The Art Of ...

In our final episode of this mini-series, curator Linsey Young hears from women artists, photographers, film-makers and activists who were responding to the political upheavals in the 1980s. 

From photographs of protests such as the Greenham women’s peace camps to films about AIDS and racist attacks, their work documented and commented on the intense struggles and conflicts of the time.

Linsey also finds out how the chan...

Curator Linsey Young finds out about group exhibitions by women of colour in the 1980s.

Joined by artists and curators, she explores how their shows made women of colour visible and expressed the politics and realities of their experiences.

From ‘CopyArt’ based on photographic self-portraits, to a giant avenging hindu goddess Kali, their work challenged stereotypes and was variously celebratory, sorrowful, satirical and urgen...

In these next two episodes, curator Linsey Young hears from women activists and artists of colour about their experiences and work in the 1970s and 80s.

In this episode, she learns about how women mobilised against racism and discrimination, and how artists challenged how art history was being taught. 

From involving lecturers in performances that challenged the Euro-centricity of art history to creating installations ce...

In episode three, curator Linsey Young investigates how the independent music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s liberated women from the expectations of the time. Joined by artists, musicians, writers and activists, she discovers how punk and industrial music created a space for women to express themselves on their own terms.

From self-publishing fanzines and forming all-women bands, to creating art in response to sex-work...

Curator Linsey Young hears from women who were making work in the 1970s that commented on their roles in the family and in the home. From performing as a pregnant bunny girl in a cage at an agricultural show, to baking a life-sized family in a mobile home, their wildly original work received no attention in the art press.

She also uncovers the origins of the Women’s Art Library in the late 1970s, when art history was almost...

A 6-part mini-series exploring art, activism and the women's movement in the UK in the 1970s and 80s.

In this episode, Curator Linsey Young journeys to the start of the Women's Liberation Movement and hears from women who were making work in the early 1970s. Joined by artists, makers and activists, she explores how this generation came together to demand change and create new spaces to share their art. From flour bombs to f...

Curator Linsey Young introduces this 6-part mini-series about art, activism and the women’s movement in the UK in the 1970s and 80s. She remembers back to when she started researching the Women in Revolt! exhibition. Her quest to find work made in response to the Women’s Liberation Movement, punk, Margaret Thatcher, Section 28 etc. led her to meet the remarkable artists, activists and archivists whose stories inspired this pod...

In this episode we revisit Paula Rego’s work to talk about the body, reproductive justice and abortion rights.

Listen to Polyester Zine’s editor in chief, Ione Gamble and curator, writer and researcher, Maggie Matić talk to artists Polly Nor and Rene Matić about Paula Rego, their own work, and Polyester’s recent zine Saving Ourselves.

See the Paula Rego exhibition at Tate Britain 7 July – 24 October 2021.

**Pleas...

Black women always emerge as pioneers throughout history. From art, to science, to activism and sport, Black women are a force. We live in a world where Black women are expected to be strong. They are expected to be support systems for others, to spearhead political movements, to jump three times as high. It can feel like the world is resting on their shoulders. So how do Black women find space and time to reflect and heal?

Th...

Comedy as an art form can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece. From toilet humour and sarcasm, to irony and wordplay, artists continue to use comedy within their work today. In this episode, comedian Charlie George explores how artists have used comedy throughout art history and asks 'is it okay to laugh at art?'

Hear from artist Abondance Matanda, art historian Alice Procter and assistant curators James Finch, Hel...

What role does a persona play in the lives we lead and the art we make? We speak to artists, performers and DJs who use a form of persona in their work. Experimenting with our persona can be a way to learn about ourselves and the world. But do we always know where the performance starts and when it stops?

The podcast is presented by Sandra Jean Pierre. Featuring artist Rosa Johan Uddoh, performer and activist Lewis G Burton, Sca...

What is love? is one of the most searched questions online. In this episode, author, journalist and ‘the funniest guy on Instagram’, Raven Smith explores how the various experiences of love have been expressed through art. Art that shows romance is loved by many and comes in all forms. From sculpture and photography, to paintings and films – the art of love is a language that speaks to us all.

To discover more artworks which hav...

Why are some stories easier to forget than others? We speak to artists who are using their work to uncover the people who have been hidden from view. Led by artists, poets and activists, we explore how art can be used to address the erasure of important events that has led to a history of ‘misremembering.’

The podcast is presented by poet Bridget Minamore. Featuring artists Kara Walker, Hannah Catherine Jones and Rene Matić...

This episode explores how the culture of hip hop has collided with art forms such as painting, installation art, photography and film. We follow its beginnings as an artistic and socio-political movement in the Bronx in the early 70s to its many manifestations throughout culture today. Listen as we talk with curators, musicians and fine artists about the influence of this art form and how hip-hop’s ability to bring together multipl...

Discover what it takes to make it in the arts. Inspired by generations of artists who have taken on commercial work to fund their passion projects, we take a practical look at the realities of earning a living as a young creative today. We explore the rise of slasher culture and ask how artists balance priorities; from personal branding, to self-care. 

The podcast is presented by DJ and producer Martha Pazienti Caidan. Feat...

In this episode we explore the role of chance and accident in the creative process. Hear artists, musicians and choreographers discuss what it means to 'go with the flow'.

The podcast features Frank Bowling, an artist who has spent 60 years improvising with paint. With contributions from dancer Alethia Antonia, artist Albert E. Dean, musicians Greta Eacott, Deji Ijishakin and Axel Lidstrom, and Bowling’s assistant Spencer A. Ric...

How long do you usually spend looking at art?

In this episode we explore what happens when we allow ourselves time to really get to know an artwork.

Hear a psychologist and former monk discuss how the act of looking slowly at objects affects the way we understand them. Tate volunteers and visitors also share their own slow looking experiences and offer some tips and techniques that you can try out on your next gallery visit.

Is there a link between mental health and creativity? Do artists have to ‘suffer for their art’?

In this episode, we challenge the myth of the 'tortured artist'. Hear artists, curators and health professionals discuss the role creativity can play in promoting well-being.

The podcast features Shadi Al-Atallah, Alistair Gentry, Carol Jacobi, Benji Jeffrey and Victoria Tischler. It is presented by Billy Childish.

The Art of C...

How can our past inspire us to create? We explore the role of memory in art.

Pierre Bonnard relied on memory to create his paintings. This podcast asks how can our senses provoke memories and how can our past inspire us? We hear from contemporary artists, a stroke survivor, a neurologist and an author and poet.  

Featuring Kayo Chingonyi, Constanza Dessain, Stuart Donaldson, Matthew Gale, Rosanna McLaughlin, Sylvia ...