Festival of ideas 31 October – 2 november 2014

BBC RADIO 3 BRINGS TOGETHER LEADING THINKERS FOR A WEEKEND OF PROVOCATIVE DEBATE, NEW IDEAS, MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE AT SAGE GATESHEAD // TICKETS FREE

THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL THEME IS the limits of knowledge .co.uk/freethinking @BBCFreeThinking Festival of ideas

BBC RADIO 3’S FESTIVAL OF IDEAS RETURNS TO SAGE GATESHEAD FOR A WEEKEND OF PROVOCATIVE DEBATE, NEW IDEAS, MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE. THIS YEAR’S THEME IS ‘THE LIMITS OF KNOWLEDGE’.

With Karen Armstrong, David Willetts, Eliza Carthy, INTRODUCING THE BBC RADIO 3 PRESENTERS // David Almond, Helen Castor, Andrey Kurkov, Alison Light, Roger Scruton, Vincent Deary, Free Thinking discussions are hosted by Anne McElvoy, Elif Shafak, John Lanchester, Naomi Alderman, Rana Mitter and Matthew Sweet. In Tune with Sean Rafferty, Kei Miller and David Hepworth. Breakfast with Tom McKinney, CD Review with Andrew McGregor, Live in Concert and Music Matters with Petroc TICKETS FOR ALL EVENTS ARE FREE // Trelawny, Sound of Cinema with Matthew Sweet, The Verb with Ian McMillan, The Choir with Adam Tomlinson, and To book call Sage Gateshead on 0191 443 4661 Words and Music hosted by Rana Mitter. or visit www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking

Some free tickets will be released on the day, 30 minutes before the start of each event. These tickets cannot be booked in advance so simply turn up and join the ‘Day Ticket Queue’ to enjoy events at the BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival.

Free Thinking is produced and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 (see back of brochure for transmission details). All of the debates and essays are downloadable as BBC Radio 3 Arts and Ideas Podcasts.

Join the conversation on Twitter @BBCRadio3

Bookshop provided by

_02 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 _03 BBC RADIO 3: SUPPORTING NEW TALENT

DEBATE WITH THE NEW THE BARBOUR ROOM ESSAYS // GENERATION THINKERS // SATURDAY // The New Generation Thinkers are the winners of the talent scheme run by BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and 11.40 // Sophie Coulombeau Humanities Research Council to find the brightest Is Marriage an Identity Crisis ? academic minds with the potential to turn their ideas into broadcasts. 13.25 // TiffanyW att-Smith Hear them deliver essays on a range of topics, from the The Human Copying Machine history of press censorship to the status of animals, from the campaigning of Disraeli to the writings of Rabindranath Tagore. Each talk is followed by audience 15.20 // Will Abberley questions about their research. Speech Before Words: Imagining the Evolution of Language And debate with them in Speed Dating with a Thinker, when you can hear their ideas on a one-to-one basis 17.20 // Preti Taneja and vote for the best idea. Shakespeare, India and the Power Saturday 16.10 – 17.10 of Gibberish Sunday 13.15 – 14.00 18.40 // Joanna Cohen DROP INTO THE SQUIRES LOUNGE The Spin Doctors of Nineteenth NEXT TO Sage Gateshead’s Century America Sir Michael Straker Café 19.10 // Alun Withey Beards, Whiskers and the History BBC RADIO 3 ACADEMY AT Sage Gateshead // of Pogonotomy

Radio 3 is working with the next generation of radio makers to deliver a hands-on radio production course SUNDAY // from presenting to social media. Twelve students who are passionate about radio have been selected. 12.10 // Daisy Hay Disraeli the Romantic Tune in to hear their work or keep up with their progress at bbc.co.uk/freethinking. 12.40 // Naomi Paxton A Stage of their Own

15.35 // Alasdair Cochrane Beastly Politics

16.50 // Tom Charlton Scold the Front Page: The History of Press Censorship

_04 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 MEET THE VERB’S NEW VOICES //

SATURDAY // SQUIRES LOUNGE // 19.00 SATURDAY // HALL TWO // 19.45 SUNDAY // Northern Rock Foundation Hall // 11.00

LOUISE FAZACKERLEY // The Verb’s Ian McMillan is proud that The Verb New Is from Wigan, and works half her week Voices ‘discovered three northern writers who as a performance poet and workshop definitely have something fresh and special to say leader, the other half in social work. and who are working towards new ways of saying it.’ “My partner, Daniel, came back from Afghanistan with post-traumatic They have been given access to mentoring from stress disorder because of the deaths BBC Radio 3 and from The Writing Squad in Yorkshire, he witnessed. My estranged dad was Contact Theatre in Manchester and ARC in a soldier in Northern Ireland. I’d like to Stockton-on-Tees. write about some of the things related to modern warfare.” The scheme was organised in collaboration with Arts Council England. MATT MILLER // Is from Ryton near Newcastle upon Tyne, and performs with The Mouthy Poets. HEAR BBC RADIO 3’S NEW “I want to use this project to explore GENERATION ARTISTS // the stories and the character of Tyneside, my home, in a way I never LIVE IN CONCERT did while I was growing up there, FRIDAY // 19.30 // HALL ONE and to share the experience of my features Lise Berthaud discovery with others.” WORDS AND MUSIC JOHN HAMILTON MAY // SUNDAY // 17.20 // ST MARY’S CHURCH Is a playwright and spoken word artist features Trish Clowes from Thirsk in North Yorkshire. “Emerging artists are often seen as too large a risk to invest in, but The BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Scheme helps The Verb New Voices is the perfect to support talented musicians to reach the next stages opportunity to have my work nurtured of their careers and brings some of the world’s most and showcased on a national platform promising new talent to listeners across the UK through specifically developed to encourage BBC Radio 3 broadcasts. unheard talent.” Find out more about the scheme and this year’s new names here: bbc.co.uk/radio3/nga

Listen to some of them describe the scheme here: bbc.co.uk/radio3/nga/clips

_05 FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER

IN TUNE // 16.15 – 18.30 // LIVE BROADCAST NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL Live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 begins at 16.30

Sean Rafferty and guests launch this year’s Free Thinking Festival. Come to hear live performances from members of Royal Northern Sinfonia, jazz pianist Joe Stilgoe and Northumbrian pipes player Alistair Anderson. Free Thinking guests will be giving audiences a taste of sessions across the weekend. Elif Shafak is Turkey’s leading female novelist. The noted historian of religion Karen Armstrong discusses her opening lecture to the SEAN RAFFERTY festival. Prize-winning Northumberland author David Almond writes novels for adults and children. The Rt Hon. the Lord Falconer of Thoroton was the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs in Tony Blair’s government and is the Shadow Spokesperson for Constitutional and Deputy Priministerial Issues. He is also Chairman of Sage Gateshead.

LIVE IN CONCERT // 19.30 // HALL ONE

Royal Northern Sinfonia is joined by emerging classical stars conductor Alexandre Bloch, and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Lise Berthaud, in this special concert broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano BRUCH Concerto for Viola and Clarinet PROKOFIEV Symphony No.1

Alexandre Bloch conductor Royal Northern Sinfonia Alexandra Soumm violin // Lise Berthaud viola KAREN ARMSTRONG BBC New Generation Artist // Jakob Koranyi cello // Dionysis Grammenos clarinet // Alexandra Dariescu piano

THE FREE THINKING LECTURE // Tickets for this can be booked via sagegateshead.com. 19.15 – 20.30 // HALL TWO They cost £25, £20, £15, £10 and concessions are available. Per ticket handling fees and postal charges Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s leading thinkers may apply. about religion, gives the Free Thinking Lecture, arguing that, in the current global situation, a recognition of how During the interval presenter Petroc Trelawny looks little we know is the only way to peace. A former Roman back at the founding of Sage Gateshead in 2004 and Catholic nun, Armstrong has addressed members of some key moments in its ten year history. the US congress. She was appointed by Kofi Annan to join the United Nations group ‘The Alliance of LIVE BROADCAST 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.

_06 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

BREAKFAST // 07.00 – 09.00 // Sage Gateshead’s CAFÉ Doors open 06.45

Start your day at Sage Gateshead by joining Tom McKinney for BBC Radio 3’s Breakfast programme broadcast live from the café for the first time. 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. Breakfast will be available to buy from the cafe from 7am. No tickets needed.

Live from Sage Gateshead’s Café

IMAGINING TURKEY: AN INTERVIEW WITH ELIF SHAFAK // 10.15 – 11.15 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL

Turkey’s best selling female writer, Elif Shafak, has SIR THOMAS ALLEN been published in more than 40 countries. Her books – including The Forty Rules of Love, The Bastard of Istanbul and Black Milk, her memoir of motherhood and depression – reflect her interest in building connections CD REVIEW // 09.00 – 12.15 // between Western and Eastern traditions. Her Sage Gateshead’s CAFÉ cosmopolitan voice is of particular importance in a year when the Middle East has been undergoing enormous Andrew McGregor brings CD shifts, and both nationalism and xenophobia are on the Review to Free Thinking for the first rise around the world. She talks to Anne McElvoy about time as he presents music from the imagination and storytelling as she publishes her new latest classical music releases and novel The Architect’s Apprentice. talks to musicians and critics about the performances. He is joined at Sage Gateshead by acclaimed baritone Sir Thomas Allen who, earlier this year, celebrated his 70th ELIF SHAFAK birthday and was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music. Newcastle University’s Kirsten Gibson talks to Andrew about recent releases of renaissance composer John Dowland. In ‘Building a Library’, Scottish pianist Kenneth Hamilton gives his verdict on recordings of Chopin’s Preludes Op. 28. No tickets needed.

Live from Sage Gateshead’s Café

_07 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

BEN SAUNDERS

ANTARCTICA: TESTING GROUND FOR THE HUMAN SPECIES // 10.30 – 11.30 // HALL TWO

A hundred years ago, Ernest Shackleton set out on his Trans-Antarctic expedition which ended when his JONATHAN BAMBER ship Endurance became trapped in packed 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, who has visited Antarctica under the auspices of three governments, Australia, UK and USA. Polar explorer Ben Saunders led the longest human powered polar MEREDITH HOOPER exploration in history from Antarctica to the South Pole HUGH Broughton and back, retracing Captain Scott’s Terra Nova expedition. Architect Hugh Broughton has designed research stations for Spain, Korea and the UK in THE HALLEY VI RESEARCH STATION Antarctica. Professor Jonathan Bamber teaches at DESIGNED BY HUGH Broughton the Bristol Glaciology Centre.

NEW GENERATION THINKER: SOPHIE COULOMBEAU // 11.40 – 12.00 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Is Marriage An Identity Crisis ? 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 SOPHIE COULOMBEAU feminist movement the ‘Lucy Stoners’, who used the slogan, ‘My name is my identity and must not be lost’.

_08 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

MUSIC MATTERS: WHY SHOULD I CARE? // 12.00 – 13.00 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL Live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 begins at 12.15

Petroc Trelawny chairs a debate about how far knowledge can enhance our understanding and appreciation of classical music. How much do we really need to know about composers’ lives in order to be able to engage fully with their creative output? Why the seemingly endless pursuit of the most PETROC TRELAWNY authentic performance practice, or the definitive critical edition? How does knowing more than just the best bits improve the listening experience? Guests include Sir Nicholas Kenyon, Managing Director of ’s LIVE BROADCAST 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 – 13.20 // HALL TWO

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?

Matthew Sweet talks to John Lanchester, author of the novel Capital and popular studies of the financial crisis How To Speak Money and Whoops ! Why everyone owes everyone and no one can pay – of which author Robert Harris said this is ‘an intelligent person’s guide to the crisis of modern capitalism, and everyone ought to read it’. JOHN LANCHESTER

NEW GENERATION THINKER: TIFFANY WATT-SMITH // 13.25– 13.45 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

The Human Copying Machine 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. TiffanyW att-Smith from Queen Mary, University of London unearths the 19th century fascination with the TIFFANY WATT-SMITH ‘Human Copying Machine’, and discovers why men of science turned to the world of Victorian theatre to understand this strange phenomenon.

_09 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

START THE WEEK // JOHN KAMPFNER 14.00 – 15.00 // HALL TWO

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, co-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. NAOMI ALDERMAN

SATURDAY CLASSICS // DAVID HEPWORTH 14.00 – 16.00 // Sage Gateshead CAFÉ

Music journalist David Hepworth helped launch magazines including Empire, Q, Mojo, Heat and The Word. He is a radio reviewer and writer of the blog whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk. Join him at Sage as he shares his listening habits and looks at the years which have changed musical history. No tickets needed.

Live from Sage Gateshead’s Café

BURNING THE FACTS: THE LINK BETWEEN LORD LUCAN AND JOAN OF ARC // 14.15 – 15.15 // LAURA THOMPSON NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL

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 Laura Thompson, whose books include Life in a Cold Climate:Nancy Mitford – A Portrait of a Contradictory Woman, An English Mystery: A Life of Agatha Christie and A Different Class of Murder: The Mysterious Case of Lord Lucan. And historian Helen Castor, the author of Joan of Arc and writer and presenter of the TV series HELEN CASTOR She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England.

_010 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

NEW GENERATION THINKER: WILL ABBERLEY // 15.20 – 15.40 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Speech Before Words: Imagining the Evolution of Language 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 argues that WILL ABBERLEY 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 // 15.45 – 16.45 // HALL TWO

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?

Rana Mitter chairs a discussion with: Professor Paul Dolan, Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics, a government advisor on wellbeing and author of Happiness by Design. Dr Vincent Deary; a senior lecturer in health psychology at Northumbria University. The first book in his trilogy about how to live is called How We Are; Beatrix Campbell, a writer who received an OBE for ‘services to equal opportunities’. Her most recent book is End of Equality.

PAUL DOLAN

LAURA THOMPSON

BEATRIX CAMPBELL

VINCENT DEARY _011 AT A GLANCE

NORTHERN ROCK HALL ONE // HALL TWO // FOUNDATION HALL //

FRIDAY // FRIDAY // FRIDAY //

19.30 – 21.20 // 19.15 – 20.30 // 16.15 – 18.30 // In Tune Royal Northern Sinfonia The Free Thinking Lecture Live in Concert

SATURDAY // SATURDAY //

10.30 – 11.30 // 10.15 – 11.15 // Antarctica: Testing Ground for ’Imagining Turkey’: An Interview the Human Species with Elif Shafak

12.20 – 13.20 // 12.00 – 13.00 // Music Matters: Bringing the Rich to Book – The Why Should I Care? Wealth Gap in Fact and Fiction 14.15 – 15.15 // Burning the 14.00 – 15.00 // Facts: The Link Between Lord Start the Week Lucan and Joan of Arc

15.45 – 16.45 // Happy Talk 15.50 – 17.00 // Sound of Cinema: Breaking the 17.15 – 18.15 // Sound Barrier Knowing Your Enemy: Conciliation in an Age of Uprisings 17.30 – 18.30 // Knowing Your Characters: David Greig and 19.45 – 21.00 // The Verb Siobhan Redmond

SUNDAY // SUNDAY //

11.30 – 13.00 // The Choir 11.00 – 12.00 // The Verb

14.15 – 15.10 // Animals: 12.45 – 13.45 // Flat Caps to Watching Us Watching Them Benefit Caps – Is a Working Class Watching Each Other Hero Still Something to Be?

15.45 – 16.45 // 14.30 – 15.30 // You Must See Right Thinking People – The This: Has Technology Changed Story of Conservative Thought Cultural Taste?

17.30 – 18.30 // Fear or Wonder 16.00 – 17.00 // – Everything Under the Moon The Cost of Free Information

_012 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 THE BARBOUR ROOM, NEW ST MARY’S CHURCH // GENERATION THINKERS // Sir Michael Straker CAFÉ // Next to Sage

SATURDAY // SATURDAY //

11.40 – 12.00 // 07.00 – 09.00 // Breakfast Sophie Coulombeau 09.00 – 12.15 // CD Review 13.25 – 13.45 // Tiffany Watt-Smith 14.00 – 16.00 // Saturday Classics 15.20 – 15.40 // Will Abberley 16.10 – 17.10 // ‘Speed Dating’ with the 17.20 – 17.40 // New Generation Thinkers * Preti Taneja 19.00 – 19.30 // 18.40 – 19.00 // The Verb New Voices * Joanna Cohen

19.10 – 19.30 // Alun Withey

SUNDAY // SUNDAY // SUNDAY //

12.10 – 12.30 // 07.00 – 09.00 // Breakfast 17.20 – 18.45 // Daisy Hay Words and Music 11.00 – 17.00 // 12.40 – 13.00 // Juice Presents Human Library Naomi Paxton in partnership with Wunderbar

15.35 – 15.55 // 13.15 – 14.00 // Alasdair Cochrane ‘Speed Dating’ with the New Generation Thinkers * 16.50 – 17.10 // Tom Charlton

LIVE BROADCAST LIVE FROM Sage Gateshead’s Sir Michael StrakeR CAFÉ * Squire’s Lounge next to Sage Gateshead’s Café _013 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

SOUND OF CINEMA: BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER // 15.50 – 17.00 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL Live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 begins 16.00

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 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.

MATTHEW SWEET LIVE broadcast

‘SPEED DATING’ WITH NEW GENERATION THINKERS // 16.10 – 17.10 // THE SQUIRES LOUNGE NEXT TO THE SAGE Gateshead’s CAFÉ

Come and vote for the most exciting idea from our panel of young academics. Your chance to participate in discussions with each one before the bell sounds and it’s time to move on. ANDREY KURKOV Hosted by Ian McMillan.

GABRIELLE RIFKIND

KNOWING YOUR ENEMY: CONCILIATION IN AN AGE OF UPRISINGS // 17.15 – 18.15 // HALL TWO

Anne McElvoy chairs a discussion exploring protest, foreign policy, intervention and peace- making with Andrey Kurkov, the author of international best-selling novels, including Death and the Penguin. He has recorded his experience of living through unpredictable times in his Ukraine Diaries. Conflict resolution expertG abrielle Rifkind is Director of the Middle East programme at Oxford Research Group and author of The Fog of Peace. Journalist John Kampfner is columnist for and former editor of the New Statesman magazine. He began his career as a foreign correspondent reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of Soviet communism. His books include Blair’s Wars, Freedom For Sale and The Rich: From Slaves to Super-Yachts: A 2,000 Year History.

_014 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

NEW GENERATION THINKER: PRETI TANEJA // 17.20 – 17.40 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Shakespeare, India and the Power of Gibberish 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 PRETI TANEJA translations on the Indian stage.

KNOWING YOUR CHARACTERS: DAVID GREIG AND SIOBHAN REDMOND // 17.30 – 18.30 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL

Matthew Sweet talks to playwright David Greig and actor Siobhan Redmond about their approaches to drama. David Greig, the National Theatre of Scotland’s first Dramaturg, is one of our leading DAVID GRIEG playwrights whose work has been produced around the world, including Dunsinane, his sequel to Macbeth, The Events, written after the Breivik massacre in Norway; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and his Yes/No plays on Twitter before the Scottish referendum. Siobhan Redmond has worked in theatre, television and radio including work for the RSC, National Theatre of Scotland and Renaissance Theatre Company. She played the role of Gruach (Lady Macbeth) in Greig’s Dunsinane.

SIOBHAN REDMOND

NEW GENERATION THINKER : JOANNA COHEN // 18.40 – 19.00 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

JOANNA COHEN The Spin Doctors of Nineteenth Century America In this age of spin, few people seem to have faith in politicians. But such public cynicism was not always our default attitude. Embracing the emerging sciences of the age, 19th century Americans tried 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.

_015 SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

THE VERB NEW VOICES // 19.00 – 19.30 // THE SQUIRES LOUNGE NEXT TO THE SAGE Gateshead’s CAFÉ

Meet the three Northern writers chosen in a new scheme to MATT MILLER mentor young writers. Hear Matt Miller, Louise Fazackerley and John Hamilton May perform some of their work. Hosted by Ian McMillan. No tickets needed.

ALUN WITHEY

NEW GENERATION THINKER: ALUN WITHEY // 19.10 – 19.30 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Beards, Whiskers and the Bridie JACKSON AND THE ARBOUR History of Pogonotomy 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. THE VERB // 19.45 – 21.00 // HALL TWO Pogonotomy – or the art of shaving – is about more than fashion. Join presenter and poet Ian McMillan for Radio 3’s cabaret of the spoken word and new writing with guests including Dundee’s Makar Bill Herbert who’ll be inviting the audience to explore their ‘limits’ listening to dialect poetry. The acclaimed Bridie Jackson and The Arbour, winners of the 2013 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, perform songs which explore where melancholy ends and beauty begins. Matt Miller is one of the winners of The Verb New Voices Competition. He will be performing work inspired by growing up along the River Tyne. The actress and writer Arabella Weir examines the boundaries between fiction for adults and teenagers. Her latest book is a young adult novel The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird.

_016 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER

BREAKFAST // 07.00 – 09.00 // SAGE Gateshead’s CAFÉ Doors open 06.45

Start your day at Sage Gateshead by joining Tom McKinney for TOM MCKINNEY BBC Radio 3’s Breakfast programme, broadcast live from the café for the first time. Great music choices in the finest performances, with listener JUICE PRESENTS HUMAN LIBRARY IN PARTNERSHIP suggestions for the Best of British WITH WUNDERBAR // Music playlist, requests for works by 11.00 – 17.00 // THE SQUIRES neglected composers and updates LOUNGE NEXT TO THE SAGE CAFÉ from amateur music-making groups. Breakfast will be available to buy from A library with a difference, Human Library aims to challenge the cafe from 7am. stereotypes. The twist is that the ‘books’ are people and that No tickets needed. ‘reading’ them involves a conversation. The Juice Human Library gives you the chance and space to talk to people from all walks Live from of life – so browse the catalogue, pick a title that grabs you, ask Sage Gateshead’s Café questions, listen and get lost in a good book. Presented as part of Juice – Newcastle Gateshead’s festival for children and young people in partnership with Sage Gateshead. No tickets needed.

THE VERB // 11.00 – 12.00 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL Bridie JACKSON AND THE ARBOUR

ROB COLLS Join presenter and poet Ian McMillan for a Sunday morning recording of Radio 3’s programme about language. Professor Rob Colls, author of George Orwell: English Rebel and a number of books on regional history, will be free-thinking the North East’s relationship with the language of limits and the language of limits in education. Miranda Keeling is an MIRANDA KEELING actor and writer, and the winner of the Norman Beaton radio award – PETER MORTIMER she’ll be exploring whether Twitter is good way to ‘write’ a city’s limits. Peter Mortimer, poet, playwright and journalist, will be performing new work. Louise Fazackerley, one of The Verb New Voices winners will present extracts from Love Is A Battlefield, a show about the LOUISE FAZACKERLEY impact of war on the domestic lives of soldiers and their families.

IAN MCMILLAN _017 SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER

TEES VALLEY YOUTH CHOIR

THE CHOIR // 11.30 – 13.00 // HALL TWO

BBC 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. Join him for on-stage performances including the University College Chapel Choir of Durham University, Enkelit singing the contemporary acapella music of Finland, 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 – 12.30 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Disraeli the Romantic Politicians talking about their private lives are a commonplace of our age. However, long before it became obligatory for aspiring statesmen NAOMI PAXTON and women to be photographed unloading dishwashers and eating sandwiches, Benjamin Disraeli spun a public fantasy about his private NEW GENERATION THINKER: life to win votes. Daisy Hay from Exeter University explores the way in NAOMI PAXTON // 12.40 – which Disraeli invented the modern politician as a man – or woman – 13.00 // THE BARBOUR ROOM of feeling, and asks whether the image he projected as an emotionally in-touch everyman stemmed from fact or fiction? A Stage of Their Own 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

DAISY HAY First World War, and considers how their ideas may have changed how theatre is experienced today. _018 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER

FROM FLAT CAPS TO BENEFIT CAPS – IS A WORKING CLASS HERO STILL SOMETHING TO BE? // 12.45 – 13.45 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL

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 DAVID ALMOND them into being? Is the working class now a figment of ALISON LIGHT other people’s dreams or nightmares?

ELIZA CARTHY Anne McElvoy explores whether it is worth getting hot under the collar about blue collar history with historian Alison Light, the author of Common People: The History of an English Family and a Visiting Professor in the School of English at Newcastle University. David Almond’s novels for children and teenagers include Skellig; A Song for Ella Gray; My Name is Mina and his new novel for adults The Tightrope Walkers. Eliza Carthy has performed as a singer songwriter and fiddle player for 21 years, presenting a range of music including ballads relating folk history. She is the current Folkworks Artistic Associate for ‘SPEED DATING’ WITH NEW Sage Gateshead. GENERATION THINKERS // 13.15 – 14.00 // THE SQUIRES LOUNGE NEXT TO THE SAGE Gateshead’s CAFÉ

Come and vote for the most exciting idea from our panel of young academics. Your chance to participate in discussions with them before the bell sounds and it’s time to move on. Hosted by Ian McMillan. No tickets needed.

ANIMALS: WATCHING US WATCHING THEM WATCHING EACH OTHER // ANDREW WHITEN 14.15 – 15.15 // HALL TWO

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, and Dr Katie Slocombe of York University, an expert in chimp communication, about imitation, culture and evolution – from the deep past to our digital present. _019 SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER

DAVID HEPWORTH YOU MUST SEE THIS: HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED CULTURAL TASTE? // 14.30 – 15.30 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL

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?

NAOMI ALDERMAN Naomi Alderman is the author of novels including The Liars’ Gospel, The Lessons and Disobedience and co-creator of the online game Zombies, Run! David Hepworth is a music journalist who helped launch magazines including Empire, Q, Mojo, Heat and The Word. Kei Miller is a poet whose collections include The Cartographer Tries To Map A Way To Zion, which won this year’s Forward Prize for Poetry. Serena Kutchinsky is Prospect Magazine’s Digital Editor. Previously she was the Assistant Digital Editor of The Sunday Times and helped launch their website and tablet edition.

KEI MILLER

SERENA KUTCHINSKY

NEW GENERATION THINKER: ALASDAIR COCHRANE // 15.35 – 15.55 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Beastly Politics 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. ALASDAIR COCHRANE

_020 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER

RIGHT THINKING PEOPLE – A STORY OF CONSERVATIVE THOUGHT // 15.45 – 16.45 // HALL TWO

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?

Anne McElvoy is joined by writer ROGER SCRUTON and philosopher Roger Scruton, the author of books including The Soul Of DAVID WILLETTS The World, The Palgrave MacMillan Dictionary of Political Thought and How to Be a Conservative. The Rt Hon David Willetts MP, was Minister for Universities and Science, attending Cabinet from 2010 to 2014. He has worked at HM Treasury, and the Number 10 Policy Unit. His writings The Cost of Free Information // 16.00 – include The Pinch: How the Baby 17.00 // NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION HALL Boomers Took Their Children’s Future, and Why They Should Give It Back. 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. Rana Mitter tests the promises of the internet to spread ideas quickly and democratically. Guests include Dr Rufus Pollock, Founder and President of the Open Knowledge, an international non-profit that promotes making data and information accessible. Jodie Ginsberg is the Chief Executive of Index on Censorship and former London jodie ginsberg Dr Rufus Pollock bureau chief for Reuters.

NEW GENERATION THINKER: TOM CHARLTON // 16.50 – 17.10 // THE BARBOUR ROOM

Scold The Front Page: The History of Press Censorship Who censors what - how, and why? Is this a job for the government, or for journalists themselves? As debates over media regulation continue TOM CHARLTON 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.

_021 SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER

ELIZA CARTHY WORDS AND MUSIC // 17.20 – 18.45 // ST MARY’S CHURCH Located next door to Sage Gateshead

Join the dazzling folk singer Eliza Carthy, the innovative saxophonist, composer and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Trish Clowes, actors Sian Thomas and Jonathan Keeble and members of the Royal Northern Sinfonia for a special live broadcast of Words and Music. The programme mixes JONATHAN KEEBLE poetry, prose and live music performance, and is based on this year’s Free Thinking theme ‘The Limits of Knowledge’, with TRISH CLOWES readings from Douglas Adams to Thomas Hardy and Kant to Ogden Nash.

LIVE broadcast

SIAN THOMAS

FEAR OR WONDER – EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON // 17.30 – 18.30 // HALL TWO

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. The BFI has curated a 3 month season of science fiction film screenings and events around the UK. Matthew Sweet asks whether utopian and dystopian visions of our planet inspire us with fear or wonder. Professor Roger Luckhurst from Birkbeck College, University of London has written about J. G. Ballard, a cultural history of science fiction, and the new BFI Classic on the filmAlien . Naomi Alderman is a novelist and author of many short stories which consider the future. She is also co-creator of the online game Zombies, Run! Alessandro Vincentelli is Curator of Exhibitions & Research at BALTIC and has curated the exhibition They Used to Call it the Moon.

Part of:

bfi.org.uk/sci-fi

_022 FREE TICKETS www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking 0191 443 4661 TICKETS FOR ALL EVENTS ARE FREE // TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO ATTEND // To book, call Sage Gateshead on 0191 443 4661 or visit www.sagegateshead.com/freethinking Free Thinking Festival of Ideas is produced by BBC Radio 3. Please see below and To secure your place you must have collected overleaf for a full guide to the Free Thinking your ticket and be in your seat 10 minutes before broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. All broadcasts the event begins. We will re-allocate any spare from the festival can also be heard via the seats to a standby queue just before the start of Radio 3 website bbc.co.uk/radio3, and all the the event, so please arrive on time. essays and discussions are available as Radio 3 Arts and Ideas downloads.

All broadcasts of talks and debates will be available as free downloads for you to keep. BBC Arts brings you closer to TRISH CLOWES Go to bbc.co.uk/freethinking the very best of the arts that you love. For more information Follow us on Twitter @BBCRadio3 please visit bbc.co.uk/arts

BBC Radio 3 Schedule //

BROADCAST TIME // EVENT //

FRI 31ST OCT 16.30 IN TUNE LIVE 19:30 LIVE IN CONCERT FROM SAGE 22:00 THE FREE THINKING LECTURE

SAT 1ST NOV 07.00 BREAKFAST LIVE 09.00 CD REVIEW LIVE 12.00 MUSIC MATTERS LIVE 14.00 SATURDAY CLASSICS LIVE 16.00 SOUND OF CINEMA LIVE

SUN 2ND NOV 07.00 BREAKFAST LIVE 16.00 THE CHOIR FOCUSING ON NORTHERN VOICES 17.30 WORDS AND MUSIC LIVE

Photo Credits: AB Photography; Carrie Lyell; Charlie Hopkinson; Christine Fourie; Col McDonnell; David Hurst; David Tiernan; Jennie Folley; Jochen Braun; Mark Husmann; Mark Savage; Regine Mosimann / Diogenes Verlag; Richard Blower; Richard Davis; Susan Gordon-Brown; Sussie Ahlburg; Tarja L’Herpiniere; Zeynel Abidin

_023 FREE THINKING IS PRODUCED AND BROADCAST BY BBC RADIO 3 // LISTEN AGAIN ONLINE // Lectures and debates will be available as free downloads for you to keep bbc.co.uk/freethinking

Broadcast TIME // EVENT //

MON 3RD NOV 22.00 KNOWING YOUR ENEMY 22:45 THE HUMAN COPYING MACHINE

TUES 4TH NOV 22.00 Has Technology Changed Cultural Taste? 22:45 SCOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WED 5TH NOV 22.00 RIGHT THINKING PEOPLE 22:45 IS MARRIAGE AN IDENTITY CRISIS?

THURS 6TH NOV 22.00 BURNING THE FACTS: THE LINKS BETWEEN LORD LUCAN AND JOAN OF ARC 22:45 DISRAELI THE ROMANTIC

FRI 7TH NOV 22.00 THE VERB CABARET RECORDING FROM SAGE Gateshead 22:45 BEARDS AND WHISKERS

MON 10TH NOV 22.00 FROM FLAT CAPS TO BENEFIT CAPS 22:45 BEASTLY POLITICS

TUES 11 NOV 22.00 IMAGINING TURKEY: AN INTERVIEW WITH ELIF SHAFAK 22:45 SPEECH BEFORE WORDS

WED 12TH NOV 22.00 BRINGING THE RICH TO BOOK: JOHN LANCHESTER ON THE LANGUAGE OF MONEY 22:45 A THEATRE OF THEIR OWN

THURS 13TH NOV 22.00 ANIMALS: WATCHING US WATCHING THEM WATCHING EACH OTHER 22:45 SHAKESPEARE AND INDIA

FRI 14TH NOV 22.00 THE VERB EXPLORES THE LANGUAGE OF ORWELL AND WRITING ON TWITTER 22.45 THE SPIN DOCTORS OF C19 USA

MON 17TH NOV 22.00 ANTARCTICA: TESTING GROUND FOR THE HUMAN SPECIES

TUES 18TH NOV 22.00 Knowing Your Characters: David Greig and Siobhan Redmond in Conversation

WED 19TH NOV 22.00 HAPPY TALK

THURS 20TH NOV 22.00 THE COST OF FREE INFORMATION

TUES 25TH NOV 22.00 FEAR OR WONDER: EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON