Representing cities - in politics and plays

Available for over a year

Anne McElvoy discusses the benefits and challenges of neighbouring cities pooling resources in the global phenomenom of city-regions. Economist Jim O'Neill, chair of the City Growth Commission, Alexandra Jones, Chief Executive of the Centre for Cities, and Dr John Harrison, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Loughborough University debate the issues for UK cities forming partnerships and ask whether it helps balance a London-centric economic recovery, or if historical rivalry and local pride could prove too big a hurdle for effective co-operation. As two plays with strong regional overtones open tomorrow, the playwrights Michael Wynne and Rachel Delahay talk about how their city roots have shaped their writing. Michael Wynne's Hope Place runs at the Liverpool Everyman until May 31st Rachel Delahay's Circles runs at the Birmingham Rep until May 24th And we continue our series in which previous New Generation Thinkers who've worked with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and BBC Radio 3 talk about their latest research and projects. Matthew Smith, from the University of Strathclyde, and Charlotte Blease, from University College Dublin, have been working on philosophy and psychiatric diagnosis, depression and ADHD. Presenter: Anne McElvoy Producer: Georgia Catt.