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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with artists and thinkers in debates and interviews.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with leading artists and thinkers in extended interview and debate.

Free Thinking: 2014 Festival

Anne McElvoy

Zahid Warley

David Almond

Eliza Carthy

Alison Light

Free Thinking: 2014 Festival: From Flat Caps to Benefit Caps

From Flat Caps to Benefit Caps

10/11/2014

2014 Festival

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, 2014 Festival, From Flat Caps to Benefit Caps

David Almond, Eliza Carthy and Alison Light debate working class history with Anne McElvoy

Anne McElvoy chairs a discussion about depictions of working class history in song, story and historical sources. The panel features Alison Light, David Almond and Eliza Carthy.

Anne McElvoy explores whether it is worth getting hot under the collar about blue collar history with historian Alison Light, David Almond and Eliza Carthy. 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?

Alison Light is 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 and My Name is Mina. His new novel for adults is 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 at Sage.

The discussion was recorded in front of an audience at BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival of Ideas at Sage Gateshead in 2014.

All the discussions and essays from the Free Thinking festival are available as Radio 3 Arts and Ideas downloads.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Events from the 2014 Free Thinking festival. The theme is 'the limits of knowledge'

Series of events from the 2014 Free Thinking festival. The theme is 'the limits of knowledge'

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