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The Culture Show returns in new prime time slot and asks "What is culture?"
Next month The Culture Show moves to a new prime time slot on
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two.
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The arts programme, which returns for its 101st episode,
will be screened on Tuesday evenings at 10.00pm from 3 June with an extended
programme on Fridays at 11.35pm.
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It follows Later Live With
Jools Holland in to this new slot, and from now on seasons of the
two series will alternate, establishing a year-round presence for
contemporary culture, music and arts in the heart of Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two's
schedule.
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The show will be co-presented by musician Lauren Laverne and
critic Mark Kermode who will steer the viewer through a packed
and diverse programme.
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Every week they will be joined by a regular
core of expert reporters including Verity Sharp, Nihal, Andrew
Graham Dixon and Tom Dyckhoff.
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In the first week of the new series, The Culture Show is on set in
America with Ricky Gervais as he directs his first feature
film, This Side Of The Truth.
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Andrew Graham-Dixon goes to
Vienna to attempt a Freudian analysis of the work of Gustav Klimt
and Mark Kermode accompanies poet Simon Armitage as he goes
through the ordeal of his first gig as the lead singer of
The Scaremongers.
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Also featured will be music from Sparks and
French beatbox star Camille.
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This series The Culture Show comes
from both London and Glasgow, filmed in the two locations on
alternate weeks.
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"What is culture?"
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To mark the start of a new series and celebrate 100 episodes, The
Culture Show has asked hundreds of people for their definition of
culture.Ìý
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It is only a seven-letter word but it causes
disagreement and debate – few can agree on its meaning.
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Artists,
writers, school children, thinkers, designers, taxi drivers,
musicians, film-makers, bee keepers, comedians, sportsmen and
performers of every kind have pitched in with their own attempts
at defining culture.
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So far contributors range from Kenneth Branagh, Graydon Carter,
Jimmy Carr, Roisin Murphy, The Duchess of York and John Humphrys to Duffy, James Corden, Diana Quick and Jools Holland.
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The responses, of which more than 145 have been filmed and some
written down, have been varied with answers ranging from the
academic to the bizarre, personal to offensive, outrageous to
provocative, from the hilarious to the ridiculous, and just about
everything in between.
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Visual submissions have been received from
people including Rankin, Donny Tourette and Vic Reeves.
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Roly Keating, Controller of Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two, said: "The campaign is light-hearted in spirit but there's a serious question at its heart
about what we really value in our lives – and though in the end
there may never be a consensus about what culture means, The
Culture Show on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two won't waver in its mission to reflect the
range and excitement of contemporary creativity in all its
forms."
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All these views will form part of a nationwide debate and
campaign on the definition of culture which will be used to
promote the return of The Culture Show through TV, radio and
online.
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How viewers can get involved
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Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two and The Culture Show are inviting people to get involved
and contribute to the debate.
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As part of the campaign, 25-foot
installations are also being set up in London and Liverpool –
giant canvasses in which people can come along and
express their views on culture.
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These installations will become
part of the marketing campaign and will be featured across the
Â鶹ԼÅÄ.
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The installations will be at:
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Soho Square, London from noon on Thursday 22 May and from 10.00am on
Friday 23 May;
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St Luke's Church, Liverpool (part of the Streets Ahead Festival)Ìý
from noon on Saturday 24 May and from 10.00am on Sunday 25 May.
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There will also be the opportunity to join the debate on the
show's re-launched website, bbc.co.uk/cultureshow, which will also house all of the
responses from 19 May.
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People can add their own definition of culture or just enjoy
the videos, pictures and comments already added by other users
and celebrities.
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 The Culture Show, launched in 2004, covers every kind of culture
and continues to attract a huge range of talent from across all
fields of creativity.
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It forms part of a wide range of arts and
cultural programmes across Â鶹ԼÅÄ channels this summer, including
Imagine, Â鶹ԼÅÄÌýOne's flagship arts strand, which returns on 27 May
featuring films about the novelist Doris Lessing, director Wernor
Herzog and Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, and Arena, with
specials on music producer Phil Spector and the London taxi.
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Other upcoming highlights include a complete broadcast on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two
of Harrison Birtwistle's new opera The Minotaur, filmed during
its recent acclaimed run at the Royal Opera House, and Â鶹ԼÅÄ Four's
Travellers Season which will include The Thirties In Colour and
Alastair Cooke – Man Of Letters, a film which tells the story of
one of the most celebrated broadcasters of the 20th century.
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Notes to Editors
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Sample of responses
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"'It's being here, being part of these fantastic people, enjoying
a great cinema and a lovely evening – that's culture." Kenneth
Branagh, actor and director.
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"Culture is a decent replacement for sex – if you're not having
any you get a bit of culture – it's all good."Ìý Roisin Murphy,
singer, songwriter and producer.
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"And it (culture) can be almost everything except politics and
I'm a bit uneasy about contemporary art.'' John Humphrys, broadcaster.
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"'Culture is pretentious entertainment." Jimmy Carr, comedian.
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"'Culture to me is speaking Welsh." Duffy, Welsh singer and
songwriter.
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"'Culture is how you cut your bread in the morning... as someone
once said." Gavin Turk, artist.
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TM
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