young writers, as Matt Miller, Louise Fazackerley and John Hamilton May perform some of their work. BBC Radio 3 transports much of its weekend schedule to Sage Gateshead as part of the festival, allowing Free Thinking audiences the chance to see many of BBC Radio 3’s regular programmes being broadcast live from the venue, including Breakfast, CD Review, Saturday Classics, In Tune, Live in Concert, Music Matters, Sound of Cinema and Words and Music. All events are free to the public and tickets will be available from Monday 6 October. For further information visit www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking. BBC Radio 3’s Free Thinking Festival – Full Listings: FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER In Tune (4:15-6:30pm) Live from the Northern Rock Foundation Hall / broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 Sean Rafferty and guests launch this year’s Free Thinking Festival, with music from the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Northumbrian pipe player Alistair Anderson. Sean’s guests include Turkey’s leading female novelist, Elif Shafak, historian of religion Karen Armstrong, author David Almond and the Rt. Hon. the Lord Falconer of Thoroton. The Free Thinking Lecture (7:15-8:30pm) Hall Two/ recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 at 10pm Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s leading thinkers about religion, gives this year’s Free Thinking Lecture, arguing that, in the current global situation, a recognition of how little we know is the only way to peace. Live in Concert (7:30-c9.30pm) Hall One / live on BBC Radio 3 The Royal Northern Sinfonia is joined by emerging classical stars conductor Alexandre Bloch, and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Lise Berthaud, for this special concert, including music by Beethoven, Bruch and Prokofiev. SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER BBC Radio 3 Breakfast (7-9am) Live from Sage Concourse / Live on BBC Radio 3 Tom McKinney presents the BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Show live from the cafe. CD Review (9am-12:15am) Live from Sage Concourse / Live on BBC Radio 3 Andrew McGregor brings CD Review to Free Thinking for the first time as he presents music from the latest classical music releases and talks to musicians and critics about the performances. He is joined by baritone Sir Thomas Allen, New Castle University’s Kirsten Gibson and Scottish pianist Kenneth Hamilton. Imagining Turkey: An Interview with Elif Shafak (10:15-11:15am) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 11 November at 10pm Turkey’s bestselling female writer, Elif Shafak, has been published in more than 40 countries. Her books reflect her interest in building connections between Western and eastern traditions.  She talks to Anne McElvoy about imagination and storytelling as she publishes her new novel The Architect’s Apprentice. Antarctica: Testing Ground for the Human Species:(10:30-11:30am) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 17 November at 10pm A hundred years ago, Ernest Shackleton set out on his Trans-Antarctic Expedition which ended when his ship Endurance became trapped in pack ice.  The lure of this polar region remains strong both in our imaginations and for explorers, whether they see it as an untapped source of resources or a pristine landscape which we need to preserve.  Rana Mitter is joined by writer Meredith Hooper, polar explorer Ben Saunders, architect Hugh Broughton and Professor Jonathan Bamber. New Generation Thinker: Sophie Coulombeau (10:40-12:00pm) Is Marriage An Identity Crisis? The Barbour Room / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 5 November at 10.45pm Women are often urged to consider ‘tradition’ when deciding whether to take their husband's name, but where did that idea begin? Sophie Coulombeau from Cardiff University explains the origins of the custom and recalls dissidents who bucked the trend, from Georgian women who went to extraordinary lengths to compel men to take their names, to the early twentieth-century feminist movement the 'Lucy Stoners', who used the slogan, ‘My name is my identity and must not be lost’. Music Matters: Why Should I Care? (12:00-1pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Live on BBC Radio 3 Petroc Trelawny chairs a debate about how far knowledge can enhance our understanding and appreciation of classical music. His guests include Sir Nicholas Kenyon, Managing Director of London’s Barbican Centre, and Professor Cliff Eisen of King’s College, London. Bringing The Rich To Book – The Wealth Gap in Fact and Fiction (12:20-1:20pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 12 November at 10pm From Dickens to the dead cat bounce, fairness and the role of the FSA to fat finger mistakes, bailouts and Bitcoin – how easy is it to understand the language of money?  John Lanchester, author of the novel Capital and popular studies of the financial crisis Whoops! Why everyone owes everyone and no-one can pay and How To Speak Money, talks to Matthew Sweet. New Generation Thinker: Tiffany Watt-Smith (1:25-1:45pm) The Human Copying Machine The Barbour Room / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 3 November at 10.45pm Do you yawn when someone else does? Or inadvertently mimic other people’s accents? Today’s neuroscientists say ‘mirror neurons’ are to blame. But long before MRI scanners, Victorian psychologists also believed we were hard-wired to imitate. Tiffany Watt-Smith from Queen Mary, University of London unearths the 19^th century fascination with the ‘Human Copying Machine’, and discovers why men of science turned to the world of Victorian theatre to understand this strange phenomenon. BBC Radio 4 - Start The Week (2-3pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 3 November at 9am Anne McElvoy chairs an edition of BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week, exploring the language and morality of money from the super-rich to zombie debt with writers John Lanchester, author of How To Speak Money and Naomi Alderman, creator of the game Zombies, Run!; and journalists John Kampfner, author of The Rich: From Slaves to Super-Yachts: A 2,000 Year History and Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator and author of The Shifts and The Shocks. Saturday Classics (2:-4pm) Live from Sage Concourse / Live on BBC Radio 3 Music journalist and radio reviewer Dave Hepworth helped launch magazines including Empire, Q, Mojo, Heat and The Word. He shares his listening habits and looks at the years which have changed musical history. Burning The Facts: The Link Between Lord Lucan and Joan of Arc (2:15-3:15pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thurs 6 November at 10pm Which historical ‘facts’ should be burned on the fire? How do you comb ancient and recent times for evidence? Rana Mitter discusses the ways mythmaking can cloud history with author Laura Thompson and historian Helen Castor. New Generation Thinker: Will Abberley (3:20-3:40pm) Speech Before Words: Imagining the Evolution of Language The Barbour Room / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 11 November at 10.45pm   Where did language come from?  It's often been described as the fundamental barrier between humans and animals. However, many scientists now believe speech evolved gradually from animal communication.  Will Abberley from the University of Oxford argues that some of the most compelling efforts to picture this evolution have been in science fiction, and that these stories still impact on debates about language today. Happy Talk (3:45-4:45pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 19 November at 10pm How much self-knowledge do you need to be happy – and what are the limits to what you can achieve alone? Everybody now wants us to be happy - from governments to therapists.  Why? Philip Dodd chairs a discussion with Professor Paul Dolan, Dr Vincent Deary and Beatrix Campbell. Sound of Cinema: Breaking the Sound Barrier (3:50-5pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from 4pm Matthew Sweet presents a live edition of BBC Radio 3's film music programme, featuring composer Max Richter (Shutter Island, Waltz with Bashir, Sarah's Key,The Lunchbox), the award winning German-born musician who has gained a reputation for re-shaping sonic boundaries.  With illustrations from some of his previous scores, Max discusses his work with Matthew and they reflect on how responsive film composing has been to innovation and new ideas. Knowing your Enemy: Conciliation In An Age Of Uprisings (5:15-6:15pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 3 November at 10pm Anne McElvoy chairs a discussion exploring protest, foreign policy, intervention and peace- making with Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov, conflict resolution expert Gabrielle Rifkind and journalist John Kampfner. New Generation Thinker:  Preti Taneja (5:20-5:40pm) Shakespeare and India The Barbour Room / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday 13 November at 10.45pm India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, makes public speeches in Hindi, continuing his party's long campaign to reduce the cultural significance of English. Opponents argue though that Hindi is only one among many Indian languages, while English, whatever its colonial associations, crosses the nation's often violent communal divides. But one language challenges both sides of the argument: gibberish. Preti Taneja from Jesus College, Cambridge explores its subversive use in literature and in Shakespeare translations on the Indian stage. Playwright David Greig In Conversation with Matthew Sweet (5:30-6:30pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 18 November at 10pm David Greig’s plays have been translated and produced around the world, including the Middle East, where he has worked closely with local playwrights. His work includes Dunsinane, his sequel to Macbeth; The Events, written after hearing of the Breivik massacre in Norway; his adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and his Yes/No plays on Twitter before the Scottish referendum.  He was the National Theatre of Scotland’s first Dramaturg, and his plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 4 and Radio Scotland. New Generation Thinker : Joanna Cohen (6:40-7pm) The Spin Doctors of Nineteenth Century America The Barbour Room/ Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Friday 14 November at 10.45pm In the age of spin, few people believe that they can actually know, let alone trust, a politician. BUT such public cynicism was not always our default attitude. Embracing the emerging sciences of the age, 19^th century Americans thought they might be able to combine physiognomy- the science of reading faces - and the techniques of photography to uncover the true characters of leaders and statesmen.  Joanna Cohen from Queen Mary, the University of London explores their efforts and the lessons for voters now. New Generation Thinker: Alun Withey (7:10-7:30pm) Beards, Whiskers And The History Of Pogonotomy   The Barbour Room/ Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Friday 7 November at 10.45pm Jeremy Paxman made headlines when he grew a beard, taking his place alongside actors Jake Gyllenhaal and George Clooney, Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst, folk-rocker Marcus Mumford and hipster model Johnny Harrington. Historian Alun Withey from Exeter University says beards can shed light on a whole range of things from medicine to the military. Pogonotomy – or the art of shaving – is about more than fashion. The Verb (7:45-9pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Friday 7 November at 10pm Presenter and poet Ian McMillan presents Radio 3’s cabaret of the spoken word and new writing with guests including Dundee’s Makar Bill Herbert, the acclaimed Bridie Jackson and the Arbour, winners of the 2013 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition. And Matt Miller, one of the winners  of the ‘Verb New Voices’ Competition will be performing work inspired by growing up along the River Tyne. SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER Breakfast (7-9am) Live from Sage Concourse / Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 Tom McKinney presents BBC Radio 3 Breakfast live from the concourse of Sage Gateshead. Great music choices in the finest  performances, with listener suggestions for the Best of British music Playlist, requests for works by neglected composers and updates from amateur music-making groups. The Verb (11-12pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Friday 14 November at 10pm Join presenter and poet Ian McMillan for a Sunday morning recording of Radio 3’s programme about language. His guests include Professor Rob Colls, actor and writer Miranda Keeling, poet and playwright Peter Mortimer and ‘Verb New Voices’ winner Louise Fazackerley. The Choir (11:30-1pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 2 November at 4pm Radio 3’s The Choir returns to Free Thinking for a second year. Presenter Adam Tomlinson will be exploring the choral scene in the North East and presenting some of the best ensembles. He’ll present on-stage performances including the University College Chapel Choir of Durham University, the Newcastle upon Tyne Bach Choir and former Choir of the Year category finalists, Tees Valley Youth Choir. New Generation Thinker:  Daisy Hay (12:10-12:30pm) Disraeli the Romantic The Barbour Room/ Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday 6 November at 10.45pm Politicians talking about their private lives are a commonplace of our age. However, long before it became obligatory for aspiring statesmen and women to be photographed unloading dishwashers and eating sandwiches, Benjamin Disraeli spun a public fantasy about his private life to win votes.  Daisy Hay from Exeter University explores the way in which Disraeli invented the modern politician as a man – or woman – of feeling, and asks whether the image he projected as an emotionally in-touch everyman stemmed from fact or fiction? New Generation Thinker:  Naomi Paxton (12:40-1pm) A Stage of Their Own The Barbour Room/ Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 12 November at 10.45pm Women’s Theatre Week in London in December 1913 marked the beginning of a project that the Actresses’ Franchise League hoped would change their industry for the better. Naomi Paxton from the University of Manchester explores the international movement for a Woman’s Theatre from the 1890s to the start of the First World War, and considers how their ideas may have changed how theatre is experienced today. From Flat Caps to Benefit Caps – Is A Working Class Hero Still Something To Be? (12:45-1:45pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 10 November at 10pm Once upon a time the working class were heroes; their close-knit communities were celebrated. Has this working class disappeared along with the great industries- steel -coal and ship building - that brought them into being?  Is the working class now a figment of other people's dreams or nightmares?  Philip Dodd explores whether it is worth getting hot under the collar about blue collar history with historian Alison Light, author David Almond, and singer songwriter Eliza Carthy. Animals: Watching Us Watching Them Watching Each Other (2:15-3:15pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday 13 November at 10pm 50 years ago Jane Goodall got into trouble for suggesting chimps displayed personalities and moods. “ Foul! ” cried scientists, “that’s Anthropomorphism!”  Today, the fact that animals recognise individuals within their group, choose whom to copy, and whom to learn from – and that their populations have distinct social traditions and behaviours - suggests that culture is not an exclusively human attribute.   Rana Mitter talks to the primatologist, Andrew Whiten, Professor of Evolutionary and Development Psychology at St Andrews  and to the social anthropologist, Professor Alex Bentley of Bristol University, about chimps and imitation, culture and evolution – from the deep past to our digital present. You Must See This: Has Technology Changed Cultural Taste? (2:30-3:30pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 4 November at 10pm Matthew Sweet explores the way digital media have transformed our cultural interests. Superfans can now bury themselves in online recommendations but are these helping us, or simply trapping us into consuming more of the same? Are we now risk-averse? His guests are author Naomi Alderman, music journalist Dave Hepworth, poet Kei Miller and Prospect Magazine’s Digital Editor Serena Kutchinsky. New Generation Thinker:  Alasdair Cochrane (3:35-3:55pm) Beastly Politics   The Barbour Room/ Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 10 November at 10.45pm Is man the only political beast?  Can other animals be regarded as members of our democratic communities, with rights to political consideration, representation or even participation?  Alasdair Cochrane from Sheffield University believes that the exclusion of non-humans from civic institutions cannot be justified, and explores recent attempts to reimagine a political world that takes animals seriously. Right Thinking People – A History Of Conservative Thought (3:45-5:45pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 5 November at 10pm How useful is knowledge to today’s politician? In an age when many politicians have never had other jobs, are we better off with representatives who are experts or outsiders who are prepared to learn as they go along?  What can we learn from history and from traditions of political thought?   Philip Dodd is joined by writer and philosopher Roger Scruton and the Rt Hon David Willetts MP. The Cost of Free Information (4-5pm) Northern Rock Foundation Hall / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday 20 November at 10pm In the 1980s, hippie-ideologue Stewart Brand declared that ‘Information wants to be free’.  The phrase became a slogan for tech activists, who argued that technology can liberate information from expensive patents and help further the ever expanding limits of human knowledge. Anne McElvoy and guests test the promises of the internet to spread ideas quickly and democratically, asking how the open knowledge movement is disrupting notions of ownership and originality. New Generation Thinker: Tom Charlton (4:50-5:10pm)    Scold The Front Page: The History Of Press Censorship    The Barbour Room/ Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 4 November at 10.45pm Who censors what, how, and why? Is this a job for the government, or for journalists themselves? As debates over media regulation continue to rage, Tom Charlton from the University of Stirling argues that both sides misunderstand and misrepresent the history of press freedoms in England. The execution of the printer John Twyn, in 1664, says much about the way censorship works. Words and Music (5:20-6:45pm) St Mary’s / Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from 5:30pm Join the dazzling folk singer Eliza Carthy, the innovative saxophonist, composer and Radio 3 New Generation Artist Trish Clowes, and members of the Royal Northern Sinfonia for a special live broadcast of Words and Music. The programme mixes poetry, prose and live music performance, and is based on this year’s Free Thinking theme ‘the Limits of Knowledge’, with readings from Douglas Adams to Thomas Hardy and Kant to Ogden Nash.   Fear or Wonder - Everything Under The Moon (5:30-6:30pm) Hall Two / Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 25 November at 10pm How do science fiction and space travel change our relationship with this world?  Do the limits of our knowledge about the future make us scared or optimistic?  BALTIC’s They Used To Call It The Moon brings together artworks to reflect the new space race.  Matthew Sweet asks whether utopian and dystopian visions of our planet inspire us with fear or wonder.  His guests are Roger Luckhurst, Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck College, University of London, novelist Naomi Alderman and Curator of Exhibitions & Research at BALTIC, Allessandro Vincentelli.