Meet Me at the Museum

Comedian Suzi Ruffell takes her pal, fellow comedian Jenny Bede, to Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes – once the top-secret home of Britain’s codebreakers during the Second World War. Together they take a look inside Alan Turing’s office and get up close to the Enigma cipher and Bombe codebreaking machines, explore the stories of the women who worked at Bletchley Park, and chat to experts about what life would have been like on site.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Diament, co-host of the Talk Art podcast, explores Turner Contemporary in Margate with his friend Naomi Evans, co-founder of Everyday Racism. As they bring their perspectives to different exhibitions in this visually striking gallery, they discuss their love of Margate, how the arts scene has developed in the town, and how their work and interests led them to each other. They also consider how some of the artists on show respond to the sea, following in the steps of the gallery’s namesake, artist JMW Turner. Notes:  The exhibition Wayfinder: Larry Achiampong & JMW Turner curated by Larry Achiampong is at Turner Contemporary until 19 June 2022.  The exhibition Sirens: Sophie von Hellermann and Anne Ryan is on until spring 2023. Visitors with a National Art Pass enjoy 10% off in the shop at Turner Contemporary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcaster and director Poppy Jay is joined by her friend Martin at the V&A in London, where they indulge their love of sharing art and culture together among the museum’s vast collection. Pieces of design such as the Refugee Nation flag spark conversations about identity, migration and empire, while other works of art such as Tippoo’s Tiger – one of the museum’s most famous objects – prompt thoughts about protest and dissent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian, actor and writer Isy Suttie takes her friend Caroline to Creswell Crags – a place that’s very special to them both. As they explore the museum, caves and limestone gorge, they share their memories of visiting when they were younger and why this unique location is so close to their hearts. In the museum they discover some of the fascinating artefacts that reveal stories of life in the Ice Age – before putting on their hard hats and heading into the caves, which contain art that’s over 12,000 years old. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor Siobhán McSweeney takes her pal Kevin Brady to one of her favourite places in London, the Wellcome Collection. Together they explore exhibitions and items that shed light on the connections between science, health, life and art. They meet an astronaut, see a moving piece of art that prompts reflections on the pandemic, learn about humanity’s relationship with plants – and Siobhán even reveals how Star Trek influenced her decision to study science.Notes:The exhibition Rooted Beings is at the Wellcome Collection until 29 August 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor Brian Cox shares some of his favourite works of art at the Scottish National Gallery with fellow Dundonian actor Ava Hickey. The two explore some of the most iconic paintings in Scotland’s art collection, meet the Monarch of the Glen, and discuss their shared experiences of making creative work during the pandemic. As they look at work by artists from Rembrandt through to Dundee’s John Duncan, they consider how different art forms influence their own work as actors – and hear some fascinating insights from curators at the gallery. Notes:  Audio clips from Scenes for Survival are featured courtesy of National Theatre of Scotland. You can watch Brian and Ava’s scenes at:  nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/scenes-for-survival  Credit: Scenes for Survival was delivered by National Theatre of Scotland, Screen Scotland, BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine project and Scotland’s leading theatre venues and companies, with support from Hopscotch Films, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for series 7 of Meet Me at the Museum from 14 April, where our star presenters discover fascinating stories at some of their favourite museums across the UK. Join actor Brian Cox at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh; Derry Girls’ Siobhan McSweeney at the Wellcome Collection in London; actor and comedian Isy Suttie at Creswell Crags in Worksop, and many more. Be the first to hear every episode: follow Meet Me at the Museum wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Broadcaster and musician Mark Radcliffe takes his friend and bandmate Paul Langley to the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, where they explore how the ‘rainy city’ has been a place of ideas and invention through time. As they take a deep dive into an exhibition about one of Manchester’s most famous outputs, Factory Records, they discuss how the iconic record label is intertwined with the city’s industrial heritage and a long history of creative thinkers, scientists and innovators. Notes:  The exhibition Use Hearing Protection: The Early Years of Factory Records is at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, until 3 January 2022.  This recording features two tracks by Mark and Paul’s band UNE, Folie and Waldeinsamkeit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast Deborah Frances-White takes her pal, the actor and Talk Art podcast co-host Russell Tovey, to the Design Museum in London, where they explore how art and design are integrated into the way we live. Together they discover how great pieces of design can become iconic and how today’s designers are working to tackle throwaway culture by pioneering sustainability. They even get the chance to peek behind-the-scenes, with an exclusive tour of the museum’s collection store – not normally open to the public.  Notes:  The exhibition Waste Age: What Can Design Do? is on now until 20 February 2022.  The Amy Winehouse exhibition, Amy: Beyond the Stage, opens on 26 November 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and photographer Caleb Azumah Nelson visits Bristol Museum & Art Gallery with his partner, theatre-maker and poet Esme Allman. Together they encounter art that speaks to Bristol’s radical history, explore an exhibition of work by one of their favourite artists, Ghanaian photographer James Barnor, and discover how a project led by the museum’s Young Collective has brought fresh new perspectives to the museum’s collection. Notes:  The exhibition James Barnor: Ghanaian Modernist is at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery until 31 October 2021.  You can find out more about the Uncomfortable Truths podcast project, and listen to the episodes, at bristolmuseums.org.uk/stories/uncomfortable-truths Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.