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From formaldehyde sheep to giant horses, Simon Schama - in this recording of his FT Frieze week lecture - traces contemporary animal attractions to great works in the history of art  

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It's been a big week for contemporary British art. First the opening of the British Art Show 7 in Nottingham, then the second instalment of Newspeak at the Saatchi Gallery in London. To round it off, on Sunday Channel 4 will show “Modern Times”, the fifth in its series The Genius of Britain, this time presented by Janet Street-Porter. Peter Aspden, FT arts writer, and John Lloyd, FT television columnist, discuss art and celebrity: Charles Saatchi, Damien Hirst and the inimitable Janet Street-Porter. FT art critic Jackie Wullschlager reports on the British Art Show. Does it really represent the art of the nation? Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The music scene is currently awash with aging rockers and pop groups re-united. Take That, complete with Robbie Williams, will tour next year; space rockers Hawkwind, formed in 1969, tour the UK next month; while Lemmy, born 1945, is currently taking the stage with Motorhead. Whatever happened to “hope I die before I get old”? Aren’t they old enough to know better? Neville Hawcock, deputy arts editor, talks to Peter Aspden, the FT’s arts writer, and Richard Clayton, who regularly reviews pop for the paper.  

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As the ninth Art Basel Miami Beach takes place this week, Andres Schipani discusses the growing presence of Latin American collectors and galleries at the international art fair. He is joined by Mark Spiegler, director of Art Basel Miami Beach; Tim Marlow from London's White Cube gallery; Elizabeth Neilson, who heads the London-based Zabludowicz Collection; and Henrique Faría from Venezuela's Faría Fábregas gallery.  

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Is it acceptable for an artist to have his work produced by others? And what are the implications of the artist as businessman on conceptual art as we know it? As a new generation of artists openly declare themselves marketing men, FT arts editor Jan Dalley discusses the business of art with Jackie Wullschlager, FT visual arts critic, and Peter Aspden, FT arts and culture writer.  

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There are a lot of musicals moving into London's West End right now – including "Shoes", "Million Dollar Quartet", "Betty Blue Eyes" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" - and rumbling in the background is the hoo-ha in New York over "Spiderman". What is the enduring appeal of the musical? Is it more diverse than its critics imagine? And, are musicals a good thing for the theatrical landscape? Jan Dalley talks to Jamie Lloyd, director of the Donmar's "Spelling Bee", and FT theatre critics Ian Shuttleworth and Sarah Hemming. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The arts podcast reviews new albums by two of the most venerable singer-songwriters around: Leonard Cohen's "Old Ideas" and Paul McCartney's "Kisses on the Bottom". Have they still got it? Does their latest work speak to modern times? And just what are we to make of Macca's album title? Neville Hawcock is joined in the studio by Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, FT pop critic, Peter Aspden, FT arts writer, and Gautam Malkani, FT writer and novelist. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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From Dickens’ London to Wordsworth’s Lakes via the painter George Shaw’s suburban “edgelands”, the British landscape has long permeated writing and visual art. On the opening of the British Library’s exhibition Writing Britain: Wastelands to Wonderlands, Jan Dalley talks to the poet Owen Sheers; the exhibition’s curator Jamie Andrews; and FT art critic Jackie Wullschlager. The travel writer Robert Macfarlane is on the line. Plus, Faber's 1998 recording of Harold Pinter reading his poem “Joseph Brearley 1909-1977” © Faber & Faber Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Can art fulfill the purpose of religion in a pluralist, secular society? Can we reconcile religious dogma with individual artistic creativity? FT arts editor Jan Dalley discusses the long and sometimes fraught relationship between religion and art with Alom Shaha, physics teacher, film-maker and author of "The Young Atheist's Handbook", history painter Tom de Freston, and art critic Richard Cork. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The FT's arts writer reports on Mat Collishaw's transition from conceptual shock artist to ‘proper’ draughtsman - and why, unlike revolution or virgin birth, an economic recession makes a poor subject for art  

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With his brother Jake, the British artist has tackled some of modernity’s grisliest themes. The FT’s arts writer finds out why he’s now trying his hand at music  

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As a stage version of the classic BBC sitcom comes to London, the FT’s arts writer reflects on the series’ pioneering mix of comedy and drama  

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The emirate’s contemporary arts event considers some thorny regional issues in a deceptively laid-back way, says the FT’s arts writer  

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As performance artist Marina Abramovic showed, the paradox of our digital age is our hunger for personal presence, says the FT's arts editor  

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The late pop singer, whose work has just gone on show at London’s Royal College of Art, was a far more nuanced figure than his punk image would suggest, argues the FT’s arts writer  

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Thomas Hirschhorn’s South Bronx installation brilliantly embodies the belief that art should be part of everyday life  

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It’s loud, insistent, adolescent and playing now at a Mediterranean resort near you. And as the FT’s arts writer finds, there’s no way you’ll ever get the volume turned down  

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“Those who live to please, must please to live.” But these days it’s often our privilege to watch the performers having a good time  

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A new film portrait of the Italian director reveals a man unafraid to confront difficult questions. It’s a kind of artistic responsibility that now feels old-fashioned, the FT’s arts writer says  

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The FT’s arts writer finds that, for all the acquisitive buzz around art fairs, they still richly cater for people’s inquisitive side too  

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An exhibition of Soviet-era sporting paintings shows how, even in a repressive political climate, artists still made work with real human insight  

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Art and Mammon are uneasy bedfellows: witness the recent furore over the Sydney Biennale. The solution, says the FT’s arts writer, is for institutions to embrace debates over their funding, not run from them  

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The Director of Cultural Partnerships at King's College London reflects on the growing appetite among artists and arts organisations for evidence about the impact and value of what they do  

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As St Paul’s Cathedral prepares to unveil a Bill Viola installation, the FT’s arts writer considers the potentially enriching relationship between sacred settings and contemporary art  

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In a despatch from Hong Kong, the FT’s arts writer reflects on the city’s ‘Tate bricks’ moment, and what it tells us about the fast-changing status of contemporary art in China  

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As Arts Council England announces its latest round of funding, FT arts editor Jan Dalley reflects on what the language of “investment” means for the art of our time.  

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The singer-songwriter is about to turn 80 – a rite of passage not only for him but also for rock music. Peter Aspden celebrates a musician with a rare talent for staying ahead of the times  

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The received wisdom is that contemporary art is just what a regenerating city needs, a stimulant for minds and economies alike. But are the wilfully puzzling tropes of the avant-garde really what the public wants?  

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Art may be essentially egalitarian as it illuminates the human condition – but that hasn't stopped members of the Porsche Travel Club getting special access to the Sistine Chapel. Should we worry if the wealthy corner the finest cultural experiences?  

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20 years after the launch of the National Lottery, Jan Dalley celebrates how it has become the most successful form of cultural crowd-funding ever  

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'Ambition', by the award-winning author Helen Simpson, is read by Christopher Villiers.  

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Politicians love to keep things simple, at least in their public pronouncements. Artists, by contrast, embrace complication, nuance and imagination – so who better to tackle slippery questions of national identity as the UK prepares for a general election?  

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The rousing spiritual from folk opera 'Porgy and Bess' has become one of the most recorded tunes of all time, says David Honigmann, with Miles Davis, Janis Joplin and Peter Gabriel among the artists who covered it. Credits: Columbia/Legacy, Mercury Records, Hallmark  

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A new short story for the holidays, from the winner of the 2013 Man Booker International Prize. The reader is Christine Spolar  

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The singer’s old label boss called the song ‘a morbid mess’, but it shot to number one in the US. Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Elvis’s death in August, FT pop writers Peter Apsden and David Cheal discuss the song's origins, dark appeal and afterlife. Credits: 104pro Media, Legacy Recordings, Entertain Me Ltd, Spectrum, Omnivore Recordings, Vengeance Records  

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Ruling sets precedent in continent where poorest fear cure could be worse than the disease

As research shows modern couples are more likely to keep their finances separate, presenter Claer Barrett and guests debate how women in particular are managing their money. Plus, ahead of the new university term we reveal finance tips for students and their parents, and ask what could emerge as the next consumer misselling scandal after PPI.

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How to find a financial adviser - a relationship with an adviser you can trust is something that FT readers often tell us is hard to come by. FT Money editor Claer Barrett talks to Damian Fantato, deputy editor of FT Adviser about the solution. Plus, with less than a month to go until the general election, financial advisers tell us they are getting calls from a lot of worried clients - we discuss what's troubling them. And finally, the rise of the 40-year mortgage - Paul Lewis, presenter of BBC Moneybox is here to share his own worries about extra long hours.

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Do you want to find out how to do the splits on your mortgage? FT Money Show presenter Claer Barrett is not talking about stretching yourself, but instead, how thousands of borrowers are finding their mortgage lender is flexible enough to give them more than one type of mortgage. Next up, nearly a million people reported scam calls, texts or emails from criminals posing as UK tax authority HMRC last year - we tell you how to protect yourself. And finally, despite the rising cost of childcare, statistics show a million parents are not claiming for the tax free childcare they are entitled to - are you one of them?

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Reduction is second in under a month as country braces for an extended coronavirus lockdown

IMF and other international institutions cannot lend to Harare because of debt arrears

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A Marie Kondo-style approach is best, according to serious collectors – if it doesn’t spark joy, sell it

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Unanimous decision finds that two former Chris Christie aides did not commit a federal crime

Proposed deal would create strong UK competitor to challenge BT