100 Free Thoughts!
One hundred key figures from the arts, media, politics and science offer their personal cultural thoughts for the day in Free Thought - broadcast daily on BBC Radio 3's Breakfast around 8.30am and BBC Radio Merseyside from Saturday 2 August.
Use this index to view Free Thoughts coming up and to access the audio online.
Each of the one hundred will be available online from the first weekday after broadcast.
| Date | Contributor | Theme | Listen & comment | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9 Nov |
1: Keith Thomas and Hannah Spiers |
Advice two generations can give each other |
 |
|
8 Nov |
2: Vasily Petrenko |
How music can transform people's lives, both socially and mentally |
 |
|
7 Nov |
3: Ian McMillan |
Limericks about the way form can dictate content |
 |
|
6 Nov |
4: Matthew Sweet |
The power relationship between pedestrians and drivers |
 |
|
5 Nov |
5: Bidisha |
Modern interpretations of iconic mythical characters |
 |
|
4 Nov |
6: Rana Mitter |
Why we need to engage with history |
 |
|
3 Nov |
7: Philip Dodd |
The shock of the good |
 |
|
2 Nov |
8: Roger Phillips |
The importance of Free Thought |
 |
|
1 Nov |
9: Hilary Boulding |
Elitism in the arts |
 |
|
31 Oct |
10: Simon Armitage |
A new poem "Old Boy", about growing old and being left behind |
 |
|
30 Oct |
11: Roberto Cuoghi |
Sound as an art form |
 |
|
29 Oct |
12: Lizzie Nunnery |
How culture is a shared process |
 |
|
28 Oct |
13: Neil MacGregor |
Why we prefer myths to reality |
 |
|
27 Oct |
14: Jon Cullen |
The power of community arts |
 |
|
26 Oct |
15: James MacMillan |
Where classical music meets culture |
 |
|
25 Oct |
16: Jennifer John |
How singing can empower and transform people's lives |
 |
|
24 Oct |
17: Sarah Hall |
The importance of one's imagination |
 |
|
23 Oct |
18: Ken Loach |
The role of the traditional film-maker |
 |
|
22 Oct |
19: Karl Francis |
Bilingual Wales |
 |
|
21 Oct |
20: Alexei Sayle |
Memory |
 |
|
20 Oct |
21: Peter Ward |
You CAN teach old dogs new tricks |
 |
|
19 Oct |
22: Dr Tom Shakespeare |
Art as a tool for thinking |
 |
|
18 Oct |
23: Stephen Pratt |
How music is one of the quickest routes to memory |
 |
|
17 Oct |
24: Edith Hall |
Why class matters |
 |
|
16 Oct |
25: Norman Lebrecht |
In defence of criticism |
 |
|
15 Oct |
26: John Byrne |
Smoking on stage |
 |
|
14 Oct |
27: Steve Connor |
Taking offence |
 |
|
13 Oct |
28: Ceri Hand |
To celebrate art for art's sake |
 |
|
12 Oct |
29: Zia Chaudhry |
Islamic culture |
 |
|
11 Oct |
30: Lynda La Plante |
Celebrity culture |
 |
|
10 Oct |
31: Kenneth Steven |
A new poem, entitled "Listening", about the sound of silence |
 |
|
9 Oct |
32: Elaine Agnew |
Being prepared to take a new musical direction |
 |
|
8 Oct |
33: Esther Wilson |
Homage to creativity |
 |
|
7 Oct |
34: Stephen Bayley |
Why cities need traffic |
 |
|
6 Oct |
35: Grayson Perry |
Originality |
 |
|
5 Oct |
36: Sarah Caisley |
The meaning of life |
 |
|
4 Oct |
37: Bryan Biggs |
How culture is a vital, living process |
 |
|
3 Oct |
38: Paul Farley |
Looking busy |
 |
|
2 Oct |
39: Godfrey Worsdale |
Celebrating culture in the regions |
 |
|
1 Oct |
40: Kwame Kwei-Armah |
How art can inspire change |
 |
|
30 Sept |
41: Bill Herbert |
The significance of translation |
 | |
29 Sept |
42: Sir Christopher Frayling |
The future of Public Service Broadcasting |
 |
|
28 Sept |
43: Shirley J Thompson |
Singing and dancing for a socially cohesive society |
 |
|
27 Sept |
44: Kerenza McClarnan |
How art can bring people together |
 |
|
26 Sept |
45: Dreadlockalien |
A new poem - written especially for Free Thought - entitled "I Think" |
 |
|
25 Sept |
46: Gemma Bodinetz |
How theatre can transform our lives |
 |
|
24 Sept |
47: Geoff Dyer |
Why is the novel considered the ultimate literary proving ground? |
 |
|
23 Sept |
48: Rosemary Kelly |
How art can shape the image and identity of a community |
 |
|
22 Sept |
49: Tim Robertson |
The power of prison arts |
 |
|
21 Sept |
50: Rogan Taylor |
Football, like art, has the power to move us |
 |
|
|
20 Sept |
51: Dreda Say Mitchell |
Lost voices of the working classes |
 |
|
19 Sept |
52: Eleanor Rees |
On An August Midnight |
 |
|
18 Sept |
53: Professor Dai Smith |
Why creativity equals identity in emerging Wales |
 |
|
17 Sept |
54: Roy Williams OBE |
The similarities between theatre and football |
 |
|
16 Sept |
55: Baroness Susan Greenfield |
The impact of 21st century technology on society |
 |
|
15 Sept |
56: Lord David Alton |
Citizenship |
 |
|
14 Sept |
57: Lucy Beckett |
The Nobel prize-winning author Czeslaw Milosz |
 |
|
13 Sept |
58: Sir Nicholas Kenyon |
Participation in excellence |
 |
|
12 Sept |
59: John McGrath |
The audience as a work of art |
 |
|
11 Sept |
60: Glenn Patterson |
The dangers of oversimplification |  |
|
10 Sept |
61: Arabella McIntyre Brown |
The changing nature of culture |
 |
|
9 Sept |
62: Jatinder Verma |
Culture without restriction |
 |
|
8 Sept |
63: Maureen Freely |
Fiction in Translation |
 |
|
7 Sept |
64: Mike Stubbs |
Human Futures |
 |
|
6 Sept |
65: Victor Adebowale |
Opportunities for all |
 |
|
5 Sept |
66: Gillian Reynolds |
A day out in the Capital of Culture |
 |
|
4 Sept |
67: Jeremy Hunt |
Inspiring children through the arts. |
 |
|
3 Sept |
68: Carl Chinn |
Championing the talents of working class Britain |
 |
|
2 Sept |
69: Justin Welby |
Internationalism and its importance for Liverpool |
 |
|
1 Sept |
70: Ekow Eshun |
Misunderstanding of contemporary art |
 |
|
31 Aug |
71: Margaret Busby |
The magic of radio |
 |
|
30 Aug |
72: Lewis Biggs |
The economics of recognition |
 |
|
29 Aug |
73: Adam Sampson |
Why poor people should not be excluded from society |
 |
|
28 Aug |
74: Ruth Gould |
The culture of Deaf and Disability Arts |
 |
|
27 Aug |
75: Beatrix Campbell |
Two TV series which have captured her imagination recently - Gavin and Stacey, and The Wire |
 |
|
26 Aug |
76: Nitin Sawhney |
The relationship between music and politics |
 |
|
25 Aug |
77: A L Kennedy |
Literacy isn't just a right, it's a necessity |
 |
|
24 Aug |
78: Howard Jacobson |
The politics of envy |
 |
|
23 Aug |
79: David Fleming |
International Slavery Remembrance Day (23rd August) |
 |
|
22 Aug |
80: Paul Bailey |
The relationship between music and silence |
 |
|
21 Aug |
81: Sister Anthony Wilson |
The beauty of old age, as portrayed by Rembrandt |
 |
|
20 Aug |
82: Lisa Appignanesi |
Free expression, fame and reputation |
 |
|
19 Aug |
83: Roger Hill |
The importance of looking after the ecology of the mind. |
 |
|
18 Aug |
84: Janet Street-Porter |
How the British landscape inspires and comforts me. |
 |
|
17 Aug |
85: David Sulkin |
The baby boomer who won't lie down. |
 |
|
16 Aug |
86: Frank Cottrell Boyce |
In a world of partial attention, attention to detail is highly important. |
 |
|
15 Aug |
87: Christoph Grunenberg |
The enduring power of Viennese Culture. |
 |
|
14 Aug |
88: Richard Holloway |
The importance personal dissonance in creativity. |
 |
|
13 Aug |
89: Liam Fogarty |
The advantages of city-dwelling over countryside life. |
 |
|
12 Aug |
90: Jane Davis |
The value of the written word. |
 |
|
11 Aug |
91: Lord David Puttnam |
Why cinema matters. |
 |
|
10 Aug |
92: Marina Warner |
The commodification of art. |
 |
|
9 Aug |
93: Gwilym Simcock |
The importance of children learning a muscial instrument |
 |
|
8 Aug |
94 :Kamila Shamsie |
The experience of being a Pakistani citizen in London |
 |
|
7 Aug |
95 :Margaret Hodge |
Estate agents boards |
 |
|
6 Aug |
96 : The Singh Twins |
How their cultural heritage informs their paintings |
 |
|
5 Aug |
97 : Stuart Maconie |
high & low culture |
 |
|
4 Aug |
98 : Germaine Greer |
The British obsession with houses |
 |
|
3 Aug |
99 : Osi Rhys Osmond |
Eisteddfod |
 |
|
2 Aug |
100 : Phil Redmond |
Culture for all |
 |
| Date | Contributor | Theme | listen & comment | Photo |
|---|
| Date | Contributor | Theme | Listen & comment | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
14 Oct |
27: Steve Connor |
Taking offence |
|
|
6 Oct |
35: Grayson Perry |
Originality |
|
|
5 Oct |
36: Sarah Caisley |
The meaning of life |
|
|
3 Oct |
38: Paul Farley |
Looking busy |
|
|
2 Oct |
39: Godfrey Worsdale |
Celebrating culture in the regions |
|
|
28 Sept |
43: Shirley J Thompson |
Singing and dancing for a socially cohesive society |
|
|
27 Sept |
44: Kerenza McClarnan |
How art can bring people together |
|
|
26 Sept |
45: Dreadlockalien |
A new poem - written especially for Free Thought - entitled "I Think" |
|
|
16 Sept |
55: Baroness Susan Greenfield |
The impact of 21st century technology on society |
|
|
14 Sept |
57: Lucy Beckett |
The Nobel prize-winning author Czeslaw Milosz |
|
|
7 Sept |
64: Mike Stubbs |
Human Futures |
|
|
6 Sept |
65: Victor Adebowale |
Opportunities for all |
|
|
4 Sept |
67: Jeremy Hunt |
Inspiring children through the arts. |
|
|
3 Sept |
68: Carl Chinn |
Championing the talents of working class Britain |
|
|
2 Sept |
69: Justin Welby |
Internationalism and its importance for Liverpool |
|
|
31 Aug |
71: Margaret Busby |
The magic of radio |
|
|
30 Aug |
72: Lewis Biggs |
The economics of recognition |
|
|
29 Aug |
73: Adam Sampson |
Why poor people should not be excluded from society |
|
|
23 Aug |
79: David Fleming |
International Slavery Remembrance Day (23rd August) |
|
|
16 Aug |
86: Frank Cottrell Boyce |
In a world of partial attention, attention to detail is highly important. |
|
|
14 Aug |
88: Richard Holloway |
The importance personal dissonance in creativity. |
|
|
13 Aug |
89: Liam Fogarty |
The advantages of city-dwelling over countryside life. |
|
|
12 Aug |
90: Jane Davis |
The value of the written word. |
|
|
7 Aug |
95 :Margaret Hodge |
Estate agents boards |
|
|
5 Aug |
97 : Stuart Maconie |
high & low culture |
|
|
4 Aug |
98 : Germaine Greer |
The British obsession with houses |
|
|
2 Aug |
100 : Phil Redmond |
Culture for all |
|
