Simon Schama explores how art and culture has captured and driven the transformations of British society since 1945. Although the post-war years saw a shared optimism, expressed in the 1951 Festival of Britain, Simon discovers how a common British identity slowly fragmented as different and sometimes clashing voices emerged. To help understand how the arts have defined our identity in an age of bewildering change, Simon meets some of the artists, writers and performers who were at the forefront of new movements in society, including Jarvis Cocker, Ali Smith, Sir Cliff Richard and Frank Cottrell Boyce.
“This fantastic three-parter about the role the arts play in bringing us together amid ever-widening social division.” Observer
“We lucky people… are about to receive another of his warm, fluent, joyously surprising BBC essays.” The Times
“As a love letter to ’the bottomless creativity of our culture’, it is unstinting and frequently inspiring.” Financial Times
Starts Wednesday 8th January, BBC2, 9pm. Watch on iPlayer