The Listening Project

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Capturing the nation in conversation, in partnership with the British Library.

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The Listening Project: Truth and Representation

Truth and Representation

BBC Radio 4 - The Listening Project, Truth and Representation

Fi Glover with three conversations about Afghanistan, contested statues and mermaids.

Three conversations about being in the army and Afghanistan; a town statue of the explorer Henry Morton Stanley; and the power of mermaid folklore and myths. Fi Glover presents.

This week: Nick and Michael, ex-servicemen both, discuss the attraction of army life and share their perspective on how the exit from Afghanistan was handled; Megan and Gwyneth, both residents of Denbigh, exchange opposing views on what the town statue of the explorer Henry Morton Stanley represents; and Sacha and Yasmin explain why mermaid culture, folklore and symbolism resonates with them.

The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation lasts up to an hour and is then edited to extract the key moments of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in this decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject

Producer: Mohini Patel

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