Arts & Ideas Folgen

John Waters' film Hairspray became a hit musical. His "Trash Trilogy" involved negotiations with film censors. In an extended interview recorded in front of an audience, John Waters talks to Samira Ahmed about a career which has moved from film to hosting a show on American Court TV which featured marriages that ended in murder. Their discussion ranges over the influence of Catholicism, his birthplace Baltimore, the films of Douglas Sirk and the perils of hitchhiking. Recorded in front of an audience.

Blogs, YouTube, Facebook and phone apps have changed the way we share our lives, leading to an explosion in the telling of life stories. Alice Hall, from the University of York, explores our changing perceptions of what memory and memoir mean and looks at the way the language of modern fiction has tried to reflect this shift. Recorded on Sunday 27th October 2013 in front of a live audience at Sage Gateshead as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking festival.

What is the neuroscience of depression, how does it affect decision-making, and what are the ethics of medical treatments? Rana Mitter chairs a discussion looking at how we control our minds. He is joined on stage by Professor Barbara Sahakian who questions the ethics of smart drugs, Richard Bentall the Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool, and Guardian columnist and author Clare Allan. Recorded on Saturday 26th October 2013 in front of a live audience at Sage Gateshead as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking festival.