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Malachi Kirby as Jason in "Mogadishu" by Vivienne Franzmann
The Bruntwood Prize is the biggest prize for playwriting in Britain and it's on the hunt for new plays. Two of the previous winners, Vivienne Franzmann and Andrew Sheridan, talk about their first ever plays, Mogadishu and Winterlong, hitting the London stage. And Clemency Burton-Hill speaks to the chair of this year's judges, award winning playwright Simon Stephens, about conquering the intimidating blank page.
Find out how to enter your play into the competition here
Photographer: Jonathan Keenan. -
Andrew Graham-Dixon and the World Service's Zia Shahreyar with the Gold Crown from Tillya Tepe
Andrew Graham-Dixon looks at the new exhibition of archaeological discoveries from Afghanistan at the British Museum. All 200 objects from the National Museum of Afghanistan were found between 1937 and 1978, but were feared lost following the Soviet invasion of 1979 and the subsequent civil war. Their survival is due to a handful of Afghan officials and curators, who concealed them from the Taliban, and who are now responsible for this exhibition which highlights the importance of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.
Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World -
A photograph from the Khanna family archive
Sarfraz Manzoor examines our cultural history through the humble snapshot. Autograph ABP is a photography archive that believes pictures of the everyday play an important part in the story of multicultural Britain, so they're holding Roadshows across the country to collect ordinary people’s photos. Sarfraz goes along to find out why these images are important and just who’s donating their family snaps to posterity.
See other photos people have donated and find out how to add your own snaps to the archive here -
Richard Ayoade, Director of Submarine
Miranda Sawyer meets young British director Richard Ayoade to talk about his new coming of age comedy, Submarine. Although best known as Moss in comedy the IT Crowd, Ayoade's first adventure into the world of feature films was a hit at both last year's London Film Festival and at Sundance, and he has now been described as the man to watch.
Submarine Website -
The Art of Taxidermy
Ben Lewis examines the art of taxidermy, from the early pioneers such as Walter Potter, a Victorian taxidermist who created tableaux of anthropomorphised animals - squirrels playing cards, toads on a sports day - to artists such as Polly Morgan and Kate MccGwire, who work in the medium today...
The UK Guild of Taxidermists -
The effect of Vertical Works...
Alastair Sooke meets artist Anthony McCall, and explores his beautiful projections of light.
Anthony McCall's Website -
Simon Armitage explores the BBC Archive
Poet Simon Armitage digs around in the BBC vaults and finds some rare 1940s footage of TS Eliot, 1960s archive of Philip Larkin and finally, Ted Hughes, filmed in 1984 when he had just become Poet Laureate.
Simon Armitage's Website -
Richard Brooks shares his latest cultural concerns…
...this time a glut of Shakespeare?
World Shakespeare Festival 2012
Credits
- Series Producer
- Emily Kennedy
- Series Producer
- Emma Cahusac
- Series Editor
- Janet Lee
- Presenter
- Andrew Graham-Dixon
- Reporter
- Sarfraz Manzoor
- Reporter
- Miranda Sawyer
- Reporter
- Ben Lewis
- Reporter
- Simon Armitage
- Reporter
- Richard Brooks
- Reporter
- Alastair Sooke
