Podcasts about cultural olympiad

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves and award-winning author China Miéville have joined forces for The Book of Elsewhere, which is based on Keanu's hit comic book series BRZRKR and tells the story of an immortal warrior and his journey through time.As Paris prepares to welcome the world for the Olympic and Paralympic Games this week, the writer and broadcaster Agnés Poirier reports on the City of Light's Cultural Olympiad.Nick visits Blackburn to meet co-founder and co-director of the National Festival of Making, Elena Jackson, and to see two of this year's festival commissions - Breathing Colour by textile artist and designer Margo Selby, and Invisible Hands by ceramic artist Nehal Aamir.Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

She has featured in Beyoncé's music videos, choreographed a sell-out stage musical and brought underground nightclub moves to the stage of the Opéra de Paris. Now Josepha Madoki is hosting a weekend of waacking in the Musée d'Orsay's imposing entrance hall; she tells us more about this 1970s queer subculture and how she became France's unofficial queen of waacking. She also tells us about the phone call from her friend and colleague, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, which led to a video shoot in the Louvre with Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Plus, Josepha explains why sports and the performing arts are complementary disciplines as she discusses her part in the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad.

At the LA 2028 Paralympics, the US will compete in blind football (aka blind soccer) for the first time--but a national team is still in development. Molly Quinn, CEO of the US Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) joins us to talk about the process of building an internationally competitive team. Learn more about blind soccer at the USABA's website and follow them on X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn! If you get involved with the team, we'd love to hear from you! Plus: Medal reallocations from London 2012 (not a typo). Paris 2024 news with details on Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), Village condoms, the basketball draw, a Cultural Olympiad event, and more!  Stadiumnovela updates from Brisbane 2032 News from the latest IOC Executive Board meeting And we have updates from TKFLASTAN, where we hear from: Nordic combined athlete Annika Malacinski Wheelchair curler Steve Emt Sled hockey player Monica Quimby Commentator Olly Hogben For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.   Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!   Photo courtesy of the US Association of Blind Athletes. *** Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.   Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod   Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at http://flamealivepod.com VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348          

Ballet Help Desk sat down with Vanessa Léonard, Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program. She covered not only how the program is structured, but how dancers work with the main company, where dancers get jobs and also how students can audition to join the program. Ms. Léonard also covers the unique challenges that dancers face when trying to dance in a country that isn't their own, especially when it comes to visa issues. Tune in to hear more about this unique Canadian company! Interested in auditioning for Royal Winnipeg Ballet School? Video auditions being accepted through June 1, 2024: https://www.rwb.org/school/professional-division/audition/video-auditions/   Royal Winnipeg Aspirant Program Ballet Help Desk Submit Year-Round Reviews Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Vanessa Léonard Bio Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Vanessa Léonard has been gracing the studios and stages of the Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet since 1994 as a student, principal dancer, and ballet master. In 2021, Ms. Léonard was honoured to be appointed as Director of the RWB's Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program. She received her early training from the Edmonton School of Ballet and the RWB School Professional Division before being hired into the RWB Company in 1997. During a fifteen-year career, Ms. Léonard portrayed the lead female role in many well-known works; the first of such roles was in David Nixon's Butterfly when Nixon picked her from the corps de ballet to perform the lead. In the 2001/02 season she worked with Sir Peter Wright to dance the dramatic and technical role of Giselle. Other roles that Ms. Léonard enjoyed dancing include Odette/Odile in Galina Yardonova's staging of Swan Lake, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Lucy in Mark Godden's Dracula, Pamina in Mark Godden's The Magic Flute, the tender Cours D'Amour in Mauricio Wainrot's Carmina Burana and the lead role of Nancy in Val Caniparoli's A Cinderella Story. Ms. Léonard is known for roles that have been created on her including Tinker Bell in Jorden Morris' Peter Pan; Destiny in Mauricio Wainrot's Carmen, The Passion; March Hare in Shawn Hounsell's Wonderland; and Natalie in Jorden Morris's Moulin Rouge® – The Ballet. In 2009 Ms. Léonard danced the role of Juliet in Rudi van Dantzig's Romeo & Juliet for which she was called “simply stunning” by the Winnipeg Free Press. Ms. Léonard has appeared as a guest artist internationally, performing in galas with the Compania Nacional de Danza in Mexico City, the Benios De La Danse in Moscow, the 10th and 13th International Ballet Festivals of Miami, and the Encore International Dance Festival in Quebec. She has also been invited to dance with various companies and schools in full-length productions of Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty in Canada, the USA and Spain. In 2009, Peter Quanz selected Ms. Léonard to perform a new piece called In Tandem at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and at the 2010 Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa. As part of the Cultural Olympiad for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games she performed the lead in Iztik Galili's Hikarizatto. Since retiring from dance in 2013, Ms. Léonard has staged and coached many ballets for the RWB Company, Professional Division and Aspirant program. She has also staged full length ballets for Orlando Ballet, Louisville Ballet and the National Ballet of Cuba and has enjoyed guest teaching for schools and companies around the world.

Book Club Claire is back to discuss a memoir we've been excited to read: The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph (affiliate link) by Oksana Masters, a 6x Paralympian who is one of the major faces of Team USA. Will this book live up to our expectations? Don't forget to follow Claire on Twitter! She's a great follow! In our Seoul 1988 History Moment, Jill has part 2 of her sailing stories. This time we're looking at the Finn class, and the sportsmanship of Canadian Lawrence Lemieux. In our TKFLASTAN Update, we have news and results from: Beach volleyball player Kelly Cheng Shooter Tim Sherry Hammer thrower DeAnna Price Pole vaulter Katie Moon Author Andrew Maraniss, who will be speaking at the Baseball Hall of Fame in August Paralympian John Register, who will be hosting a meal with Top Chef contestant and Olympian Dawn Burrell at the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum In Paris 2024 news, Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is rapidly becoming our favorite politician, announced efforts to reduce plastic waste during the Games. We have more details on the torch relay--including how some departments of France have said non to hosting the event due to the costs involved. Plus, we are learning more about fan zones and the Cultural Olympiad. In LA 2028 news, there's speculation on the potential for moving the canoe slalom events to a different state. And in International Olympic Committee News, could this finally be it for boxing in the Games? For a transcript of this episode, please visit: https://flamealivepod.com/?p=9146 Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! ***  Keep the Flame Alive: The Podcast for Fans of the Olympics and Paralympics with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown   Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod   Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at http://flamealivepod.com VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348      

The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics showcased the best of sporting achievement from around the world, but the Games, with their opening and closing ceremonies and the Cultural Olympiad were always much more than that. And ten years on and the best of the art, music, dance and fashion are about to return in style to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.East Bank is one of the world's largest and most ambitious culture and education districts. The ambition of the project is recognised in the name – East Bank – which will complement London's other major arts centres, such as the South Bank. In this latest episode of My London Legacy, we focus on four of the world's leading brands that are moving to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and creating a cluster of commerce, technology, manufacture, retail, education and the creative arts - UAL's London College of Fashion, the BBC, Sadler's Wells and the V&A. Welcome to East Bank!(

On the second episode of our Below the Radar series: The Climate Imaginary, Steve Tornes and Alex K Masse sit down to talk with Kendra Fanconi, artistic director of The Only Animal. Kendra's work with The Only Animal—a theatre company based in Vancouver—arises from a deep engagement with place and unfolds in collaboration with the natural world. Together, they discuss the process of making theatre in the anthropocene, The Only Animal's Artist Brigade cohort of 100 climate-engaged artists, and the role that artists play in re-imagining the climate crisis. Through collectively traversing climate grief and anxiety, they talk over how collaboration brings forward new ideas and lessons on sharing with our natural world. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/the-climate-imaginary/193-kendra-fanconi.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/193-kendra-fanconi.html Resources: The Only Animal: https://www.theonlyanimal.com/ SCALE, Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency: https://scale-lesaut.ca/about/#values Shifting Baseline Theory (Diminishing Baseline Theory): https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/proving-the-shifting-baselines-theory-how-humans-consistently-misperceive-nature/ The Only Animal's Artist Brigade: https://www.theonlyanimal.com/the-artist-brigade/ Art and the World after this by David Maggs: https://metcalffoundation.com/publication/art-and-the-world-after-this/ 1000 Year Theatre: https://www.theonlyanimal.com/2021/11/17/the-thousand-year-theatre/ Museum of Rain: https://www.theonlyanimal.com/2021/11/17/museum-of-rain/ Bio: Kendra Fanconi is the Artistic Director of The Only Animal, a 16-year-old company that is uniquely dedicated to theatre that springs from a deep engagement with place, and towards solutionary outcomes for this climate moment. She is known for her love of the impossible. Selected Credits for directing/writing: World premiere of Slime, written by Bryony Lavery, tinkers, based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by Paul Harding, Nothing But Sky, a living comic book (Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement), NiX, theatre of snow and ice, at the 2010 Cultural Olympiad and Enbridge Festival, Alberta Theatre Projects 2009, (Winner of Betty Mitchell Award and Vancouver's Critic's Choice Award for Innovation). Current projects include 1000 Year Theatre and Museum of Rain. Kendra leads the Artist Brigade, bringing arts and artists to the front lines of the climate movement. Kendra is a founding member and a coordinating circle member of SCALE, Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency, where she is a conduit for the Artist Mobilization Working Group, fondly known as the Art Mob. Kendra lives on Shíshálh land on the far left coast of Canada, and is a farmer, a forager, and mother to two kids who are real characters. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Tornes, Steve and Alex Masse. “The Climate Imaginary: The Art Shaped Hole in the Climate Crisis — with Kendra Fanconi.” Below the Radar, SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, November 8, 2022. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/the-climate-imaginary/193-kendra-fanconi.html.

Art in Odd Places (AiOP) presents visual and performance art in unexpected public spaces. AiOP also produces an annual festival along 14th Street in Manhattan, NYC from Avenue C to the Hudson River each October. https://artinoddplaces.org/story/ Mission Art in Odd Places aims to stretch the boundaries of communication in the public realm by presenting artworks in all disciplines outside the confines of traditional public space regulations. AiOP reminds us that public spaces function as the epicenter for diverse social interactions and the unfettered exchange of ideas. History Art in Odd Places (AiOP) began as an action by a group of artists led by Ed Woodham to encourage local participation in the Cultural Olympiad of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In 2005, after moving back to New York City, he re imagined it as a response to the dwindling of public space and personal civil liberties – first in the Lower East Side and East Village, and since 2008, on 14th Street in Manhattan. AiOP has always been a grassroots project fueled by the goodwill and inventiveness of its participants. AiOP 2022: STORY OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS Art in Odd Places invites proposals for its seventeenth annual public art and performance festival taking place along 14th Street in Manhattan, NY – from Avenue C to the Hudson River this fall. “Obstacles are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.” ― Unknown Today, public personal merit is based on the number of followers on social media – and relevance changes with the shifting weather. True identity and community are where words are genuinely heard, truths shared, stories told, and perceptions possibly changed. Is it feasible to change others' perceptions? Finding meaning in life is a collective universal truth. The pursuit of meaning can be lost in the static of the passionate necessity to search. One's narrative writes itself. Every insurmountable obstacle, laugh, devastation, tear, scar, heartbreak, familiarity, and inexperience is a chapter. If executed with fearless honesty and mindful intent – change is possible. Will the story of your existence endure the test of time? Art in Odd Places(AiOP) 2022: STORY scheduled for September 23-25, 2022, curated by Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn invites proposals for its seventeenth annual public art and performance festival taking place along 14th Street in Manhattan, NY – from Avenue C to the Hudson River. Art in Odd Places 2022: STORY seeks imaginative proposals by artists from the Disabled, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Allied communities that tell her, his, their STORY (Community. Identity. Endurance. Merit. Perception). Jessica Elain Blinkhorn, Who Am I Who Are You? ABOUT THE CURATOR: Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy very young. The muscle wasting disease has left her as a wheelchair user but she uses living with a disability to inform her work and educate society about differences. She began to explore Performance Art in Graduate School to assist with creating and constructing a social narrative to promote change, equity, and inclusion. She has been featured on ABC World News(2010), was the subject of the award-winning documentary short “Grounded by Reality”(2010), and has received grants from Change, Inc., FL(2012), Artist Fellowship Grant, NY(2013, 2014, 2015, 2021), Foundation for the Contemporary Arts, NY(2018, 2020, 2021), C4 Atlanta, GA(2020). Blinkhorn is an AiOP veteran(2018, 2021) and most recently, was named a Franklin Furnace Awardee, NY(2019-20), Artist in Residence at the Momentary, AR(2020), Artist in Residence for the Paseo Project, NM(2021), Atlanta BeltLine Artist, GA(2021-22), and an ELEVATE Artist, GA(2021).

Tommy joins Regina to talk about the last two decades in his award winning writing career.  In 2020 Tommy Murphy received the National Theatre Prize from the Australia Council for the Arts. His most recent stage play was Packer & Sons broke box office records at Belvoir. Another recent work, Mark Colvin's Kidney is currently in development for a screen adaptation. Murphy's earlier stage adaptation of Timothy Conigrave's memoirs, Holding The Man, is regularly produced around the world with recent productions in Florence, Chicago, Nashville and London. His screenplay for Holding the Man, for which he was Associate Producer, won the Australian Writers' Guild Award and the Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay. Netflix distributes the film globally. The stage play Holding the Man started at Griffin, directed by Murphy's regular collaborator David Berthold, before transferring multiple times across Australia culminating in a West End production. It won multiple awards including the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the Australian Writers' Guild Award and the Philip Parsons Award. Tommy was the youngest and only dual winner in consecutive years of the NSW Premier's Literary Award, having won for Strangers in Between at Griffin in 2005. Strangers in Between was revived in Melbourne, Sydney and on London's West End in 2018. Tommy's adaptation of Lorca's Blood Wedding formed part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. His play Gwen in Purgatory (Belvoir/La Boite) won the WA Premier's Award and the Richard Burton Prize. His other plays include Troy's House (Old Fitz/ATYP) and an adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's Massacre at Paris (ATYP). He is a graduate of NIDA's directing course, a former president of SUDS, a Patrick White Fellow at Sydney Theatre Company and a Sidney Myer Fellowship recipient. Tommy is the creator of an upcoming ABC TV series, having been on the writing teams for Foxtel's Fighting Season (Goalpost Pictures) and Devil's Playground (winner of the 2015 Logie for Most Outstanding Miniseries and AACTA Award for Best Miniseries).   

Ciaran is joined on this episode of 'In Lockdown With...' by playwright Kaite O'Reilly. Kaite is the foremost disabled playwright in the UK. Kaite studied theatre and English literature at the University of Sheffield, before starting out as a performer with Graeae Theatre Company. Then, she turned to playwriting. In 2002, Kaite's play 'Peeling' was produced by Graeae, and has since been revived by Taking Flight Theatre in 2019. One of Kaite's other plays 'In Water I'm Weightless' was part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad produced by National Theatre Wales. Here Ciaran talks to Kaite about her facinating career. 

In this episode of 'In Lockdown With...' Ciaran chats to actor Sara Beer. Sara has worked extensively within the disability arts sector in Wales over the course of her career. As an actor, she has appeared in many plays by Kaite O'Reilly, including 'The D Monologues' and 'Richard III (Redux).' Sara also shadowed John E McGrath as an emerging director on 'In Water I'm Weightless,' by Kaite O'Reilly for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Sara currently works for Disability Arts Cymru as the South Wales Regional Officer, and supports disabled artists across South Wales in their careers in the arts.

Work. Shouldn't. Suck. LIVE: The Morning(ish) Show with special guest Elizabeth Streb. [Live show recorded: May 12, 2020.] MacArthur “Genius” Award-winner, Elizabeth Streb has dived through glass, allowed a ton of dirt to fall on her head, walked down (the outside of) London’s City Hall, and set herself on fire, among other feats of extreme action. Her popular book, STREB: How to Become an Extreme Action Hero, was made into a hit documentary, Born to Fly directed by Catherine Gund (Aubin Pictures), which premiered at SXSW and received an extended run at The Film Forum in New York City in 2014. Streb founded the STREB Extreme Action Company (https://streb.org/) in 1979. In 2003, she established SLAM, the STREB Lab for Action Mechanics, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. SLAM’s garage doors are always open: anyone and everyone can come in, watch rehearsals, take classes, and learn to fly. Elizabeth Streb was invited to present a TED Talk (‘My Quest To Defy Gravity and Fly’) at TED 2018: THE AGE OF AMAZEMENT. She has been a featured speaker presenting her keynote lectures at such places as the Rubin Museum of Art (in conversation with Dr. John W. Krakauer), TEDxMET, the Institute for Technology and Education (ISTE), POPTECH, the Institute of Contemporary Art (in conversation with physicist, Brain Greene), The Brooklyn Museum of Art (in conversation with author A.M. Homes), the National Performing Arts Convention, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), the Penny Stamps Speaker Series at the University of Michigan, Chorus America, the University of Utah, and as a Caroline Werner Gannett Project speaker in Rochester NY, among others. "Rough and Tumble," Alec Wilkinson’s profile of Elizabeth Streb, appeared in The New Yorker magazine in June, 2015. Streb received the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation ‘Genius’ Award in 1997. She holds a Master of Arts in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University, a Bachelor of Science in Modern Dance from SUNY Brockport, and honorary doctorates from SUNY Brockport, Rhode Island College and Otis College of Art and Design. Streb has received numerous other awards and fellowships including the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1987; a Brandeis Creative Arts Award in 1991; two New York Dance and Performance Awards (Bessie Awards), in 1988 and 1999 for her “sustained investigation of movement;” a Doris Duke Artist Award in 2013; and over 30 years of on-going support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In 2009, Streb was the Danspace Project Honoree. She served on Mayor Bloomberg’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and is a member of the board of the Jerome Foundation. Major commissions for choreography include: Lincoln Center Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, MOCA, LA Temporary Contemporary, the Whitney Museum of Art, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the Park Avenue Armory, London 2012, the Cultural Olympiad for the Summer Games, CityLab Paris 2018, the opening of Bloomberg’s new headquarters in London, Musée D’Orsay, the re-opening of the Théâtre du Châtelet, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Born to Fly aired on PBS on May 11, 2014 and is currently available on iTunes. OXD, directed by Craig Lowy, which follows STREB at the 2012 London Olympics, premiered at the IFC theater in New York City on February 2, 2016. Streb and her company have also been featured in PopAction by Michael Blackwood, on PBS’s In The Life and Great Performances, The David Letterman Show, BBC World News, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS This Morning, Business Insider, CNN’s Weekend Today, MTV, on the National Public Radio shows Studio 360 and Science Friday, and on Larry King Live.

Laksmi Pamuntjak spoke to Dr Natali Pearson about her career, the storytelling process, the challenges of translation, publishing, identity, women's rights and food, among others. About Laksmi Pamuntjak: Laksmi Pamuntjak is a bilingual Indonesian novelist, poet, journalist, essayist, and food critic. She writes opinion and features articles for numerous Indonesian publications as Tempo, the Jakarta Post and the Jakarta Globe, as well as international publications such as South China Morning Post, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Kulturaustausch, and Die Welt. She also writes op-eds on culture and politics for the Guardian. Laksmi's first bestselling novel, Amba/The Question of Red tells the modern story of two ill-starred lovers, Amba and Bhisma of the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, who were driven apart by one the bloodiest purges in the 20th century—the massacre of up to one million accused communists in Indonesia between 1965 and 1968. The novel won Germany's LiBeraturpreis 2016 and was named #1 on Germany's Weltempfaenger list of the best works of fiction from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Arab World translated into German. The novel has been translated into several languages. Laksmi's second novel, Aruna dan Lidahnya, was a bestseller in Indonesia and published in the US in February 2018 under the title The Birdwoman's Palate. The movie adaptation of the novel won two Piala Citra (Festival Film Indonesia) awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Laksmi is also the author of three collections of poetry: Ellipsis, The Anagram and There Are Tears in Things: Selected Prose and Poems by Laksmi Pamuntjak (2001-2015); a collection of short stories on paintings, The Diary of R.S.: Musings on Art, a treatise on man, violence and mythology, Perang, Langit dan Dua Perempuan, and four volumes of the award-winning The Jakarta Good Food Guide, Indonesia's first independent and literary good food guide series. In 2012, Laksmi was selected by an international panel headed by Sir Simon Armitage as the Indonesian representative for Poetry Parnassus at the Cultural Olympiad (in conjunction with the London Olympics). Between 2009 and 2011, she was a member of the international jury of the Prince Claus Award, an Amsterdam-based international art philanthropy organization. Laksmi's third novel, Herbstkind, was published in Germany in August 2018. The original English version of the novel, The Fall Baby, was published by Penguin Random House in October 2019. This makes Laksmi a rare few among Indonesian contemporary authors whose work in English has been published by Penguin Random House. The Indonesian version of the novel, Srikandi, is slated for publication by Gramedia Pustaka Utama early next year. Laksmi is currently at work on Kitab Kawin (A Book of Marriage), a new collection of short stories on women in relationships. Find out more on her website: http://laksmipamuntjak.com/ View the transcript here: https://bit.ly/2QLv08h

Laksmi Pamuntjak spoke to Dr Natali Pearson about her third novel, Fall Baby, and about the intricacies of art, religion, politics and history in a troubled Indonesia, but also about family, identity, motherhood, and the sisterhood of women. Fall Baby tells the story of two women—Srikandi (Siri) and Dara, one a globetrotting visual artist, the other a political activist. Siri is the illegitimate daughter of Amba and Bhisma, the protagonists of Laksmi Pamuntjak's award-winning first novel, Amba/The Question of Red. Dara is Siri's best friend-turned foe. After almost a lifetime of soul-searching in different cities of the world, Siri—brave, brilliant, broken—seeks to escape the difficult realities of her family history by making a new life in Berlin. Just as she is starting to find her footing in her new home, both in art and in life, unexpected family circumstances and a changing political landscape compel her to return to Jakarta—and to confront not only the wounds of her past, but also the complex realities of faith, art and politics in Indonesia: from the daily frustrations of navigating between two cultures and her multiple selves to dealing with religious fanatics who deem her art blasphemous. About Laksmi Pamuntjak: Laksmi Pamuntjak is a bilingual Indonesian novelist, poet, journalist, essayist, and food critic. She writes opinion and features articles for numerous Indonesian publications as Tempo, the Jakarta Post and the Jakarta Globe, as well as international publications such as South China Morning Post, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Kulturaustausch, and Die Welt. She also writes op-eds on culture and politics for the Guardian. Laksmi's first bestselling novel, Amba/The Question of Red tells the modern story of two ill-starred lovers, Amba and Bhisma of the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, who were driven apart by one the bloodiest purges in the 20th century—the massacre of up to one million accused communists in Indonesia between 1965 and 1968. The novel won Germany's LiBeraturpreis 2016 and was named #1 on Germany's Weltempfaenger list of the best works of fiction from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Arab World translated into German. The novel has been translated into several languages. Laksmi's second novel, Aruna dan Lidahnya, was a bestseller in Indonesia and published in the US in February 2018 under the title The Birdwoman's Palate. The movie adaptation of the novel won two Piala Citra (Festival Film Indonesia) awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Laksmi is also the author of three collections of poetry: Ellipsis, The Anagram and There Are Tears in Things: Selected Prose and Poems by Laksmi Pamuntjak (2001-2015); a collection of short stories on paintings, The Diary of R.S.: Musings on Art, a treatise on man, violence and mythology, Perang, Langit dan Dua Perempuan, and four volumes of the award-winning The Jakarta Good Food Guide, Indonesia's first independent and literary good food guide series. In 2012, Laksmi was selected by an international panel headed by Sir Simon Armitage as the Indonesian representative for Poetry Parnassus at the Cultural Olympiad (in conjunction with the London Olympics). Between 2009 and 2011, she was a member of the international jury of the Prince Claus Award. Laksmi's third novel, Herbstkind, was published in Germany in August 2018. The original English version of the novel, The Fall Baby, was published by Penguin Random House in October 2019. This makes Laksmi a rare few among Indonesian contemporary authors whose work in English has been published by Penguin Random House. The Indonesian version of the novel, Srikandi, is slated for publication by Gramedia Pustaka Utama early next year. Laksmi is currently at work on a new collection of short stories on women in relationships. Find out more on her website: http://laksmipamuntjak.com/ View the transcript here: https://bit.ly/2tmd9vK

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by the milliner Stephen Jones whose passion for hats has led him from the catwalks of Dior to the Brighton Pavillion, the adventurer and extreme sleeper Phoebe Smith who sends people to sleep with her travel stories, historian David Olusoga whose TV programme explores the lives of all the people who lived in one house in Newcastle and Saturday Live listener, the crochetdermist Shauna Richardson whose creations include animal versions of Boris Johnson and Prince Harry and whose worked graced the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. We also have the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Gina Yashere who chooses Dancing Queen by Abba and Back to Life by Soul II Soul And listener Rosie Humphreys tells us about her mother's dress. Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Eleanor Garland

A special Oceania themed Literary Salon hosted by Damian Barr in the penthouse of New Zealand House to coincide with the major exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. Joining Damian for this special Salon are five leading voices from the Pacific...Māori writers Witi Ihimaera, Tina Makereti and Paula Morris and Pasifika poets David Egglegon and Karlo Mila, all of whom tell stunning Oceanic stories for the 21st century. Damian Barr, award-winning writer, journalist, presenter and salonnière is now an honorary New Zealander by virtue of the fact that on his most recent visit to the country he made headlines and engaged in friendly Twitter exchange with NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern*. *She expressed concern over his dislike of New Zealand cheese. More on the writers... Witi Ihimaera is one of New Zealand’s greatest modern writers; in 1974 he became the first Māori author to publish a novel, and four of his books including Whale Rider have been made into feature films. Tina Makereti’s latest novel The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke tells the story of young Māori man who becomes a ‘living exhibit’ at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, in 1846. Paula Morris is the author of eight novels. Her most recent book False River is a collection of stories and essays around the subject of secret histories. David Eggleton, poet, writer, reviewer and editor published a new poetry collection Edgeland in 2018. He has won a number of awards including, uniquely among NZ poets, the London Time Out Street Entertainer of the Year (1985). Pasifika poet, Karlo Mila, who represented Tonga at the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, has a new poetry collection coming in 2019. Supported by Creative New Zealand with thanks to the New Zealand High Commission and Black Estate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  We're reporting in from the Podcast Movement conference, where we're learning a ton of ways to improve our show and do more fun things with you, our listeners! Thanks to the listeners who donated during our PyeongChang 2018 donation campaign--some of those funds helped defray the cost of the conference, and we really appreciate your help because this week has been so beneficial to us! Also, welcome to our new listeners whom we met at the conference! This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City 1968 Olympics, and on today's show we start exploring its Cultural Olympiad celebrations. Gustavo Morales-Cirión of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C. walks contributor Ben Jackson through its exhibit "Constructing Mexico68," which looks at the venues and sculptures (and Raquel Welch videos) of these Games. The exhibit is open until August 15, so if you're in the DC area, check it out (note: it's a pretty small exhibit). The institute is located at: 2829 16th St NW Washington, DC 20009 It's open Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm. If the door is locked, ring the buzzer. If you want to know more about Ruta de la Amistad, the organization Gustavo mentioned, check out their website, Mexico68.org. Gustavo also talked about the "Judas statues," these papier-mache cartonería sculptures that Pedro Linares made for outside the venue. They are pretty amazing -- check out some of them here, and see the last remaining one here. Team Olympic Fever member Lauren Gibbs will be speaking at TedX Pasadena! Find out more information here. We also talked about the U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearings on an anti-doping bill. Here's a list of representatives on the committee who you can contact to let them know your thoughts. Next week is our Book Club episode, where Book Club Claire will be back to discuss our first selection, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Drop us an email, tweet or Facebook page post to let us know what you thought of it! Also, we're going to do some on location episodes on rowing and judo, so if you have questions about those sports, we want to hear them!   DISCLAIMER: OLYMPIC® is a trademark of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (“USOPC”). Any use of OLYMPIC® in the Olympic Fever podcast is strictly for informational and commentary purposes. The Olympic Fever podcast is not an official podcast of the USOPC. The Olympic Fever podcast is not a sponsor of the USOPC, nor is Olympic Fever associated with or endorsed by USOPC in any way. The content of Olympic Fever podcast does not reflect the opinions, standards, views, or policies of the USOPC, and the USOPC in no way warrants that content featured in Olympic Fever is accurate.

Delving into Dance more often than not focuses on the experiences of dancers, choreographers and dance makers. But it is time to shake it up. The arts ecology is intricate and integrated and there are so many people involved in bringing arts and culture to audiences and communities. This episode is with Perth Festival Artistic Director, Wendy Martin. Wendy’s career has included everything from television production and producing to dance programing. Wendy was Head of Performance & Dance at Southbank Centre, London, where she helped establish the disability arts festival Unlimited, as part of London Olympics, Cultural Olympiad. Before moving to London, Wendy worked at the Sydney Opera House in a range of roles including as the Head of Theatre and Dance. Wendy has been responsible for a range of incredible commissions including the Oracle with Meryl Tankard. She was the catalyst for a range of programs including the Spring Dance, a festival of dance at the Opera House. The first festival was curated by Rafael Bonachela and saw a wide range of incredible works. Sadly Spring Dance had such a short life, and there remain few large prominent platforms for Contemporary Dance in Sydney. This is a wide-ranging interview that reveals Wendy’s deep passion for dance and making dance accessible to audiences. Wendy discusses the importance of dance and many of the highlights of the 2018 Perth Festival. “The biggest role of being a curator is to be a storyteller, because ultimately you want to invite people in and share something that you think is wonderful with an audience.” Wendy mentioned a range of wonderful people, who have been interviewed for Delving into Dance, including Meryl Tankard, Damien Jalet, Rafael Bonachela and Lucy Guerin. Perth Festival is on from the 9 Feb- 4 Mar and features a wide range of dance.

Dana Fradkin is an actor, comedian, writer, teacher and stunt performer based in Toronto. Selected theatre credits include; The Things We Do For Love and Smeraldina in The Servant of Two Masters (Odyssey Theatre), Dancock's Dance and Hogtown (the Campbell House/Hogtown Experience), Acrobat/Clown in La Boheme and Atom Egoyan’s Die Walkure (Canadian Opera Company), Arlecchino in Fool’s Gold (Metaphysical Theatre), AutoShow (Convergence Theatre), Macbeth and Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare in the Square), Vanishing Currents (Caravan Tallship Company), Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding (Second City Toronto) and collaborations with Theatre Gargantua, Mysteriously Yours, Against the Grain Theatre, Cirque Sublime and Circus Orange. Dana is co-founder of Keystone Theatre and co-created and performed in their three successful productions; Gold Fever, The Last Man on Earth and The Belle of Winnipeg (Dora Award musical composition). World-wide festivals include; Glastonbury Music Festival, Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, Calgary Stampede, Antwerp Theatre Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Edmonton Street Performing Festival, Nuit Blanche, Luminato, and Toronto BuskerFest. TV and film include; First Light, Reign, Fatal Vows, HapHead, Cold Blood, Crimes of Passion, Little Phoenix and the Reign of Fists and her short film Satisfaction which she wrote, produced and starred in which premiered at the Puerto Rico Horror Film Festival this past October. Currently Dana is assistant directing the Opera, Brundibar, with the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus. Upcoming she will be playing the title role in Candida at the Classic Theatre Festival and will be starring in the short film she co-wrote, The Case of the Massey Bodice Ripping. L'chaim.http://danafradkin.workbooklive.com/@danafradkinStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

With the Rio Olympics just a week away, Kirsty Lang travels to the city, and to a country which is undergoing huge political turmoil. With the left wing government under impeachment, the right wing government has taken over, and austerity cuts have ensued with inevitable cuts to the arts. To find out what impact this is having on the Cultural Olympiad she speaks to its Director, and also to the Head of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as artists who've been affected. She visits the Ministry of Culture which is being occupied by artists protesting against the new government, and meets a theatre director who was ostracised by the artistic community for his political views.Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Rebecca Armstrong.

Matt Smith stars in a new play that was completely conceived in the rehearsal room. In 'Unreachable', written and directed by Anthony Neilson, Smith plays a film director consumed by his attempts to capture the perfect light. We speak to them both about the rehearsal process and the end result. Unreachable is on at the Royal Court in London until the 6th August. Award-winning poet Sean O'Brien talks about his new novel, Once Again Assembled Here. Set in the claustrophobic world of a boys' boarding school in the late 60s, it's a murder story which explores the re-emergence of the far right after World War II. Once Again Assembled Here is published on 14 July.Ruth Mackenzie was the director of the Cultural Olympiad for the London 2012 Olympics. In the run up to Rio 2016, we ask her to assess its legacy four years on.Hannah McGill reviews French film La Belle Saison or Summertime.Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Elaine Lester.

This lecture will celebrate Shakespeare's immortality on the exact 400th anniversary of his burial. It will begin from Theseus' famous speech in A Midsummer Night's Dream about the magical, transformative power of poetry. It will argue that Shakespeare inherited from antiquity a fascination with the intimate association between erotic love, magic and the creative imagination, and that this is one of the keys to the enduring power of his plays. Sir Jonathan Bate, Provost of Worcester College and Professor of English Literature at Oxford University, is one of the world's most renowned Shakespeare scholars, the author of, among many other works, Shakespeare and Ovid, The Genius of Shakespeare, Soul of the Age and (as co-editor) The RSC Shakespeare: Complete Works. He co-curated Shakespeare Staging the World, the British Museum's exhibition for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, and he is the author of Being Shakespeare: A One-Man Play for Simon Callow, which has toured nationally and internationally and had three runs in the West End.

This lecture will celebrate Shakespeare's immortality on the exact 400th anniversary of his burial. It will begin from Theseus' famous speech in A Midsummer Night's Dream about the magical, transformative power of poetry. It will argue that Shakespeare inherited from antiquity a fascination with the intimate association between erotic love, magic and the creative imagination, and that this is one of the keys to the enduring power of his plays. Sir Jonathan Bate, Provost of Worcester College and Professor of English Literature at Oxford University, is one of the world's most renowned Shakespeare scholars, the author of, among many other works, Shakespeare and Ovid, The Genius of Shakespeare, Soul of the Age and (as co-editor) The RSC Shakespeare: Complete Works. He co-curated Shakespeare Staging the World, the British Museum's exhibition for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, and he is the author of Being Shakespeare: A One-Man Play for Simon Callow, which has toured nationally and internationally and had three runs in the West End.

TravCast is the Writer's Podcast from the Traverse, Scotland’s New Writing Theatre. Literary Associate, Rosie Kellagher, interviews well known playwrights whose work features in the year round programme at the Traverse. In this episode, Rosie Speaks to Marc Brew. Marc Brew is an award-winning Australian performer, director and choreographer. Now based in Glasgow, Marc’s work has been toured to critical acclaim across the world, his outdoor work (i)land was commissioned for the Glasgow 2014 Cultural programme and Without Walls. Brew’s Unlimited Commission Fusional Fragments was part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and a collaboration with world-renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie which toured the UK and Internationally. His new work For Now, I am... had its World Premiere at Dance International Glasgow Festival in May 2015. Marc has also produced work for a number of high profile companies such as Scottish Ballet, Indepen-dance 4, Ballet Cymru, AXIS Dance Company (USA), Candoco Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre, Touch Compass (NZ), Amy Seiwert’s Imagery (USA), The London Contemporary Dance School, YDance, National Theatre Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre. Marc has been presented with a Centenary Medal for Outstanding Contribution as a dancer and choreographer and in 2014 Marc was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Performance (Individual) at the prestigious Isadora Duncan Awards for his solo piece Remember When. Marc is Associate Artist at Tramway and Associate Artistic Director at Ballet Cymru. Original music by James Iremonger www.jamesiremonger.co.uk Devised, produced and engineered by Cian O Siochain

Alex Fleetwood is the founder and director of Hide&Seek, a game design studio dedicated to inventing new kinds of play. Hide&Seek started life in 2007 as a festival of social games and playful experiences on London’s South Bank, and built into a studio occupied a unique position in the UK, creating innovative games, installations and events with organisations including Film4, the Cultural Olympiad, Tate Modern, Warner Bros, Gâité Lyrique, Nike, Sony, the Royal Opera House and Kensington Palace. Anab Jain was born and educated in India (NID), with an MA in Interaction Design from the Royal College of Art, and founded Superflux in 2009, leading the Consultancy’s client partnerships whilst balancing the Lab’s self-initiated conceptual projects. She has lead multidisciplinary design, strategy and foresight projects for businesses, think-tanks and research organisations such as Sony, BBC, Nokia, NHS, Design Council, Forum for the Future, Qatar Foundation and Govt. of UAE. Honoured as a TED Fellow, she is the... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Performed Voice : Bobby Baker is a woman, and an artist. She lives in London. In a career spanning nearly four decades she has, amongst other things, made a life-sized edible version of her family and driven around the streets of London strapped to the back of a truck yelling at passers by through a megaphone to ‘Pull Yourselves Together.’ Baker’s touring exhibition Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me 1997- 2008 premiered at the Wellcome Collection in 2009, and the accompanying book of the same name won the Mind Book of the Year 2011. Her most recent live show, Mad Gyms & Kitchens, was commissioned as part of the London 2012 Unlimited project for the Cultural Olympiad. Baker is a past recipient of three separate Wellcome Arts Awards, and occupies a unique professional and personal position in the worlds of both the arts and mental health. Following an AHRC Creative Fellowship at Queen Mary University, London she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2011. Bobby Baker is the Artistic Director of Daily Life Ltd, part of the Arts Council National Portfolio.

Performed Voice: Ballistic Buns is a brief fragment of Bobby Baker's research into her own family history focusing on mental illness, family survival techniques and the impact of war, unhappiness and frustrated ambition on subsequent generations. This 10-minute piece involved tales of the Vicar of Byker, the Ballistic Engineer, the Life Long Anorexic, the 16” German Howitzer named affectionately 'Big Bertha', capable of blasting plenty of folk to smithereens in the First World War, the Dambusters of the Second World War and a Tasty Ending. Bobby Baker is a woman, and an artist. She lives in London. In a career spanning nearly four decades she has, amongst other things, made a life-sized edible version of her family and driven around the streets of London strapped to the back of a truck yelling at passers by through a megaphone to ‘Pull Yourselves Together.’ Baker’s touring exhibition Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me 1997- 2008 premiered at the Wellcome Collection in 2009, and the accompanying book of the same name won the Mind Book of the Year 2011. Her most recent live show, Mad Gyms & Kitchens, was commissioned as part of the London 2012 Unlimited project for the Cultural Olympiad. Baker is a past recipient of three separate Wellcome Arts Awards, and occupies a unique professional and personal position in the worlds of both the arts and mental health. Following an AHRC Creative Fellowship at Queen Mary University, London she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2011. Bobby Baker is the Artistic Director of Daily Life Ltd, part of the Arts Council National Portfolio.

Performed Voice: Ballistic Buns is a brief fragment of Bobby Baker's research into her own family history focusing on mental illness, family survival techniques and the impact of war, unhappiness and frustrated ambition on subsequent generations. This 10-minute piece involved tales of the Vicar of Byker, the Ballistic Engineer, the Life Long Anorexic, the 16” German Howitzer named affectionately 'Big Bertha', capable of blasting plenty of folk to smithereens in the First World War, the Dambusters of the Second World War and a Tasty Ending. Bobby Baker is a woman, and an artist. She lives in London. In a career spanning nearly four decades she has, amongst other things, made a life-sized edible version of her family and driven around the streets of London strapped to the back of a truck yelling at passers by through a megaphone to ‘Pull Yourselves Together.’ Baker’s touring exhibition Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me 1997- 2008 premiered at the Wellcome Collection in 2009, and the accompanying book of the same name won the Mind Book of the Year 2011. Her most recent live show, Mad Gyms & Kitchens, was commissioned as part of the London 2012 Unlimited project for the Cultural Olympiad. Baker is a past recipient of three separate Wellcome Arts Awards, and occupies a unique professional and personal position in the worlds of both the arts and mental health. Following an AHRC Creative Fellowship at Queen Mary University, London she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2011. Bobby Baker is the Artistic Director of Daily Life Ltd, part of the Arts Council National Portfolio.

Rita Dove is one of the most honored poets of the late twentieth century. In 1993, she was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States and Consultant on Poetry at the Library of Congress. She was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her collection of poems, Thomas and Beulah, and she has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. Her poem UMOJA: Each One of Us Counts was the centerpiece of the Cultural Olympiad at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia.

Polar explorer Felicity Aston is the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone. The 1744km, 59-day journey was completed in January 2012. She will be speaking about this journey for the Transglobe Expedition Trust event Here, There & Everywhere at the Royal Geographical Society on September 10th. Musician and activist Billy Bragg celebrates the centenary of singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie with a four date tour in September. Bragg curated this tribute to Guthrie's legacy and will perform songs based on the lyrics Guthrie left behind before his death in 1967. In collaboration with the band Wilco, Billy is also releasing the CD Mermaid Avenue - the complete sessions. Chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi were born in Jerusalem in the same year - Sami on the Arab east side and Yotam in the Jewish west. Nearly 30 years later they met in London and discovered they shared a language, a history, and a love of great food. In their new book 'Jerusalem', they feature recipes from this vibrant and diverse city. 'Jerusalem' is published by Ebury Press. Wayne Phillips is a boxing coach who is one of the trainers for 'Punchline', a performance project which is part of the Cultural Olympiad. 'Punchline' brings together boxers and dancers with youngsters - many not in education or employment - to create a performance in a boxing ring. The work showcases their talents and also explores their personal stories and struggles. The show opens at the Preston Guild arena and will then be performed at three boxing clubs across the region: the Rotunda, Runcorn ABC and Wild Card ABC. Producer: Paula McGinley.

A major part of the cultural conversation today is about local culture in the global community: culture is part of the toolkit for global understanding, diplomacy, and more. Particularly in light of the London 2012 Olympics and its associated Cultural Olympiad, the world is more frequently than ever looking for opportunities to share art, ideas, cultures, and conversations. How do we seek to share our cultures, and how do we put our best feet forward? At Festival 2012, we invited Graham Sheffield CBE, Director of Arts for the British Council, to speak about arts and culture on the global scene. At the British Council, Sheffield has been heavily involved in the British government's efforts to share the country's cultural exports, and was also involved in the planning of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. In this fascinating talk, Sheffield shares stories and insights about the power of art and culture to connect the local to the global, and vice versa. The discussion connects international perspectives to our national conversation about the value of cultural place-making.

With Kirsty Lang Alan Davies, QI panellist and star of Jonathan Creek, discusses returning to stand-up after a ten year break. He also talks about coming last on QI, his run-ins with the tabloids and how maturity enables him to perform material based on painful life experiences for the first time Mark Haddon's best selling book, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, has been adapted for the stage by playwright Simon Stephens. It stars Luke Treadway as the Aspergic boy in a cast that includes Niamh Cusack and Una Stubbs. Alex Clark reviews When Danny Boyle conceived the opening ceremony of this year's Olympics, special effects company Artem helped him realise his visions. The 20 metre Voldemort, grinning Cruella de Ville, and smoking chimneys of the industrial revolution were all made by Artem, who also designed a 6 metre tall Lady Godiva, now travelling from Coventry to London as part of the West Midlands' contribution to the Cultural Olympiad. Artem CEO, Mike Kelt, explains how these giant puppets were brought to life and reveals just a little about what to expect at the Olympic closing ceremony Undefeated is an Oscar-winning documentary following a group of underprivileged school athletes from inner-city Memphis, on and off the football field. Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London, discusses this take on contemporary America, and the formula behind Oscar-winning documentaries In celebration of the Olympics, the BBC - in partnership with the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh - has selected and recorded a poem representing every competing country. Each is read by a native of that country who has made their home here in Britain. Every night for the Olympic fortnight FRONT ROW features one of these poems Producer Nicki Paxman.

The Cultural Olympiad spans four years and encompasses more than 500 events – culminating with the current London 2012 Festival. This unprecedented artistic marathon has cost a reported £97m – but is it worth it? Jan Dalley puts this question to Sarah Weir of the Legacy List, a post-Olympic charity for arts, culture, education and skills; William Sieghart, founder of the National Poetry Day and of Winning Words, a national project to incorporate poetry in the games; and Peter Aspden, FT arts writer. Produced by Nicholas Spencer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the US Olympic swimming trials get underway, the legendary Michael Phelps speaks about his comeback and rivalry with fellow American Ryan Lochte. Eleanor Oldroyd, former tennis player Mark Woodford and hurdler Jack Green discuss if athletes should take part in Olympic opening ceremony. Everton goalkeeper Rachel Brown and Colin Murray discuss how pregnancy impacts on sporting careers. An emotional BBC Sheffield witnesses the most severely injured solider ever, former paratrooper Ben Parkinson, walk with the torch. With less than 30 days until the Games, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad picks up pace; BBC Scotland has a live performance of the world-class Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra with children from Raploch in Stirling; Simon Armitage tells Front Row about The Poetry Parnassus and after the spectacular BBC Radio 1 Hackney Weekend, DJ Trevor Nelson reflects on the importance of Olympic investment in the area.

In this episode: An extended podcast with Mark Cosgrove in conversation with writer, author and broadcaster David Goldblatt. Mark and David discuss the connections between sport and culture plus Watershed's RELAYS programme of work, which presents a season of films and has worked with young people to explore sport, media and culture as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Anne McElvoy asks Director David Cronenberg if he sees himself as a political commentator, or are his films all about the spectacle? Lord Robert Winston criticised the Cultural Olympiad for the lack of science in the four-year celebration. Anne McElvoy is joined by Lord Winston and the historian of science Richard Holmes to discuss the relationship between science and the arts. This week marks the 30th anniversary of the end of the Falklands war, and Anne McElvoy talks to authors Carlos Gamerro. His novel “The Islandsâ€*, recently translated in English, gives a surreal account of the war and explores its impact on the Argentinian psyche. And artist Rachel Whiteread's first permanent public commission in this country - a new façade for the Whitechapel Gallery in London. Anne is joined by the art critic for The Times, Rachel Campbell-Johnston.

This week, showjumper Tim Stockdale speaks about his amazing recovery just seven months after he broke his neck in a riding accident. Team GB Taekwondo Performance Director Gary Hall defends the decision to omit European Champion Aaron Cook from the Team GB squad in favour of Lutalo Muhammad. Defending Olympic champion Christine Ohuruguo on her preparations to defend her 400 metres title this summer, Jessica Ennis celebrates her new British heptathlon record and swimmer Liam Tancock speaks about hot weather training in Florida. As part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Radio 3 will broadcast 20 outstanding new works, each lasting 12 minutes. These works include Joe Culter's “Ping” which brought together four members of the Fusion Table Tennis Club and the Coull String Quartet, and finally BBC Wales reflects on the flames historic five day visit to the country.

We talk to Julian Caddy, Brighton Fringe MD at the Hendrick’s Library of Delightfully Peculiar Writings and Damian Barr, Curator and Host of the venue, then we take a look at all the Cultural Olympiad’s Dip Your Toe project and all its bathing machines. This video was 3 of 3 that appeared on the Independent Newspaper website.

The late choreographer and high priestess of Tanztheater Pina Bausch once said she was not interested in how people move but in what moves them. As part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, the Barbican Centre and Sadler’s Wells will stage Bausch's 10 Cities. Peter Aspden talks to Alistair Spalding, artistic director of Sadler’s Wells and a friend of Bausch, and to FT dance critic Clement Crisp, who “owns to a mistrust of Tanztheater, or dance-theatre, or Euro-tedium – call it what you will.” Produced by Griselda Murray Brown See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With John Wilson. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reviews the film adaptation of the bestseller Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, about an unlikely scheme to introduce fly-fishing to the desert, which results in an equally unlikely love triangle. Salmon Fishing is one of 17 films scheduled to be released in cinemas this week, an all-time high for an already overcrowded market. Box office analyst Charles Gant explains why the numbers are so great and if anybody is actually watching many of them. Writer Stanley Booth travelled with The Rolling Stones as they toured the US in 1969, gaining unique access to the band. His account of what he saw has just been re-published, and he recalls the sometimes shocking events he witnessed, and also remembers the moment when he heard Otis Redding record (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay. The Fontana Modern Masters series were as known for their covers as their content - colourful, geometric patterns that have acquired the status of art, with several being sold as prints in their own right. Now artist Jamie Shovlin has added his own contribution, by painting covers for books that were commissioned but, for some reason, never published. And 100 days before the start of the Olympics, John talks to Damon Albarn ahead of a Front Row special with the musician, about his three separate contributions to the Cultural Olympiad. Producer Ellie Bury.

Kathy Hubbard, Head of Development for Shetland Arts, is the brains behind an exciting filmmakers' project called A Hansel of Film 2012 - part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The Hansel of Film 2012 is a great opportunityfor filmmakers from the North East to showcase their moviemaking prowess with a film of 5mins or less. Kathy's the first contributor to join the I Am Do Filmmaker podcast by Skype, and you may find the audio quality a little ropey, but it's all about content, isn't it.(I'll try tweaking my Skype settings and using a headset to see if I can improve things for the next Skype interview.) She's got a good story to tell, so have a listen. A Hansel of Film 2012: http://hansel2012.org/ Shetland Arts: http://www.shetlandarts.org Mareel: http://www.mareel.org/ (http://www.shetlandarts.org/venues/mareel/) London 2012: http://www.london2012.com/

In this second of two episodes, Marie Chouinard reacts to the view that her early solo work was provocative, and that she pushes her dancers to extremes, referring in particular to bODY_rEMIX / gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS. She talks about her latest choreographic achievement, THE GOLDEN MEAN (LIVE), which premiered at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, and about her collaboration with Montreal composer Louis Dufort. In closing, Marie touches on her dual role within Compagnie Marie Chouinard.

Wordquest-fm episode 10 featuring: Oscar Wilde, broadcast on 6th October 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Wordquest-fm episode 10 featuring: Fanny (Frances) Burney, broadcast on 29th September 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Wordquest-fm episode 9 featuring: "Portrait of Dartmoor" Vian Smith, broadcast on 22nd September 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Wordquest-fm episode 7 featuring Galsworthy: The Apple Tree (pt 2), broadcast on 3rd August 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Wordquest-fm episode 6 featuring Galsworthy: The Apple Tree (pt 1), broadcast on 3rd August 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Wordquest-fm episode 3 featuring "More Country Talk" JHB Peel - broadcast on Soundart Radio 6th July 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Wordquest-fm episode 2 featuring "Small Talk at Wreyland" Cecil Torr - broadcast on Soundart Radio 20th June 2011. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here. Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk http://www.soundartradio.org.uk

July 12th 2011 was Paula Crutchlow's TOMBOLA! event, at the Ways with Words Festival. A fabulous and incredibly well-supported event in which people drew from the tombola either to win a literary prize (as it were) or to undertake a task. Thanks to all those who donated prizes. For more info and a VIDEO of the event please go here. Around the County of Devon (and perhaps beyond) you can pick up copies of our 'Literary Map for Devon' - but you can also explore the online map here for much more information. If you can't find one and you'd like one, please contact us and if they are still available we'll send you one. The project grew out of a love for words and a love for Devon. If you have anything you'd like to add to the project, just go here.Wordquest Devon is a project of Aune Head Arts, Cyprus Well, Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), and the University of Exeter. It began life as a response to the 'questing' themes of the Cultural Olympiad, and still retains many of these playful and game-playing aspects. The project's live presence began in June 2011 and continues until September 2012. For more info please visit, http://www.wordquestdevon.info http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk

Sally Lucas on Cultural Olympiad in London 2012 and rail travel in Europe.

With Kirsty Lang. Martin Scorsese's latest music documentary focuses on the 'quiet Beatle' George Harrison, with contributors including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Pattie Boyd and Phil Spector. Beatles fan David Hepworth gives his verdict. In February this year a Cultural Olympiad project invited people to contribute a piece of wood with a personal significance to create a 30-foot modern sailing boat. The resulting 7-man boat will sail to the site of the London Olympics next year, and will be a living archive of people's stories and lives. Olympic silver-medalist sailor and boat builder Mark Covell and Gary Winters, the co-founder of the team behind The Boat Project, take Kirsty round the boatyard to see how far the vessel is progressing. Shirley Bassey's rise from poverty to international stardom has been dramatised for BBC Two. The title role is played by rising star Ruth Negga, best known for her role in Misfits, with Lesley Sharp playing Shirley's mother. Music writer Jacqueline Springer assesses this portrayal of the legendary singer. Bridget Nicholls, artist-in-residence at London Zoo, refers to herself as a dating agent: bringing artists and scientists together to work on insect-related projects, such as the Ant Ballet which can be seen at London Zoo next month. Bridget explains how much we have to learn from insects, both scientifically and artistically. Producer Claire Bartleet.

The 2010 Winter Olympics are but a (mostly) lovely memory, but the Cultural Olympiad continues. The Winter Paralympics begin March 12 and provide another opportunity to hear free musical performances in our city. We feature some of these artists on tonight's show - including the band who played at the Olympics closing ceremonies during the (in)famous "flying beavers" bit.As always, thanks for listening, and have a lovely week!cheers, valfolkoasis@gmail.com

We pay tribute to Oscar Brand, Winnipeg native & dj of world's longest-running radio show (it's folk!), who turns 90 this Sunday. Bob Marley, if he were still with us, would have turned 65 this weekend, so we pay tribute to him as well. At 8:30 we had a phone chat with Robbie Slade of local folk-electro duo Humans. They're performing at the New Forms Festival this weekend, a Cultural Olympiad event.February's here, folks - only 9 days until the Winter Olympics commence. Can you feel it?remain calm,val folkoasis@gmail.com

In this final episode, Crystal Pite talks about the dual role of choreographer-performer, the creation process, her attachment to Canada's National Arts Centre, and her enduring passion for the art of choreography. In closing, she touches on her upcoming commissions for Cullberg Ballet, the 2010 Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, Nederlands Dans Theater and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and the presentations of Kidd Pivot at Sadler's Wells (UK) and Jacob's Pillow (USA).