How do modern conflicts change the way artists respond to warfare? In this bonus episode, Edmund Clark discusses his experiences of depicting life for those who are living in controlled environments. In this wide-ranging conversation with Rebecca Newell, Head of Art at Imperial War Museums, we touch on many of the themes explored over series three, as well as how Clark tries to capture the invisible; how relationships form an integral part of his process, and the stories and artwork that can be ...
Feb 14, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 7
How do we begin to understand how civilians felt in a time of war? We often look to diaries and poetry - but today we look to the surrealist artists that sought to make sense of the most extreme times imaginable. Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar is taken on a specially curated tour of the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Gallery by Iris Vasey - to discover history's most private thoughts as their society descends into war. Joining them both is an expert in the psychological impact of warfare; from the F...
Feb 07, 2025•31 min•Season 3Ep. 6
What did it take to capture 20th Century warfare on film - and how were they used in the war effort? Geoff Norcott joins curator James Taylor for a personalised tour of the artworks on display at the Imperial War Museum, London. From reconnaissance missions by air to the cameramen risking their lives on the ground, images from this time have endured in our consciousness and shaped the way we have recorded war since. Expert Toby Haggith explains how the increasing sophistication of filmmakers imp...
Jan 31, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Is there anything new in modern propaganda? Comedian Rachel Parris discovers how governments and protesters have always pulled on the public's emotional heartstrings across the 20th and 21st centuries. From shock tactics to satire, art curator Sarah Holdaway guides Rachel on a personalised tour of the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Gallery - accompanied by Dr Mark Sealy, Director of Autograph London and Professor of Photography at University of the Arts London. Content Warning: description ...
Jan 24, 2025•36 min•Season 3Ep. 4
What did artists and photographers choose to show us of the horrors of the front line? And how did Governments seek to curb what its citizens could see? Carl Miller (The Kill List) travels from the trenches of France to modern day Iraq, via the paintings and photography on display at the Blavtnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London. Guiding Carl’s journey is Claire Brennard, Art Curator at IWM London, and Professor Ana Carden-Coyne, Director of the Centre for the C...
Jan 17, 2025•43 min•Season 3Ep. 3
How did British society react to the sudden increase of women in the workforce during the First World War? Or the thousands of colonial volunteers brought over to fight Nazism? Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum, Cheaters) is given a personal guided tour by IWM curator Geoff Spender, as the actor discovers the artists and photographers behind those stories - encountering censored images of wartime Britain in the process. They are joined by Dr Diya Gupta, lecturer in public history at City University of L...
Jan 10, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 2
How have artists, filmmakers and photographers shaped our understanding of wars and conflict? Journalist and writer Helen Lewis explores the recently-opened Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London. From No Man's Land to mushroom clouds, Helen discovers the people that have interpreted over a hundred years of conflict, in this specially-curated tour by James Bulgin, Head of Public History at IWM. They are joined by Suzanne Plunkett, Reuters' Chief Photographer...
Jan 03, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 1
More conflicts explained in a brand new series focusing on the role of art, film and photography in depicting warfare across the Twentieth Century. This time featuring: Broadcaster Helen Lewis Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar Comedian Rachel Parris Writer Carl Miller (‘The Kill List’) Actor Susan Wokoma Comedian Geoff Norcott New episodes from 3rd January - if you know someone who would love our show, please share the news with this link: https://podfollow.com/conflict-of-interest Narrator: James Taylor. P...
Dec 30, 2024•1 min
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. But what is the history behind this devastating war, and where did it all begin? In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, we explored Ukraine’s recent past, from the collapse of the Soviet Union to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Guests in this episode were comedian Sophie Duker, Ukrainian journalist, expert and activist Olga Tokariuk, academic and historian Samir Puri and senior IWM curator Carl Warner. ——— CLIPS...
Aug 22, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 7
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. But why did the United Kingdom, steered by Margaret Thatcher, send its Navy to defend the Falklands, a tiny group of islands over 8,000 miles from Britain? Why were the islands so important to Argentina and its government? And what are the prospects for reconciliation forty years later? In this episode we were joined by actor and comedian Katherine Parkinson.
May 18, 2022•53 min
The Vietnam War is one of the twentieth century’s most well-known conflicts. It has become a buzzword for military failure, synonymous with the most horrific aspects of irregular warfare between states and guerilla forces, and has had a profound impact on politics and popular culture in the United States and around the world. But why did America get involved in the first place? Who were the Viet Cong and the Viet Minh? Why were there mass peace protests back in the US? And what lessons, if any, ...
May 11, 2022•56 min
Why is Korea divided between North and South? Who was Kim Jong Un’s grandfather Kim Il Sun, and what did he want? Why did the United Nations intervene in Korea? And did the Korean War really almost go nuclear? In this episode we were joined by celebrated stand up comedian, writer, actor and activist Eddie Izzard, in a special recording that took place on the ship HMS Belfast. ---- Excerpt from Combat footage, Korean war - newsreel (1950): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF_Ts_6oSi8&ab_channe...
May 04, 2022•57 min
The Mau Mau Uprising was another lesser-known conflict that took place during the end of the British Empire between Kenyan insurgents and British forces. We ask questions like, What does Mau Mau actually mean? What happened in Britain’s detention camps? What was decolonisation? And what is the legacy of the conflict today? In this episode we were joined by renowned poet and writer Nikita Gill. This episode contains references to racism and sexual violence in conflict. Some listeners may find des...
Apr 27, 2022•51 min
Few are aware of the secretive conflict that took place in the jungles of Malaysia in the 1940s and 1950s between British colonial forces and communist guerillas. So what tactics were used by both sides? Why was it called an Emergency and not a War? What happened to ordinary civilians caught in the crossfire? And why did this conflict become so important for future counterinsurgency campaigns? In this episode we were joined by stand up comedian Phil Wang. -------------- CREDITS: Excerpt from "Ma...
Apr 20, 2022•47 min
The Berlin Wall was one of the most important symbols of the Cold War, signifying the division of Europe into communist East and capitalist West. But why was the Wall built? How did it affect the lives of ordinary Berliners? And how did it come crashing down in 1989? In this episode we were joined by Russell Tovey, renowned actor who has starred in Being Human, The History Boys and Him & Her. --------- CREDITS: Excerpt from Ronald Reagan: "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!" https://www.you...
Apr 13, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this brand new series of Conflict of Interest, high-profile guests ask the simple questions about the world’s most complex conflicts from the Cold War era.
Apr 06, 2022•2 min
Singer and guitarist Jake Shuker was nine when he first discovered death metal, despite the genre being banned in Syria. From that moment on he was hooked. He formed death metal band Maysaloon as a teenager living in Damascus, before being forced to leave the city as war escalated around him. If you’d like to see a visualisation of Jake’s story, head over to @thefakepan . To learn more about the war in Syria, check out our main podcast feed....
Mar 09, 2022•17 min
In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, artist Murad Subay tells his story of Yemen before the war, finding art as a teenager before sparking a street art movement that saw men, women and children painting the streets of their homes. If you'd like to see a visualisation of Murad's story, head over to @thefakepan. You can find out more about Murad's work @muradsubay or via his website. To learn more about the war in Yemen, check out the episode on our main podcast feed....
Feb 22, 2022•13 min
In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, we hear what Afghanistan was like for a young girl growing up in Kabul before the Taliban retook power - a girl who dreamed of being a famous artist. Calligrapher and miniaturist Samira Kitman discovered art as a young woman, allowing her to travel the world before threats to her freedom and fear of violence forced her to flee her home. To see a visualisation of Samira's story in comic book form, head to @thefakepan on Instagram . To learn more ab...
Feb 15, 2022•19 min
In this bonus episode of Conflict of Interest podcast, marking the twentieth anniversary of the attacks on September 11th, 2001, we examine this monumental moment in history which profoundly impacted the world of war and conflict, and the way we live our lives today. Our guests Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, hosts of the true crime podcast RedHanded , ask the simple but important questions about the events of 9/11: Who were al-Qaeda and what did they believe? What actually happened on Septembe...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 1
So far, Conflict of Interest has examined wars in far-flung parts of the world like Yemen and Afghanistan. But in our final episode, we'll explore one much closer to home. When did ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland begin, and what was it like to live through them? Who were the IRA, and what happened on Bloody Sunday? And with the Good Friday agreement bringing an end to the conflict, what does Brexit mean for the peace process today? In this episode we were joined by James Graham, playwright an...
Jul 07, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Until recently, Yemen was seen as a remote part of the world that many Westerners knew very little about, perhaps beyond the book-turned-film 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' and a Friends episode where Chandler moves to 15 Yemen Road. But in the last few years, the conflict there has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing starvation. So why did the violence start? Who are the Houthis? What has been the true impact on Yemen’s civilian population? And what is Brit...
Jun 30, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 6
The Syrian conflict is one of the most complex and catastrophic wars of recent memory. It has left more than 380,000 people dead and over 10 million people displaced, has destroyed entire cities and drawn interventions from multiple countries. But what are the roots of this conflict? Why has it been so chaotic? And is there any hope on the horizon for Syria’s devastated civilian population? In this episode we were joined by Carey Mulligan, award winning actor and star of ‘Promising Young Woman’ ...
Jun 23, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Who was Muammar Gaddafi? What happened in the Arab Spring? What were the reasons behind Britain, France and America intervening in Libya in 2011? And why is there still fighting going on today? In this episode we’ll explain the story behind one of the most consequential (and confusing) conflicts of recent times. In this episode, we were joined by the renowned poet and playwright Inua Ellams, who has written plays including Barber Shop Chronicles and An Evening With An Immigrant. ----------------...
Jun 16, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 4
The Iraq War is one of the most controversial events in recent history. But who really was Saddam Hussein? What was the rationale behind the invasion? What went so badly wrong after 2003? And what are the consequences of the War today? In this episode we were joined by Rick Edwards, TV presenter and former host of T4 and Tool Academy. © AP Archive. © Parliamentary Recording Unit Excerpt from ‘Iraq War Peace Protests (2003) | Footage’ LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffEVrn6Kkpw&t=1547s&...
Jun 09, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 3
9/11. Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban. Helmand. IEDs. These are some of the phrases associated with the War in Afghanistan. But why did Britain, America and others intervene there in 2001? Why did troops stay after the intervention? And what has happened in the region since, in what became America’s longest running conflict? In this week's episode we were joined by comedian Jamali Maddix, presenter of Hate Thy Neighbour and guest on Taskmaster. This episode was recorded in November 2020. *credits* ...
Jun 02, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In the 1990s, countries like Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia saw some of the worst violence in Europe since the Second World War. So why did war break out in the former Yugoslavia, how did the conflict play out, and how far back does the story go? In this week's episode we were joined by Deborah Frances-White, host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. Please be aware this episode includes descriptions of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing. If you are affected by any of the issues rai...
May 26, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 1
A new series from Imperial War Museums - subscribe now on your podcast app of choice.
May 10, 2021•2 min
