Political arguments and cultural debates have become indivisible in recent years and this episode explores ideas around controlling culture from above. Hosts Charlotte Burns and Allan Schwartzman will hear from a British politician who says he’d return the controversial “Elgin Marbles” to Greece if he had the chance and, as China cracks down on dissenting voices with its national security law for Hong Kong, they also speak to an artist who recently left the city for fear of her safety. What happens when governments try to control culture? Tune in to find out.

Guests: Farah Nayeri, Tiffany Sia, The Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury, The Rt Hon Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Amy Webb

America’s public spaces have been throbbing with the sounds of loud arguments about history and identity, encapsulated by the debate over Confederate monuments. In this episode, hosts Charlotte Burns and Allan Schwartzman introduce you to artists and curators suggesting new ways of dealing with American history—taking you behind the arguments about whether statues should stay or go and offering a nuanced perspective on a haunted history.

Guests: Maya Benton, Thomas Finkelpearl, Roxane Gay, Jackson Polys, Hamza Walker

Introducing this new documentary series exploring power in art, hosts Charlotte Burns and Allan Schwartzman discuss the biggest challenges in the cultural world today. At a moment of epochal shifts and changing certainties, these are issues that extend well beyond the art world—from governments and human rights, to history and democracy.

Arguments around monuments are linked to debates about museums: what they show, what they own, who they employ. Who is at the top of these institutions, who funds them and how does the market come into play? Who’s driving the wagon and who’s trying to seize the reins? And do you need to buckle up to ride out the journey?

Guests: Deana Haggag, Mia Locks, Jay Sanders and The Rt Hon Lord Vaizey of Didcot