The arts are one of the best sources of inspiration for talking better, for reducing stigmas and taboos, and helping humans to be better humans.
Theatre. Television. Radio. Cinema. Art. Dance. Comedy. Festivals. Music. Literature. Poetry. Sculpture. These are some of the ways we come together to express and experience the feelings, thoughts, and learning that we need to talk and live better.
One of the most longstanding examples of positive fiction as a radio drama is The Archers on BBC Radio 4, which has been broadcast since 1951, clocking up over 20,000 episodes.
Now, it has a dedicated official podcast, ‘The Archers Podcast‘ with Emma Freud, which is exploring the plots, the people, the history, the humour, and the legacy of the show. That greater look into the themes is a bonus from the point of view of Let’s Talk Better.
For in recent history the drama (without being as heavy in tone and content as many TV shows) has covered such topics as crime and punishment, alcoholism, coercive control and gaslighting, business failure, climate change and ecology and (unsurprisingly) changes in agriculture, aspects of LGBTQ+ relationships, and a lot more, typically packed into 6 packed episodes of 13 minutes every week (with an omnibus edition!). Above all, the show remains as entertaining as it does relevant, which is quite an achievement.
As our latest event nears, ‘Embrace Yourself: Talking Body Image Stigmas and Taboos’ on 29th November, we wonder to what extent The Archers has covered body image and eating disorders? Or will again? An internet search shows that the character Helen had anorexia as long ago as 2004, but as one of our speakers at the event, Jenny Tomei of Jenup, finds in schools here in the UK and recently in Brazil, body image is if anything accelerating as an issue and a source of harm in the lives of young people especially.
We will add to this post other examples of noteworthy offerings from the arts and media and creatives that contribute to our talking better, but it seems reasonable to start with a “a contemporary drama in a rural setting” that has been going now for over 70 years.
Let's Talk Better C.I.C 