New Culture Forum

This week, Peter is joined by acclaimed writer and journalist Douglas Murray to discuss his superb new book "The Madness of Crowds": "In his devastating new book, Douglas Murray examines the twenty-first century's most divisive issues: sexuality, gender, technology and race. He reveals the astonishing new culture wars playing out in our workplaces, universities, schools and homes in the names of social justice, identity politics and 'intersectionality'. We are living through a postmodern era in which the grand narratives of religion and political ideology have collapsed. In their place have emerged a crusading desire to right perceived wrongs and a weaponization of identity, both accelerated by the new forms of social and news media. Narrow sets of interests now dominate the agenda as society becomes more and more tribal – and, as Murray shows, the casualties are mounting. Persons of all political persuasions cannot afford to ignore Murray's masterfully argued and fiercely provocative book, in which he seeks to inject some sense into the discussion around this generation's most complicated issues. He ends with an impassioned call for free speech, shared common values and sanity in an age of mass hysteria."

Sir James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and is also internationally active as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music. In this interview Sir James recounts the guilt he felt about about toying with communism in his youth, composing his first piece of music at the age of 10, and the importance to his life played by sacred music. He holds that unlike other areas of art, music contains a spirituality not found in paintings or the spoken word. Thus, there is an acknowledgement and openmindedness among musicians of music's Judeo-Christian heritage/origins. This is something he feels many in the wider artistic world find perplexing and difficult to understand or accept. Consequently there is an assumption that one's political allegiances must be broader left politically. He touches on the Scottish Referendum which, whilst not initially a Left-Right divide, has since seen the nationalist side become very left wing and anti-English. On the broader subject of philosophy, he mentions the derision and almost chilling response received to comments he made about the philosophy underscoring much classical music -- in particular, when he had occasion to quote Sir Roger Scruton. Sir James also laments the chance encounters the public might have with classical music are on the wane. Sir James and other musicians he knows first discovered classical music on BBC 1 etc. Yet today those opportunities are few and far between if not forever removed. He feels this is particularly regrettable given the strong position in which British classical music currently finds itself -- especially in comparison with the "top down culture" that drives current German and French classical music, and which the public finds hard to relate to.

Martin Durkin is an English television producer and director, particularly on Britain's Channel 4. Durkin is managing director of Wag TV, a television production company. He has produced, directed and executive-produced programmes covering the arts, science, history, entertainment, features and social documentaries. He was formerly connected to the now defunct Revolutionary Communist Party, and a number of his documentaries have caused controversies, including those critical of state spending and environmentalism. He has been described as "the scourge of the greens" and "one of the environmentalists' favourite hate figures".

James Cary is the creator & writer of BBC Radio 4's Award-winning comedy series, Think the Unthinkable. Cary co-created & co-wrote the BBC Three series Bluestone 42, and has also contributed to the TV comedy show Miranda & My Family. In April 2017, Cary was identified as one of the few pro-Brexit comedians in the United Kingdom, noting that other comedians should be wary of pointing out that people like him might be 'backward, nationalistic and patriotic and racist'. His new book is "The Sacred Art of Joking".

In this first episode of Season Two, Peter Whittle's guest is Peter Hitchens, the celebrated conservative columnist, writer and polemicist -- and one of our most commonly requested people: Subjects discussed include free expression, identity politics, immigration, education & social mobility, conservatism etc.. Sometimes styled "Britain's Obituarist", Hitchens best-known work is "The Abolition of Britain". As with Sir Roger Scruton, Hitchen is a social conservative who feels far closer to social democracy than the unfettered market . In this indepth discussion, Peter Hitchens explains how Britain has undergone a silent and radical revolution as transformative as history's most famous, where the buildings remain but little else is the same. Whilst many assume the roots of this revolution were planted in the 1960s, Mr. Hitchens traces the foundations back to the Bloomsbury Group & the First World War. Recalling his own time as a far left student in the 1960s, he reveals how, when they were at university, many of Britain's leading political and establishment figures of the last 30 years -- such as former PM Tony Blair -- identified openly as revolutionary Marxists or Trotskyists. --------------------

This week, Peter is joined by the comedian and social commentator, Konstantin Kisin. Konstantin made headlines last year after refusing to sign a "behavioural agreement" before a gig at a London university. He discusses with Peter how his families experiences in the Soviet Union helped shape his views on freedom and why he is fighting back against an increasingly politically correct elite. SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube, iTunes or Soundcloud: You can also find us on the Google Podcasts app. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-what-youre-saying-is/id1454511530?mt=2 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 SUPPORT: Your Donations will help ensure our Show keeps going PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/ About The Show So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture/society at large. Join us on Social Media: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

Peter's guest this week is the author and journalist David Goodhart. David was the founder and editor of Prospect Magazine and is now the head of the Demography, Immigration and Integration at the Policy Exchange think tank. He joins Peter to discuss themes he raises in his two books: The British Dream: Successes and Failures of Post-war Immigration and The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics. If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube, iTunes or Soundcloud https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-what-youre-saying-is/id1454511530?mt=2 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 About The Show So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture/society at large. Support SWYSI / Donate: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#donate See us on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum New Culture Forum (@NewCultureForum) on Twitter W: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk

Peter's guest this week is Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress of the Michaela free school. They discuss the ups and downs of setting up a free school, the dangers of giving children smartphones and challenging received wisdom in our approach to education. SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube, iTunes or Soundcloud: You can also find us on the Google Podcasts app. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 SUPPORT: Your Donations will help ensure our Show keeps going PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/ About The Show So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large. Join us on Social Media: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

Peter's guest this week is Sir Roger Scruton, a writer and philosopher who has published over forty books on politics, aesthetics and philosophy. The pair discuss politics, conservatism and of course the now infamous interview with the New Statesman magazine.

Peter's guest this week is the creator of the Twitter phenomenon ‘Titania McGrath’. Andrew Doyle is a writer and comedian. He writes for Spiked Online and has previously written for the spoof TV reporter Jonathan Pie. Peter and Andrew discuss 'woke culture', comedy and of course, Titania. SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube, iTunes or Soundcloud: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-what-youre-saying-is/id1454511530?mt=2 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 SUPPORT: Your Donations will help ensure our Show keeps going PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... About The Show So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large. Join us on Social Media: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)