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Press Releases
Brian Eno to open Radio 3's new festival of talks and debate in Liverpool
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Brian Eno, musician, composer and artist, is to deliver the opening lecture for
91Èȱ¬ Radio 3's Free Thinking festival.
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This is a new weekend programme of
talks, discussions and arts which takes place in Liverpool from Friday 3 to Sunday 5
November 2006.
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It brings together writers, artists, scientists, philosophers
and political thinkers in sessions which tackle topics such as the impact of
new technology, cities, loneliness, sex and morality in future society.
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The
festival is staged by Radio 3 in association with 91Èȱ¬ Radio Merseyside.
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With a career spanning almost 35 years and an astonishing range of
artistic forms, Brian Eno is an iconic figure within international contemporary
culture.
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He has created some of the most intoxicating music of the last 30
years and his audio-visual art has been shown all over the world including the
Venice Biennale and the Pompidou Centre.
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Free Thinking will feature debate, drama, film, visual arts, blogs and
discussions.
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Contributors include Phil Redmond, founder of Mersey TV; architect
Piers Gough; Frank Field MP; writers Mark Ravenhill, Howard Jacobson, AS Byattand Linda Grant; and Radio Merseyside's Roger Phillips.
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Professor Doreen
Massey will deliver the first Open University Radio Lecture entitled Is The
World Really Shrinking?
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Radio 3 has commissioned a new drama from writer
Jeff Young about the strange tale of the ultimate advance in medical science,
the transplantation of a human soul.
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Roger Wright, Controller of Radio 3, said: "Innovative speech programming is
a key feature of 91Èȱ¬ Radio 3's unique output and Free Thinking is part of the
wider celebrations around the station's 60th birthday.
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"I'm sure that the
audiences both for the public events and on-air will enjoy the ambition of this
stimulating programming.
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"We're delighted to be launching this festival in
Liverpool with 91Èȱ¬ Radio Merseyside."
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Mick Ord, Managing Editor, Radio Merseyside, said:"I'm really excited about
the Free Thinking Festival - you couldn't come to a more appropriate place than
Liverpool as the city undergoes major regeneration and prepares itself for
Capital of Culture in 2008.
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"There's a real buzz about the place. The festival
has arrived here at just the right time and 91Èȱ¬ Radio Merseyside is delighted
to be playing a part in it."
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There will be a host of ways for audiences to take part in the weekend
including the chance to Speed date a thinker - where they can exchange views
with ten thinkers about the most exciting idea of the future - and to join
Philosophy in Pubs - Liverpool's pioneering community group for philosophical
stimulation in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Students from primary and secondary
schools are convening at the Liverpool Schools' Parliament to debate the Future
of Liverpool.
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They'll be discussing what the city will be like when they
retire, and what they would do if they were in charge of Liverpool.
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Liverpool
Biennial and SoundArt Network have commissioned Affirmation, a sound
installation by New York artist Julianne Swartz on display at Tate Liverpool.
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Radio 3's innovative series Between the Ears will broadcast a radio
adaptation of Affirmation on 4 November as part of the Free Thinking weekend.
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bbc.co.uk/radio3 has created a forum for five provocative thinkers from
Liverpool to New Delhi to explore the themes of the festival online.
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Radio 3 will broadcast festival coverage each evening from 3 to 10 November
with further highlights through the autumn, while Radio Merseyside reports
daily from events around the city.
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Audio and video will also be available
online.
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Free Thinking is working closely with FACT, the Foundation for Art and Creative
Technology, one of Liverpool's leading cultural venues, which will host the
majority of the events.
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Additional partners include the Open University, Big
Screen Liverpool, Liverpool Biennial and Arts Council of England and World
Museum Liverpool.
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Notes to Editors
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For the latest information and a timetable of the Free Thinking weekend, go to
bbc.co.uk/radio3/freethinking.
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Tickets are free for all events (excluding the
films) and are available from the 91Èȱ¬ Audience Line on 08700 100300 or in
person from FACT.
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Free Thinking programme information on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 3
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Friday 3 November
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9.30-10.30pm:
Brian Eno delivers the Free Thinking lecture Ìý
Saturday 4 November
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9.30-10.15pm: The Verb live from Liverpool.
Poet Ian McMillan hosts Radio 3's high-octane showcase for the spoken word.
Ian and guests present a cabaret of new writing on the Free Thinking themes. Ìý
10.15-10.45pm: Between the Ears. Affirmation
Liverpool Biennial and SoundArt Network have commissioned Affirmation, a sound
installation by New York artist Julianne Swartz on display at Tate Liverpool.
Radio 3's innovative series Between the Ears will broadcast a radio
adaptation of Affirmation on 4 November as part of the Free Thinking weekend.
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Sunday 5 November
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8.00-10.15pm: Highlights of Free Thinking including - Complications, a new drama from writer Jeff Young, commissioned by Radio 3 about the
strange tale of the ultimate advance in medical science, the transplantation of
a human soul; and Who Will Decide What's Right and Wrong in the Future?,
Roger Phillips hosts a debate between Frank Field MP, Zia Chaudhry of
Merseyside Council of Faiths, neuroscientist Dr Mark Lythgoe and Ruth Lea of
the Centre for Policy Studies.
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Monday 6 November
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9.30-10.30pm: Will Our Grandchildren be Robotic? Bionic gadgets are freeing us from physical constraints. But will this mean the
destruction of me? Philosopher Dylan Evans argues with Nick Bostrom, leading
spokesman for 'transhumanism', and Adam Montandon, inventor of one of Britain's
first commercially available cyborg devices.
And a report from the Liverpool Schools Parliament as it tackles the Free
Thinking agenda.
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Tuesday 7 November
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9.30-10.30pm: Cities: the Solution or the Problem.
For the first time, the majority of the world's population live in cities,
where dynamism and environmental disaster mix. So should cities still be the
focus of our dreams, or will they hasten our downfall? Philip Dodd challenges a
panel of guests including architect Piers Gough and writer and cultural
detective Sukhdev Sandhu for their answers.
And Carl Djerassi talks about sex in the future.
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Wednesday 8 November
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9.30-10.30pm: Will the 21st Century be the Lonely Century? Broken families, rampant individualism, and an obsession with the virtual
world: is this the dark future for tomorrow's isolated citizens? Novelist AS
Byatt, computer game enthusiast and philosopher Andy Martin and techo-writer
Tim Guest respond.
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Drama: The Writing of Harlots, new writing by Esther Wilson. Ìý
Thursday 9 November
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9.30-10.30pm: Professor Doreen Massey, a winner of geography's
Nobel prize, presents the first Open University Radio Lecture.
Globalisation gurus tell us the world is getting smaller and local places
are all becoming the same. Doreen Massey disagrees and lays out a manifesto for
an alternative global vision.
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Friday 10 November
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9.30-10.30pm: It's Not Where You Come From, It's Where You're Going
That Matters.
A debate featuring broadcaster and Chairman of Trustees at National Museums
Liverpool Loyd Grossman, author Howard Jacobson, writer Kenan Malik and
Professor of Innovation James Woudhuysen.
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Drama: Fused Rice Bowl, new writing by Jim Morris.
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Night Waves, Radio 3's arts and ideas programme will broadcast further
highlights from Free Thinking throughout the autumn and winter. Ìý
CF2/EH
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