logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
28m 20s

Generations in conversation

Bbc World Service
About this episode

This week, as people around the world gather with family, Chibundu Onuzo presents a series of conversations between artists across the generations exploring what unites and divides them. In the USA it’s estimated that nearly a quarter of the population will be 65 or older by the year 2060 with more and more of the country’s resources needed to care for them. In Nigeria, a young population of average age 18 is questioning the ability of older politicians to understand their needs. In light of these debates, we listen in on conversations between artists from different generations.

Jewish American novelist Daniel Torday, 43, meets African American writer Monica Brashears, 25. Daniel is the author of Boomer1, a novel exploring intergenerational strife in the Baltimore suburbs and Monica is about to release her debut novel, House of Cotton, a gothic story set in the American South. They talk about their shared anxiety over climate change and the tensions between Gen Z and Baby Boomers.

Two musicians from India, Suhail Yusuf Khan, in his 30s, and Sarvar Sabri who’s in his 60s discuss the way their musical tradition is handed down and different approaches to the student teacher relationship.

Plus Australian Aboriginal artists, Mother and daughter Lauren Jarrett, 65, and Melissa Greenwood, 38, talk about their shared artistic practice and how making work helps them address intergenerational trauma within their community. Producer: Simon Richardson

(Photo: Lauren Jarrett and Melissa Greenwood)

Up next
Jan 2023
Cate Blanchett: My ‘dangerous’ role
On this week’s The Cultural Frontline we explore the power of music and how artists have been using it to highlight issues including politics and the #MeToo movement. Prakash Neupane is a Nepali rapper and writer who mixes hip hop and R&B with social and political messages. His s ... Show More
27m 32s
Mar 2023
My art, my community
This week, we hear from artists who’ve been making a difference in their local communities. Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka first spoke to The Cultural Frontline in 2019 when he was filming the protests taking place after Sudanese President Al Bashir had been deposed following 30 ... Show More
27m 44s
Mar 2023
Reclaim and resist: Canada's indigenous musicians
The myriad of indigenous communities in Canada share a painful history. But today, Canada’s indigenous artists are using music, from rock to round dance, to interrogate still-felt horrors, to heal, and to share stories, culture and languages that were violently suppressed for dec ... Show More
27m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
The evolution of teenagers
In some ways the 21st century is a very unusual time when it comes to adolescence - a study in the US found that teenagers smoke less, drink less and have less sex than the previous generation. And worldwide young people are coming of age in a digital era, with the dangers and op ... Show More
49m 22s
Oct 2019
Generation Z and the Art of Self-Maintenance
Generation Z is self-taught. No-one any older really gets that. The children born around the turn of the millennium came into a digital world and had to find out for themselves how to navigate it. Sure, we all live it now - but we weren't formed by it. We came to digital from the ... Show More
29 m
Dec 2018
The Stoop #4 – You May Not Get It, But I Love You
The Stoop talks to interracial couples having difficult conversations around race, love and identity at a time when racial tensions are high. And when there’s kids in the mix, these conversations can be even harder. We also hear from Professor Shantel Buggs—author of the study “D ... Show More
22m 25s
Jun 2023
The Real Differences Between the Generations || Jean Twenge
Today we welcome Jean Twenge to the podcast. Jean is professor of psychology at San Diego State University. She frequently gives talks and seminars on generational differences and technology based on a dataset of 39 million people. Her audiences have included college faculty and ... Show More
48m 13s
Dec 2021
24. Sweet Harmony
James Campbell's family were unusual. They were the 'singing family'. Everyone on their street knew it - and heard it. They would sing at the drop of a hat and James' father had a barbershop quartet. Every Monday evening James would listen attentively to the sumptuous close harmo ... Show More
28m 56s
Nov 2022
The One Problem With Selena Gomez’s New Documentary
On the show today… In some shocking TV news no one quite saw coming, the critical favourite series Westworld has been surprisingly canceled. The cancellation has to do with some behind-the-scenes drama that we need to talk through. And in some truly sad news, it was confirmed yes ... Show More
18m 55s
Oct 2021
Barack Obama And Bruce Springsteen On Their Belief In A Unifying Story For America
Last summer, when former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen sat down to tape their podcast, the country was facing a pandemic, joblessness and a contentious election. And their conversations, they say, were an effort to offer some perspective and an attempt to try and f ... Show More
14m 48s
Sep 2022
Abbie Chatfield & The Complications Of Fame
On the show today… After much speculation, the cast of The Challenge Australia 2022 has officially been announced and it’s a melting pot of high-profile reality TV star names that is sure to cause some drama. Here’s what you need to know. And speculation ran rife over the weekend ... Show More
19m 16s