Episodes

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01Writer Naomi Alderman2021030120210407 (R4)When a shock wave hits the world, how do artists respond? In a new five-part series, artists chronicle how they have responded to the crisis. Dare they dream and imagine what work might emerge out of the pandemic?

In January 2020, author Naomi Alderman was four years into writing her next book, the fictional story of a flu-like virus spreading across the globe, carried by pigeons. One month later, with 180,000 words under her belt, she decided she had to stop. The story seemed too close to reality. In this programme, Naomi traces the pandemic year through her writing and speaks to fellow novelists, literary historians and to her editor about how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on the world of literature and how big shocks have affected literature in the past.

Producer: Sarah Shebbeare

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

When a shock wave hits the world, how do artists respond? In a new five-part series, artists chronicle how they have responded to the crisis. Dare they dream and imagine what work might emerge out of the pandemic?

In January 2020, author Naomi Alderman was four years into writing her next book, the fictional story of a flu-like virus spreading across the globe, carried by pigeons. One month later, with 180,000 words under her belt, she decided she had to stop. The story seemed too close to reality. In this programme, Naomi traces the pandemic year through her writing and speaks to fellow novelists, literary historians and to her editor about how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on the world of literature and how big shocks have affected literature in the past.

Producer: Sarah Shebbeare

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

02Poet And Musician Cornelius Eady2021030820210414 (R4)When a shock wave hits the world, how do artists respond? Public performance has all but halted, silence and solitude reigns in our performance spaces and places. But the virus cannot kill creativity. In a new five-part series, artists chronicle how they have responded to the crisis and the challenge of performance. Dare they dream and imagine what work might emerge out of the pandemic?

For Cornelius Eady, a leading Black American poet, playwright and musician, the virus struck just as he was about to go into a studio at Nashville to record with his regular music collaborators Lisa Liu and Charlie Rauh. By mid March the three were separated by the gulf of Covid 19, all gigs cancelled, a fearful city surging with infections. Eady had survived prostate cancer, had clapped and watched as the first-responders made their way to Ground Zero on 9/11, but now life was atomised, the enemy was unseen. What began as an attempt just to stave off the panic and worry gradually coalesced over the weeks and months into a pandemic folk song project, 'Don't Get Dead'. The three had to learn to collaborate remotely whilst Eady's work has had to encompass not just a pandemic but the impact of Trump's policies and upheaval of Black Lives Matter. Looking back now on his earliest songs in the spring of the pandemic feels almost like a different age for Cornelius as his project expanded to embrace the spiralling chaos and disaster. His latest song celebrates the actions of Officer Eugene Goodman during the mob insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. As he anxiously awaits the vaccine, he and his collaborators hone their latest song whilst reflecting on a terrible year and the possibilities ahead.

Producer: Mark Burman

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

03Artist Katie Paterson2021031520210421 (R4)Katie Paterson is one of the leading artists of her generation. Much of her work explores our place on earth in relation to geological or even cosmic time. As the pandemic brought many aspects of our lives to a halt, and caused various projects and exhibitions to be cancelled or delayed, she's been exploring how this break in life's continuum is affecting artistic creativity.

Based outside Edinburgh and with family, staff and studios to support, there was the pragmatic issue of dealing with shrinking finances. But also, with this involuntary pause, a pent-up force of new ideas was released. She's back in her studio creating an urn made up of collected layers of matter from the dawn of time up until today and is currently deciding which layer should represent the pandemic. She's also creating incense from the first and the last forest on earth.

Comparing notes with other artists - including Edmund de Waal, who's had his most creative year ever, and Peter Liversidge, who saw a gallery that he'd been preparing an exhibition for close - she reflects on the artistic shock waves of the pandemic and its unexpected consequences.

Producer Neil McCarthy

Artist Katie Paterson explores how the pandemic and lockdown have affected her creativity.

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Katie Paterson is one of the leading artists of her generation. Much of her work explores our place on earth in relation to geological or even cosmic time. As the pandemic brought many aspects of our lives to a halt, and caused various projects and exhibitions to be cancelled or delayed, she's been exploring how this break in life's continuum is affecting artistic creativity.

Based outside Edinburgh and with family, staff and studios to support, there was the pragmatic issue of dealing with shrinking finances. But also, with this involuntary pause, a pent-up force of new ideas was released. She's back in her studio creating an urn made up of collected layers of matter from the dawn of time up until today and is currently deciding which layer should represent the pandemic. She's also creating incense from the first and the last forest on earth.

Comparing notes with other artists - including Edmund de Waal, who's had his most creative year ever, and Peter Liversidge, who saw a gallery that he'd been preparing an exhibition for close - she reflects on the artistic shock waves of the pandemic and its unexpected consequences.

Producer Neil McCarthy

Artist Katie Paterson explores how the pandemic and lockdown have affected her creativity.

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

04Playwright And Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-armah2021032220210428 (R4)When a shockwave hits the world, how do artists respond? Public performance has all but halted, silence and solitude reign in our performance spaces and places. In this five part series, artists chronicle how they have responded to the crisis over the past year and the challenge of performance. Dare they dream and imagine what work might emerge out of the pandemic?

In the fourth episode of the series, Kwame Kwei-Armah, playwright and artistic director of the Young Vic in London, looks at how theatre makers have been responding to the past year.

Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill was in pre-production in Germany with his play on the climate crisis, 'Is my microphone on?', when the lockdown began, and has had to pivot towards other kinds of writing since March 2020. Already at the cutting edge of technology and theatre before the pandemic with his Virtual Reality piece 'Draw me Close', Jordan reflects on how VR and other innovations that have come to the fore over the past year might continue to have a role when theatres open again. In looking at the kind of work that might come out of the hearts, minds and souls of theatre makers in future, and how technology will feed into that, Kwame also talks to actor and writer Daniel Bailey of London-based arts collective The Palace of the Dogs. Daniel reveals the impact of the summer of racial reckoning on his work, and how he's had the chance to reflect on the changes that he thinks theatre needs to undergo when it returns, to reflect a changed world.

And with Kirsty Sedgman, Lecturer in theatre at the University of Bristol, Kwame considers how the move to communicating online with audiences has opened up new possibilities, and what it means for theatre-going in future.

Produced by Megan Jones for BBC Wales

Kwame Kwei-Armah explores the impact of the pandemic on the future of theatre.

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

When a shockwave hits the world, how do artists respond? Public performance has all but halted, silence and solitude reign in our performance spaces and places. In this five part series, artists chronicle how they have responded to the crisis over the past year and the challenge of performance. Dare they dream and imagine what work might emerge out of the pandemic?

In the fourth episode of the series, Kwame Kwei-Armah, playwright and artistic director of the Young Vic in London, looks at how theatre makers have been responding to the past year.

Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill was in pre-production in Germany with his play on the climate crisis, 'Is my microphone on?', when the lockdown began, and has had to pivot towards other kinds of writing since March 2020. Already at the cutting edge of technology and theatre before the pandemic with his Virtual Reality piece 'Draw me Close', Jordan reflects on how VR and other innovations that have come to the fore over the past year might continue to have a role when theatres open again. In looking at the kind of work that might come out of the hearts, minds and souls of theatre makers in future, and how technology will feed into that, Kwame also talks to actor and writer Daniel Bailey of London-based arts collective The Palace of the Dogs. Daniel reveals the impact of the summer of racial reckoning on his work, and how he's had the chance to reflect on the changes that he thinks theatre needs to undergo when it returns, to reflect a changed world.

And with Kirsty Sedgman, Lecturer in theatre at the University of Bristol, Kwame considers how the move to communicating online with audiences has opened up new possibilities, and what it means for theatre-going in future.

Produced by Megan Jones for BBC Wales

Kwame Kwei-Armah explores the impact of the pandemic on the future of theatre.

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

05Musician Anoushka Shankar2021032920210505 (R4)Sitarist, composer and producer Anoushka Shankar explores the effect of the pandemic on musical creativity. During a year when the music industry has been turned upside down, how has working at home and online made music creators think differently about what they do and make? How have identities been impacted, and what can be gleaned from considering shockwaves endured by previous generations of artists?

In the spring of 2020, Anoushka was set to lead a celebratory performance at The Southbank Centre to mark the centenary of her late father Ravi Shankar's birth. Then the pandemic struck and the live performance was cancelled and Anoushka began to heal her shock and grief with creativity. Collaborating remotely to create the score for the TV series A Suitable Boy and song-writing with singer, composer and producer Alev Lenz she began honing technical skills and shaping new approaches to composing around motherhood in lockdown. Anoushka and Alev now reflect on how finding a synthesis between composing and parenting has enabled creativity to flow.

Performing at the Proms to an empty Royal Albert Hall later in the year inspires Anoushka to find out how the pandemic has highlighted our need for musical connectivity. She speaks with jazz musician, saxophonist, composer and bandleader Nubya Garcia - whose socially distanced performance at The Barbican has been the only live show Anoushka has experienced as an audience member this last year. She also reflects on the ‘dark period' of her father's life during the partition of India and speaks to composer and musicologist Seကn Doherty about taking inspiration from 14th century texts from the time of the plague to compose new emotive choral works that speak to the shock of this current pandemic.

Produced by Nina Perry for BBC Wales

Anoushka Shankar explores the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on musical creativity.

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sitarist, composer and producer Anoushka Shankar explores the effect of the pandemic on musical creativity. During a year when the music industry has been turned upside down, how has working at home and online made music creators think differently about what they do and make? How have identities been impacted, and what can be gleaned from considering shockwaves endured by previous generations of artists?

In the spring of 2020, Anoushka was set to lead a celebratory performance at The Southbank Centre to mark the centenary of her late father Ravi Shankar's birth. Then the pandemic struck and the live performance was cancelled and Anoushka began to heal her shock and grief with creativity. Collaborating remotely to create the score for the TV series A Suitable Boy and song-writing with singer, composer and producer Alev Lenz she began honing technical skills and shaping new approaches to composing around motherhood in lockdown. Anoushka and Alev now reflect on how finding a synthesis between composing and parenting has enabled creativity to flow.

Performing at the Proms to an empty Royal Albert Hall later in the year inspires Anoushka to find out how the pandemic has highlighted our need for musical connectivity. She speaks with jazz musician, saxophonist, composer and bandleader Nubya Garcia - whose socially distanced performance at The Barbican has been the only live show Anoushka has experienced as an audience member this last year. She also reflects on the ‘dark period' of her father's life during the partition of India and speaks to composer and musicologist Seကn Doherty about taking inspiration from 14th century texts from the time of the plague to compose new emotive choral works that speak to the shock of this current pandemic.

Produced by Nina Perry for BBC Wales

Anoushka Shankar explores the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on musical creativity.

Five artists chronicle how they have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.