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Arbus in Aberdeen, Long in Lakeland - Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota talks to FT arts editor Jan Dalley about next year’s Artist Rooms programme of touring exhibitions. In its past two years, the scheme has drawn tens of thousands of visitors in towns throughout the UK to shows by Beuys, Ruscha, Woodman, Hirst and others – but how easily can the model be replicated elsewhere? Jan Dalley interviews Sir Nicholas Serota in his office at Tate.  

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Shadow Catchers, the latest exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, is a showcase for ‘camera-less’ photography – where images are captured directly on photographic paper without the use of a camera. Deputy arts editor Neville Hawcock and Francis Hodgson, the FT’s photography critic, discuss the ideas behind the exhibition, and the works of the five contemporary artists on show, with the show’s curator, Martin Barnes.  

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As the final object is revealed, FT arts editor Jan Dalley talks to Peter Aspden about the significance of the BBC Radio 4 series 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' presented by Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum.  

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Is the operatic tradition defunct? Where and how should new operas be put on? And which are the great modern operas? On the opening of Alexander Raskatov's A Dog's Heart at the Coliseum in London, Jan Dalley, FT arts editor, puts these questions to Andrew Clark, the paper's chief classical music critic, and Nicholas Payne, former director of The Royal Opera, the English National Opera and Opera North. Plus, Martin Bernheimer, the FT's classical music critic in New York, discusses what he sees as the conservatism of American opera-goers.  

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The launch of Sky Atlantic on February 1 – the result of Sky's exclusive five-year deal with HBO - raises questions about British and American television drama. Is the US - with cult series like The Sopranos, Mad Men and now Boardwalk Empire - enjoying a Golden Age of TV drama? What about Britain? Has its Golden Age been and gone? Jan Dalley, FT arts editor, is joined by Mark Duguid, senior curator of the British Film Institute National Archive, Huw Kennair-Jones, Sky1’s commissioning editor for drama, and John Lloyd, the FT’s television columnist. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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It’s awards season in the music industry, with the Brits in London following hot on the heels of the Grammys in LA. The Brits have been revamped this year – but will they lose the unscripted edginess of previous years? How can they compete with the might of the Grammys? And is Tinie Tempah better than Mumford & Sons? FT pop critics Ludo Hunter-Tilney and Richard Clayton join deputy arts editor Neville Hawcock to discuss the hype and the hopefuls. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown.  

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Will Colin Firth take the Oscar for best performance? Will The Social Network win best film? Is awards season trend-spotting a dangerous game? And, what makes an Oscar-winning film? On the eve of the 83rd Academy Awards, Jan Dalley, FT arts editor, puts these questions and others to FT film critics Nigel Andrews and Leo Robson. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Established in 1895, the Venice Biennale has been called anachronistic - with its focus on separate national pavilions despite the international nature of today's art market. Is it an outdated model? If so, why are more countries than ever taking part this year? It is a series of exhibitions not an art fair - yet Venice has long been a centre of trade. Just how commercial is its Biennale? Jan Dalley puts these questions to Jackie Wullschlager and Peter Aspden, and picks some highlights ahead of the 54th Venice Biennale. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Established in 1895, the Venice Biennale has been called anachronistic - with its focus on separate national pavilions despite the international nature of today's art market. Is it an outdated model? If so, why are more countries than ever taking part this year? It is a series of exhibitions not an art fair - yet Venice has long been a centre of trade. Just how commercial is its Biennale? Jan Dalley puts these questions to Jackie Wullschlager and Peter Aspden, and picks some highlights ahead of the 54th Venice Biennale. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The Edinburgh Festival – the world’s largest arts festival – is really a collection of different festivals that take place across the Scottish capital every year throughout the month of August. There is the stately International Festival and the so-called “Fringe” festival – a more unruly, sprawling affair with a reputation for experimental theatre and bawdy stand-up. There’s also an acclaimed Book Festival, as well as an Art Festival and even a Festival of Spirituality and Peace. Jan Dalley, FT arts editor, turns her attention to the Edinburgh’s theatrical offerings. She is joined in the studio by Ian Shuttleworth, FT theatre critic, and Matt Trueman, theatre blogger and critic for Time Out. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The Arts Podcast remembers Amy Winehouse, the brilliant but troubled British singer who died tragically, at just 27, on July 23. Jan Dalley talks to FT pop critics Ludovic Hunter-Tilney and Richard Clayton about her musical roots and unique appeal; how her increasingly wild lifestyle influenced her songs; and her legacy – what was her impact and who are her successors? Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Postmodernism defined itself against the stifling clarity and seriousness Modernism. It put style before drab functionality. It embraced pop culture and garish colour. But it got a bad rep. “PoMo” was called vacuous and kitsch, and in the 1980s it became associated with corporate culture and consumerism. Now this controversial cultural movement is the subject of a major exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert museum, "Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970–1990". Neville Hawcock talks to Glenn Adamson, co-curator of the show, and to FT columnists Edwin Heathcote and Peter Aspden. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Author Amy Waldman reads her short story set in Afghanistan 'Mile 54', commissioned by the Financial Times for the new year.  

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The British Film Institute has just launched a season of Woody Allen comedies, ranging from his knockabout beginnings to the recent Midnight in Paris, his biggest commercial success to date. Like Match Point (2005) and Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008), Midnight in Paris was hailed as a “return to form” by some – but has he really still got it? How does his recent output compare to the earlier films? And do those classics still resonate today? Raphael Abraham is joined in the studio by Geoff Andrew, Head of Film Program at the BFI, Peter Aspden, FT arts writer and Nigel Andrews, FT film critic. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The Indian film industry is famously prolific, turning out hundreds of movies of year. Some of these are "masala movies" – made to appeal to all ages, with plenty of melodrama and musical numbers – but others are very different. Like the rest of India, Bollywood is changing fast. Jan Dalley is joined by Rachel Dwyer, Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, and Prakash Bakrania, who distributes Hindi films in the UK for Reliance Entertainment. She asks them: is Bollywood escapist? Is it starting to tackle real life issues? And do different films fare well at the Indian and global box offices? Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Jan Dalley is joined by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, the playwright Mike Packer, and journalist Carl Wilkinson to discuss literary adaptations. At the Oscars this month, six of the nine movies up for Best Picture are based on books – and the film version of de Bernières’ novel Red Dog is released in the UK on February 24. Why are adaptations so popular? Are filmmakers and investors just playing it safe in uncertain times? And how does it feel to see your novel – or play – on the big screen? Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Ever been to a classical club night or an opera in a warehouse? This week on the arts podcast Jan Dalley talks to her guests about how people consume classical music today. She is joined by Gabriel Prokofiev, composer, DJ and grandson of the Russian composer Sergei; Frederic Wake-Walker, artistic director of pioneering company The Opera Group; and FT writer Laura Battle. With clips from Gabriel Prokofiev's 'Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra', and Elena Langer's 'The Lion's Face', commissioned performed by The Opera Group. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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We’ve heard a lot about the new generation of British playwrights – but how much of it is hype? Does age matter in writing? And who are the names to look out for? Jan Dalley is joined by young writer Bola Agbaje, whose first play ‘Gone Too Far’ won an Olivier Award; Steven Atkinson, artistic director of the HighTide Festival for new writing; and Sarah Hemming, FT theatre critic. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Ahead of the Victoria and Albert museum’s new exhibition 'British Design 1948-2012', Jan Dalley asks: can great design build a better society? Can Britain be called a leader in the field when its manufacturing industry is all but dead? And are we doing enough to foster a new generation of artists and designers? She is joined by the furniture designer Matthew Hilton, co-curator of the V&A show Christopher Breward, and FT arts writer Peter Aspden. 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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Hip hop may have started in the Bronx, but today’s rappers are millionaires with business empires that extend way beyond music. Ahead of Jay Z and Kanye West's European tour of their joint album Watch The Throne, Raphael Abraham talks to FT critics Ludovic Hunter-Tilney and Richard Clayton about the evolution and future of rap. With clips from The Sugarhill Gang, Jay Z and Kanye West, Evidence and DJ Shadow. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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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  

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In 1926, LP Hartley called The Great Gatsby “an absurd story”. Now, it is hard to imagine that F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel was ever considered less than a masterpiece. And it seems particularly popular in our recessionary times – with the remarkable eight-hour play Gatz having had rave reviews in York, and now about to open in London; and Baz Luhrmann’s film version starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan released later this year. Jan Dalley talks Gatsby mania with Sarah Churchwell, Professor of American Literature at the University of East Anglia; Mark Ball, artistic director of the London International Festival of Theatre; and the critic Matt Trueman. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Forget “London 2012”, this summer it’s all about the 1990s – with the Stone Roses reunion gigs, Suede headlining the Hop Farm festival, and Blur playing the Olympics closing ceremony gig. As 40-something fans relive the glory days of “Cool Britannia”, FT pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney looks back at the renaissance of British rock 20 years ago, and asks – was it all it was it cracked up to be? And what is its legacy? He is joined in the studio by Richard Clayton and David Cheal. Featuring music from the Stone Roses, Oasis, Blur and Pulp. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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The Olivier award-winning playwright Simon Stephens is often drawn to dark subjects. “Pornography” tackled the 2005 London bombings; “Punk Rock” depicted violence at an English private school; and his controversial recent play “Three Kingdoms” shed light on the European sex trade. Now, Stephens’ adaptations of two classics – one old, one new – are about to open in London: a rewriting of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and a dramatisation of Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He talks to Jan Dalley and Sarah Hemming. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Spoken word is a form of poetry usually written to be performed in front of an audience, and often associated with hip hop culture. In recent years its popularity has soared in the UK – and now, as part of the London Literature Festival, the Southbank Centre is hosting the final of “Shake the Dust”, a national poetry slam for teenagers. So, what’s the difference between “page” and “stage” poetry? Does spoken word have a political bent? And can poets hope to change anything? Jan Dalley puts these questions to the poet, rapper and playwright Kate Tempest; poet and artistic director of the “Shake The Dust” Jacob Sam-La Rose; and critic Suzi Feay. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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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  

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Elgar, the Beatles and Dizzee Rascal have all had a starring role in London’s Olympic Games, with some astonishing scenes that told the world the story of Britain’s contribution to popular culture. But can British music continue to punch above its weight? In this special edition of the Arts Podcast, FT pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney is joined in the studio by Laura Battle, an FT classical music critic, Peter Aspden, the newspaper's culture columnist, and Paul Morely, radio and TV presenter and music critic. With music by The Beatles, Thomas Ades, Roy Harper and Amy Winehouse. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown and John Sunyer  

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It's 100 years since the birth of Woody Guthrie, bard of the Great Depression, storyteller of genius, and huge influence on Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and the rest. Billy Bragg, whose upcoming tour plays tribute to Guthrie; Tom Paley, veteran folk musician; and Mojo journalist Colin Irwin discuss this remarkable man and his legacy with Richard Clayton, FT pop critic. With clips from Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land” and “Pretty Boy Floyd”, Billy Bragg’s “My Flying Saucer” (set to lyrics by Guthrie), and the title track from Tom Paley’s new album Roll On, Roll On. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

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Thinking differently is what makes Bowie stand out in the noisy world that killed off HMV. And it will be the key skill in the disembodied cultural universe of the future, says FT arts writer Peter Aspden.  

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Based on a novel by Peter Stephan Jungk, 'The Perfect American' is the story of one of the 20th century's biggest entertainment moguls. The FT's arts writer gives his verdict on the work's premiere at the Teatro Real, Madrid.  

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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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The German band’s shows at Tate Modern were wildly oversubscribed. But hot tickets and artistic pleasure don’t necessarily go hand in hand, says the FT’s arts writer  

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‘Robot and Frank’ paints a benign picture of silicon-based life-forms. But the film’s ‘near-future’ setting is one that often wrong-foots screenwriters  

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As a new documentary profiles the soft rock megastars, the FT’s arts writer reflects on their dramatic fall from grace – and their enduring appeal  

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Where there is a public clamour for explanation, writers and artists should be unafraid to step in, says the FT's arts writer  

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Countries are vying to project their worth through art, sport and broadcasting. But ‘soft power’ is not always easy to control, says the FT’s arts writer  

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The Nevada resort, a byword for pleasure-seeking in the here and now, is starting to take its history seriously, says the FT’s arts writer  

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London’s Jewish Museum may seem an odd venue for an exhibition about the late pop diva. But the show is not so much a celebrity portrait as a way for a family to reclaim its daughter, says the FT’s assistant arts editor  

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Braving Daleks and Cybermen at the Royal Albert Hall, the FT’s arts writer reflects on the unlikely synergy between classical music and a children’s sci-fi series  

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Omnicom/Publicis, Penguin/Random House – the cultural landscape is dominated by ever fewer, ever bigger businesses. Yet artists and audiences alike are finding benefits in shunning their embrace  

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The sheer scale of suffering in the 1914-18 conflict is hard to grasp. As preparations begin for the centenary commemoration, the FT’s arts editor argues that culture has a vital role to play  

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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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Culture is becoming a refuge for the digitally brutalised: an evening at the opera, or cinema, or theatre, is where we go to escape technological overload, the FT’s arts writer argues  

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Spicing up traditional settings with a dash of contemporary style has become a cultural commonplace. But let’s not pretend it’s anything more than an aesthetic compromise, the FT’s arts writer says  

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The Futurists’ fervent belief in progress heralded disaster; now we worry about what the future will bring. But the FT’s arts writer finds grounds for optimism – and an unexpectedly hippy vibe – at a London ideas festival  

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The market for Orthodox icons has been revivified by Russian money in recent years – yet the genre’s spiritual charge and innate conservatism make it a challenging field for collectors  

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Efforts to restore historic buildings to their original splendour tell us as much about today’s tastes as they do about yesterday’s  

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