Society & Culture

Illuminated

by BBC Radio 4

Society & Culture

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Latest episodes

Epilepsy and the Electric Spirit

October 25, 2026 · 29 min

A moment in the cinema, watching a horror film, made Daniel Kraemer look at his condition - epilepsy - in a new way. Why has epilepsy consistently been painted by society as being a supernatural power? When you hear from the people who…
The Mysterious Case of Annie Elizabeth

October 18, 2026 · 29 min

Lois Pryce has a mystery growing in her garden. On the banks of the River Thames stands an enormous old apple tree, producing fruit unlike any she has seen before. For years, Lois has wondered what it is. So she sends off a handful of…
Grandchildren of the ’56 Revolution

October 9, 2026 · 29 min

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 cemented the Cold War, confirming the USSR’s dominance over Eastern Europe and the limitations of NATO. Many thousands were killed. As we approach the 70th anniversary, Nathalie Olah, whose own grandfather…
Third Man Syndrome

October 4, 2026 · 30 min

In 1916, struggling across the mountains of South Georgia after the loss of the Endurance, Ernest Shackleton sensed that his party of three had become four. T.S. Eliot carried the idea into The Waste Land with "Who is the third who walks…
Faithless

September 27, 2026 · 29 min

For much of their lives, Micki, Esther, Nicola and Colin were devoted members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Nigerian Deeper Life Bible Church and Mormonism, respectively. Each recounts the moments when certainty began to unravel. In raw and…

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Izabela in Peru

September 20, 2026 · 29 min

Young Polish field-recordist Izabela Dłużyk travels to the Amazonian rainforest of Peru. Izabela, blind from birth, is a self-taught recordist with a wonderful ears for sound and limitless passion for the natural world. She is ‘rather shy…
The Power of the Bayeux Tapestry

September 1, 2026 · 29 min

Radio 4 is marking the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry in Britain with a day of programmes on the Norman Conquest and its lasting legacy today. George Parker, political editor of the Financial Times, was first captivated by the tapestry as…
Bouncing off the Walls: A Prison Soundscape

August 30, 2026 · 29 min

Footsteps on a metal walkway. The jangle of keys and the resonant clang of thick steel doors slamming. The clamour of voices raised in conversation, or argument, or laughter… their echoes ricocheting off brick and concrete. TVs and…
Ringing the Bullring

August 23, 2026 · 29 min

You might know Birmingham's Bullring as one of the UK's premiere shopping destinations, or somewhere to pass through on your way to visit Birmingham's famous Christmas Market. But at the heart of the Bullring is a special church – one of…
The Grand North Atlantic Home Video Archive

August 16, 2026 · 29 min

Growing up in rural Derry, author Séamas O’Reilly and his siblings never needed to go to Blockbuster. Instead, they were enraptured by their father’s archive of hundreds of films recorded off the television. With their snippets of…
James Hutton and The Restless Earth

August 9, 2026 · 29 min

Award winning Scottish folksinger, songwriter and storyteller, Karine Polwart celebrates the 300th anniversary of James Hutton’s birth, the Scottish scientist and philosopher known as the father of geology. With specially performed music…
Precious Stones

August 2, 2026 · 29 min

"Some losses feel seismic. The ground shifts, familiar landscapes tilt, and nothing is the same. Dad’s death changed our world. But it also left us with a distinctly geological conundrum. What on earth are we going to do with his rock…

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About the show

Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transported by the art and inventiveness of the very best programme makers. Just press the switch. New episodes are available weekly on Sunday evenings. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to make sure you don't miss an episode.