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BBC Radio 4 · Arts & Culture

Illuminated

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.

Episodes

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Grandchildren of the ’56 Revolution

09 Oct 2026
28m
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Third Man Syndrome

04 Oct 2026
29m
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Faithless

27 Sep 2026
29m
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Izabela in Peru

20 Sep 2026
28m
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Izabela Dłużyk, a blind sound recordist from Poland, navigates the Amazon rainforest in Peru to capture the intricate soundscapes of the wilderness. Relying on sound as her primary source of information, she employs parabolic microphones to document the calls of species like the Red Howler Monkey, various parrots, and ...

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The Power of the Bayeux Tapestry

01 Sep 2026
28m
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The Bayeux Tapestry serves as a potent instrument of political propaganda, evolving from an 11th-century tool to legitimize William the Conqueror’s invasion into a modern symbol of Anglo-French diplomacy. Originally commissioned to frame Harold II as a usurper and justify Norman conquest, the embroidery later became a ...

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Bouncing off the Walls: A Prison Soundscape

30 Aug 2026
28m
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Prison life functions as a relentless, chaotic soundscape where the constant clanging of metal doors, jangling keys, and overlapping voices serve as a perpetual reminder of confinement. This auditory environment deeply impacts mental health, acting as a source of trauma for inmates while simultaneously providing a sens...

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Ringing the Bullring

23 Aug 2026
28m
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The Grand North Atlantic Home Video Archive

16 Aug 2026
28m
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James Hutton and The Restless Earth

09 Aug 2026
28m
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Precious Stones

02 Aug 2026
28m
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Unreliable Narrator

26 Jul 2026
28m
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A Most Magickal Encounter

19 Jul 2026
28m
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Dear Gilbert, Dear Gordon

12 Jul 2026
29m
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Later Life Letter

05 Jul 2026
29m
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July Morning

28 Jun 2026
28m
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If We Can Walk Together

21 Jun 2026
28m
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A Body of Water

14 Jun 2026
28m
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The House in the Hole

07 Jun 2026
28m
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Voices from the Beach

31 May 2026
28m
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My Sister’s Daughter

24 May 2026
28m
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