Free Thinking

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

Free Thinking: Sankofa and Afrofuturism

Sankofa and Afrofuturism

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, Sankofa and Afrofuturism

Curator Ekow Eshun, academic Sarah Jilani and sculptor Zak Ové with Shahidha Bari.

Shahidha Bari presents a discussion ranging from a spaceship-like sculpture to ideas about time in art on show in Ghana plus stories by Flora Nwapa and Ama Ata Aidoo.

Ekow Eshun is curating an exhibition exploring the idea of Sankofa, taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present.  Sarah Jilani teaches novels written by Ama Ata Aidoo (1942-2023) and Flora Nwapa (1931-1993).  Sculptor Zak Ové is showing a work called The Mothership Connection as part of Frieze Sculpture display in London's Regents Park which brings together the form of a Pacific Northwest totem and a rocket with elements relating to African culture like tribal masks.  They join Shahidha Bari for a conversation exploring African ideas about a better future. 

Producer: Marcus Smith

The Mothership Connection is on display in Regents Park as part of Frieze London's sculpture display and he has work on show in an exhibition opening at the Saatchi Gallery. He also in the past curated an exhibition called Get Up Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers.

Power to the People: Horace Ové’s Radical Vision is running at the BFI in London and Pressure, his film which was Britain’s first Black feature, has been newly restored by the BFI National Archive and is screening. 
Sarah Jilani teaches world literatures in English at City, University of London and is a New Generation Thinker on the scheme run by BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to showcase new research on radio. 

Ekow Eshun is a writer and curator. His most recent show In and Out of Time runs at Accra’s Gallery 157 until December 12th 2023.  You can hear him discussing ideas about The Black Fantastic in a previous episode of Free Thinking.

You can find a collection of episodes exploring Black History on the Free Thinking programme website and available to download as Arts and Ideas podcasts.

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