The National Awards are given out to people who have excelled in their work, and the protagonist of this broadcast is a clear example of that. Bea Lema received this year's National Comic Award for her work "El cuerpo de Cristo", the jury considered it "an innovative work, risky in the form, with textures and compositions that trascend the most commonly used techniques, without giving up the humour and a poetic look".Bea joined us to tell more about this unique and special work, "El cuerpo de Cristo", which could be translated as "The body of Christ". Escuchar audio

Every year, the Spanish Ministry of Culture gives out the National Awards to people who have excelled in their work that year. It is divided into different categories and aims to highlight the people or pieces that have stood out in their field.This year's National Award in Theater was given out to "Teatro del Barrio" a cultural space located in the Madrilian district of Lavapiés and which aims to bring people closer to culture, politics and, of course, theater. We visited their studio and spoke with art director, Ana Belén Santiago, and communications manager, Paloma Fidalgo. Escuchar audio

On the 12th of October, Spain will be celebrating it National Day, which includes several commemoratory events and a military parade presided by King Felipe VI. This day commemorates Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas, an issue that has been quite controversial, particularly in the last few weeks, after newly elected Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, brought up a letter sent by her predecesor, Andrés López Obrador, to the Spanish King asking for an apology for the acts committed during the conquest. On this broadcast, we analyze the consequences and origin of this request, as well as Spain's historical relations with Mexico, with historian and professor in the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, Manuel Burón. Escuchar audio

More than a singer or an artist, Rosalía has already established herself as a phenomenon. In 2022 Rosalía released her album "Motomami", which included the track "Abcdefg", in which Rosalía lists some concepts and words with the letters of the alphabet, words that have inevitably become linked to Rosalía.Now, a unique book picks up on this concept and uses the alphabet as a base to narrate the life and career of the artist "Rosalía de la A la Z" (Rosalía from A to Z) was written by Marta Salicrú, who joined to tell us all about it. Escuchar audio

More than 60 years ago, art collector and patron Peggy Guggenheim made history with the first exhibition of only women artists. "31 women" aimed to bring attention to the role of women in art, giving them a space where they could become the subject instead of the object, distancing themselves from the common stereotypes associated to women artists.At the time it received mixed critics but now... The Mapfre Foundation retrieves the spirit of that exhibition with "31 women. An exhibition by Peggy Guggenheim", curated by Patricia Mayayo. We visited the exhibition and spoke with Curator of Fine Arts, Casilda Ybarra. Escuchar audio

An exhibition in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, here in Madrid seeks to reevaluate the colonial history behind its works. Taking works from their own collection and diving into the context in which 50 different paintings were made: what is shown on the canvas, and what isn't.The legacy of colonialism continues affecting our own modern society, and the exhibition "Colonial Memory in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections" analyzes the origins of this impact through art. On this broadcast we learn about the exhibition with Alba Campo Rosillo, art historian and one of the curators of the exhibition, which ends its run on October 20th.Escuchar audio

Back in June, Julian Assange was released from prison after 14 years of prosecution, and on Tuesday, he made his first public appearance before the Council of Europe. There, he spoke about his case and the effects on human rights and, in particular, media freedom. The hearing was organised by the Assembly's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, which recently expressed "deep concern" at Mr Assange's harsh treatment, and said that the charges brought against him by the United States authorities were "disproportionate", and the penalties constituted against him under the Espionage Act fall within the requirements included on the definition of a "political prisoner". On this broadcast, we analyze Julian Assange's case and his speech in the Council.Escuchar audio

"Artefacto" is a Spanish word that comes from the latin "Arte-factum", that means, made with art. Tomás Gómez and Juan Andura couldn't have thought of a better word to name the business they started 25 years ago, in 1999. Throughout these years workers or, perhaps we should call them "artists", in Artefacto have been working really hard on making dreams come true. From scripts to reality, from abtract ideas directly to their workshop. They have created set decorations for iconic movies such as "Pan's Labirynth", "Volver" or "Broken embraces".Escuchar audio

A 2600 old Phoenician ship is being extracted from the Mediterranean in the south of Spain. Carlos De Juan, director of the extraction team, tells us all abut it. Also on today's broadcast, Donny Aminou, Former Meteosat Payloads Manager at the European Space Agency, tell us about weather satellites. Escuchar audio

When you think 'American', one of the most American caricatures that may come to mind is the cowboy. The stoicism, the loaded revolvers, the gritty American desert... Only, a lot of the films that created these caricatures of what was so quintessentially American were filmed in the Spanish countryside. In the middle of the twentieth century, the dry south in Andalucía, or the plains of Spain's central regions, were the perfect setting for Hollywood's spaghetti westerns.Such is the case of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the most famous spaghetti western ever made. In the Sabinares de Arlanza-La Yecla Natural Park in Burgos, the Sad Hill Association(named after the cemetery where the final moments of the film takes place) has been rebuilding the sets that were originally made for Sergio Leone's 1966 classic. Dani García of the association tells us all about it.Escuchar audio

In the wake of this year's Paralympics in Paris, we talk with the president of the Spanish Sports Federation for People with Physical Disabilities (FEDDF), Enrique Álvarez. How did Spain fair in this year's Paralympic Games? What support do sports for people with disabilities have in Spain? And why are these sports important?Escuchar audio

Spain is one of the many countries surrounding the Meditteranean sea, a body of water that is home to all kinds of plants and wildlife... One of these being the Great White Shark. American research organization OCEARCH set out to investigate the Mediterranean great whites... but in the Atlantic. The Expedition Save the Med explored Spanish, French and Irish waters this summer, with the help of local organizations, such as the Oceanográfic Foundation in Valencia. Today we're joined by biologist and investigator Pablo García who tells us about the project and its time in Spain.Also, September means the start of a new school year... and this was the most expensive back-to-school in Spain's history, putting more pressure on struggling families. Carlos Fernandez of the CaixaProinfancia Foundation will be telling us more.Escuchar audio

Natalia Bayona, the executive director of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) joins us to talk about tourism in Spain this past summer, now that we've finally settled back into our routines after the holidays. Spain is one of the world's most popular destination countries and the tourism sector is crucial for the country's economy. But this summer we've also witnessed unrest amongst locals in different parts of Spain, and the strengthening of the turismofobia sentiment. Can Spain's tourism sector adapt to the challenges of a changing world?Escuchar audio

In 1939, the civil war that had broken out in Spain 3 years earlier came to an end with the victory of the Nationalists... The war ended in April. In September, after a month of travel, over 2000 refugees arrived in Valparaíso, Chile aboard the Winnipeg.Ealier this month, an exhibition titled Geografías nunca antes soñadas (Geographies never before dreamt of) opened in the Museo de la memoria y los derechos humanos in Santiago, Chile, with the help of the Spanish Embassy. Paula Solimano is the head of museography there, and she'll tell us about the journey made all those years ago, and Chile's reception of the Spanish refugees.Escuchar audio

The Hay Festival is coming to Segovia, bringing with it events in English and Spanish from international speakers about literature and the arts. Eley Williams is the author of The Liar's Dictionary, and at the festival she will be in conversation with Cristina Ward, head of Arts of British Council Spain. They joined us ahead of the festival here at the English Language Broadcast, and we can now offer a teaser of what the discussion might offer: the origin of words and the fun of them.The Hay Festival Segovia will run September 12-15.Escuchar audio

We've seen them in TV, cinema and video games, but the more often than not, the image we have of Vikings has been mythologized and romanticized, overlooking the true richness of their culture and society.Now, an exhibition in Galicia aims to shed some light onto their daily lives and culture. "Una vida Vikinga" (A viking life) brings the public closer to this civilization and challenges popular misconceptions, myths and stereotypes about its society. To tell us more about this exhibition, we spoke with curator Irene García. Also on this broadcast, we learn about "The child who lived: Down syndrome among Neanderthals?", a grounbreaking study that offers evidence of compassion among this species. To give us a deeper insight on this amazing discovery, we spoke with lead author and researcher, Mercedes Conde-Valderde.Escuchar audio

For many of us, Wikipedia has become a essential part of our lives and our search history. It is probably the easiest and most convenient way to find information about any topic. However, did you know that only 22% of the biographies belong to women? The inequality in Wikipedia is only a reflection of the inequality in the real world. But, for a few years now a group of women are determined to change this reality.Wikiesfera is a community of women that come together to edit Wikipedia. They aim to correct biases, expand women's biographies and creat new articles on relevant issues related to minorities and under-represented groups. To tell us more about their work and the importance of what they do, on this broadcast, we spoke with Patricia Horrillo, founder and project manager. Escuchar audio

A week ago, the CEO of instant messaging service Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France for reportedly failing to prevent criminal activity on the app. And this past weekend, Brazil suspended access to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, after Elon Musk refused to comply with the Brazilian's Government's requests.Events like these spark discussions about censorship and freedom of speech, and figures such as Telegram's Pavel Durov and X's Elon Musk have positioned themselves at the forefront of such discussions. But how much power do these CEOs have over what is shared on their sites? And how much responsibility?On today's broadcast we are joined by computer scientist Enrique Puertas of the European University in Madrid to discuss recent events and seek answers to these questions....Escuchar audio

Ilse was only 11 years old when her family packed their bags and left from Germany to Chile, where they settled in a colony that looked idyllic from the outside, but in reality it was nothing of the sorts.Ilse is a fictional character, but her memoirs are based on real stories that happened in Colonia Dignidad, a religious cult under the leadership of Nazi preacher Paul Shäfer. Emma Sepúlveda, the author of this novel, describes this place as a "concentration camp", she joined us in this broadcast to tell us about "Cuando mi cuerpo dejó de ser tu casa" (When my body stopped being your home).Escuchar audio

A decade after the Second World War, the pessimism and hopelessness gave way to a new era in which young people became immersed in the new found phenomenon of "teenage life" and dove head first into the new cultural movements that developed during the 60s.Mods and Rockers peacefully coexisted together in the UK, sharing the streets and the roads. That is, until 1964, when a massive fight broke out between the two groups. Chaos and wreckage filled the streets of the coastal city of Brigton and media were quick to dub these movements as "dangerous" and "decadent". And precisely because of that, their popularity increased exponentially among young people in the UK and all over the world.Now, an exhibition here in Spain takes us back to the 60s to relive this battle and follow these movements throughout the years. To learn more about "Mods and rockers", we visited the National Anthropology Museum and spoke with director, Fernando Sáez Lara and curators, María Molinero and Susana Álvarez. Escuchar audio

If any of you are trying to learn Spanish or any other language you might have encountered some words or some expressions that cannot be translated, And no matter how hard you try, the only way to convey these concepts is by offering a rough explanation.Spanish is no exception and we have a few words that are particularly difficult to translate to English. Now, the British Council has compiled some of these, to help both, Spanish speakers trying to learn English and English speakers trying to learn Spanish. We learnt about them with Elsa O'Brian, teacher and coordinator of Education Inclusion at the British council. Escuchar audio

On the 19th of August we celebrated World Photography Day. A day dedicated to "the art, craft, science and history of photography". This year's theme was "An entire day", a project in which thousands of people shared photographs of what happens around the world in a single day.Well to celebrate World Photography Day and get into the spirit of this year's theme, we visited a very special store in the center of Madrid, which is basically all about bringing forward the value of anonymous, mundane photographs: Churchill fotos e imágenes. We had the chance to speak with its owner, Churchill Wheeler. Escuchar audio

The island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands is the smallest out of the seven islands that make up the archipielago, but being the smallest does not mean it's lacking in ecological treasures. El Mar de las Calmas, located in the south of the island, is about to become the first marine national park in Spain due to the exceptionality of its biodiversity and its natural richness. To tell us more about this enclave, we spoke with Luis Suarez, convervation manager of WWF.Also on this broadcast, we'll learn about "Les Amis", a social platform that connects women through shared interests. They operate in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and they recently launched Milan. We spoke with co-founders Ana Bilych and Oleg Pashinin. Escuchar audio

Making a murderer, Dahmer, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCannor, in Spain, The Asunta case, The Alcàsser murders or The Sancho case... If you are a fan of "true crimes" you might have heard about some of these.Documentary or fiction series based on real crimes have become extremely popular on streaming services. But, recently, here in Spain, a case has made headlines as the mother of a murdered child openly campaigned against the development of a "true crime" series on the murder of her son. Her intervention in Senate led to some debate about the legitimacy and the ethics of these series. To tell us more about the legal aspect behind these productions, we spoke with Samuel Alonso Cervera, audiovisual lawyer. Also on this broadcast, we learn about the preservation of the Iberian wolf, after a regional law, which allowed for their hunting, was vetoed by the European Union. We spoke with Julia Robles, from the association for the study and preservation of the Iberian wolf.Escuchar audio

Summertime is usually considered a time to relax, to pause and reflect. To do what we enjoy without the pressure of routine. And one of the preferred activities during this time is, of course, reading.On this broadcast we learn about "El reflejo de Medusa" (Medusa's reflection), a book about contemporary representations of women in media. From the music of Rosalia and reggaeton, to the characters of Tokio or Nairobi in Money Heist , we discuss the role of women in media in the last years with editor Esther Alarcón. Escuchar audio

The nice weather, the proximity of the people, the beautiful landscapes and the gastronomy are just some of the reasons why Spain is one of the main holiday destinations for many. But for some people, it is not only a holiday country, but a home.This is the case of Steve Conroy, who arrived to Spain from Liverpool 11 years ago and settled in the small town of Partaloa, where around 60% of its residents come from foreign countries. Steve is now a councilman in the town hall, and told us about what makes Partaloa specialEscuchar audio

9 years ago, the aftermath of the economic crisis led to a period of unrest in our country. Protests against cutbacks, inequality and corruption spread in all regions, asking for a democratic renovation.In this context, the government at the time, tried to put an end to the protests with a set of reforms, which were quickly dubbed the "gag law", as they had the potential to restrict freedom of expression and assembly. Now, the current government is debating on whether to eliminate or reform this law. To learn more about the "gag law" and its effects during these 9 years, we speak with Daniel Canales, researcher from Amnesty International. Escuchar audio

As our country leaves behind the fourth heat wave of this summer, concerns about the consequences of unusually warm temperatures continue to rise. One of these consequences is the increase of mosquito population, especially in humid areas of our country. In Andalusia, the West Nile Virus worries citizens as several cases have been detected in the last few weeks. Neighbours of the affected regions have organized protests to ask for more measures to protect them and experts agree that prevention is key. To learn more about this virus we speak with Jordi Figuerola, researcher from the Doñana Biological Reserve. And we also hear from Juan José Sánchez Silva, founder of the platform "Lucha contra el virus del Nilo" (Fight against the Nile virus)Escuchar audio

The monotony and endless heat of summer has been broken up this 2024 by the Paris Olympics, an event that brings people together from all over the world, and glues even the most disinterested of sports fans to their screens. Of course, one of the things we find fascinating about the Olympics is... How is the human body capable of such fantastic feats? And what makes one person better at a sport than others?We speak with Kennedy McNeilly Anta is the running coach at Duke Kunshan University located outside of Shanghai, and is conducting research into the success of endurance sports in Spain. Escuchar audio

The Eisner Spirit Award used to be a lifetime title, awarded to a comic book store from anywhere in the world for "doing an outstanding job of supporting the comic art medium, both in the industry at large, and in their local community." Madrid's Akira Comics store achieved the award back in 2012, and this year, thanks to a change in the rules, the store was once again in the finals to win the Eisner Spirit Award for a second time. This year, it was the only store amongst the finalists that wasn't from the US.In today's broadcast, Jesús Marugán, one of the store's owners, takes us on a tour of the internationally renowned comic book store upon his return from San Diego Comic-Con.Escuchar audio

It is summer time here in Spain and, as the country experiences its warmest and sunniest weather of year, the risks associated to sun exposure increase. In this context, recent trends have surfaced in social media, trends that might be dangerous. One of this is what is called "callo solar" (solar callus), a practice that claims to build resitance to the sun, but which has prompted concern among healthcare professionals.To learn more about this dangerous trend and the correct way to protect ourselves in the summer, in this broadcast, we are joined by Doctor Inés Escandell, dermatologist at the GEDET (Spanish Group of Aesthetic and Therapeutic Dermatology) of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology. Escuchar audio

Marianna of Austria, Elisabeth of Bourbon, Christina of Sweden, all of them remarkable women who played very important roles in the history of their countries, and also in the history of art."The female perspective" is an exhibition route which aims to shed some light on the role of women in the collection of the Prado Museum and particularly women art patrons. This year, on their second edition, they focus on artworks from the 17th century, from the times of Elizabeth of Bourbon to Maria Anna of Neuburg. The route is divided in four sections: Women patrons of art in the Museo del Prado, Marianna of Austria, Elisabeth of Bourbon and Christina of Sweden. Curator Noelia Garcia walked us around the exhibition and told us about the most important pieces they commissioned. Escuchar audio

The Roman Theatre in Mérida is the oldest functioning theatre in the world, thanks to the Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico de Mérida, which brings classical theatre to life on a stage built around the year 16 BC. This festival is held annually in the city of Mérida, and this year its 70th edition will be taking place until the 25th of August. In today's broadcast, we'll be talking to Laura Gil of the festival, about its origins and its reportoire.After that... For the fifth year in a row, Spanish is the most popular language among secondary school students in the UK. We talk to Dr. Ian Collen, one of the authors of the Language Trends 2024 report about Spanish's growing popularity in UK schools.Escuchar audio

An artist who explored themes of memory, the subconscious and cultural phenomena, and renowned for her approach to art through mediums including video, installation and photography... The first in-depth exploration of Susan Hiller's art is currently showing in the Helga de Alvear Museum of Contemporary Art, in Cáceres, Spain, and is titled Susan Hiller: Dedicated to the Unknown. And here at the English Language Broadcast, we talk to the exhibition's curator, Andrew Price, to learn about the British-American artist, and what brings her works to Spain.Escuchar audio

"Novels, one would have thought, would have been devoted to influenza; epic poems to typhoid ; odes to pneumonia, lyrics to toothache. But no; with a few exceptions- literature does its best to maintain that its concern is with the mind."These are words written by Virginia Woolf in 1926, from her essay On Being Ill. In this essay, the American author ponders on the absence of the theme of illness in literature. But this is an absence that is slowly being filled, especially over the course of the past century. Dr. Isabel Durán of the Complutense University in Madrid is an expert in the representation of illness in literature and media, which is quite the recent phenomenon. We will be discussing about why there has been this shift in the arts, and in our way of thinking about illness.Escuchar audio

An era comes to an end in the city of Madrid as the last surviving video rental store will be closing its doors for the last time. 'Ficciones de cine' was once a place cherished by locals, but now only a few nostalgic or movie enthusiasts have been keeping the business barely alive. Before it's final goodbye on July 31st, we visited the store to learn more about its history and impact in the community, accompanied by its current owner, Marcia Ceburo.During our visit we also had the chance to speak with Dani Gascó, owner of the last video rental store in Valencia: Estromboli. Escuchar audio

Only twenty years ago, there were less than 100 Iberian Lynxes in Spain... Now the latest census shows that there are more than 2000 specimens of Iberian Lynx in the Peninsula. This extraordinary improvement means that the species is no longer considered "endangered" and is now categorized as "vulnerable". This was made possible thanks to the efforts of several organizations and projects that promote its recovery and conservation, one of which is LIFE Lynxconnect. To tell us more about what they have done throughout these past two decades and what is left to be done, we spoke with Guillermo Lopez.Also in this broadcast, we hear a report abuot the review of the Moroccan family code by Laura Valentina Cortés Sierra, from Radio 5.Escuchar audio

In the 20th century, emmigration became a big part of Spanish culture, partly due to the difficulties of living under a dictatorship dictatorship. In the 70s, Spanish professionals who had emigrated to the United States decided to create a network between. A network that celebrated its 43rd annual congress this month in Madrid.In today's broadcast, we speak with Helena Talaya Manso, current president of La Asociación de Doctores Españoles en Estados Unidos (ALDEEU), which hopes to soon expand to profesionals not only from Spain, but also the Americas.After that, an external collaboration from Elsa Yasbek, who reports on the participation of Middle Eastern athletes in these upcoming Olympic Games.Escuchar audio

The international clasical theater festival of Almagro is held every year during the month of July in the Castillian town of Almagro. Although it originally focused on the Spanish Golden Age, as it grew internationally it started to include western and eastern theater plays.At the beginnig of this year it was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in the fine arts by the Ministry of Culture, as it is considered to be one of the most, if not the most, important classical theater festivals in the world. This year it opened on the 4th of July and will run until the 28th. To tell more abuout tin this broadcast, we are joined by Tania Swayne, manager of the festival. Escuchar audio

Back on the 26th of June the provincial government of Leon took the first step towards what has been dubbed "Lexit", that is, the regional independence of the provinces of Leon, Zamora and Salamanca and their constitution as the 18th autonomous region in Spain.The motion approved is not binding yet... But it is a reflection of the disappointment of the Leones society with their regional Castilian government. To tell us about the historical, social and political background behind "leonesismo", the movement that demands the regional autonomy of the "País Leonés", on this broadcast, we spoke with Vera Colwell, from the association "Conceyu País Llyones" and with Eduardo Lopez, from "leonesista" party ALANTRE.Escuchar audio

Bad Gyal, Rosalia, C. Tangana, Quevedo, La Zowi... These are some of the biggest namesin the Spanish music indutry right now and they are also some of the main names in urban music. In the las decade, this style has blown up nationally and internationally and that is the reason why the Spanish Society of Authors and Editors, SGAE, decided to organize and exhibition to celebrate their music. With more than 100 objects, the exhibition showcases some of the most iconic pieces from more than 30 artists, including the dress and helmets worn by Rosalía in her "Motomami World Tour", the jackets worn by Quevedo in his DQE tour or the pink trenchcoat worn by Bad Gyal in the music video for her song "Blin Blin". To learn more about this exhibition and the indutry of urban music in Spain, we spoke with Aïda Camprubí, one of the curators of "Urban music, pop and high culture". Escuchar audio

Comunitats Rurals Queer is a project that seeks to combat depopulation in small towns and offer help to LGBT asylum seekers in one fell swoop. Sergi Salva from the project explains how they help both refugees and the small town of Campdevànol through this initiative. We also speak to Verónica Laorden of Spain's Refugee Assistance Commision(CEAR) to learn about what assistance LGBT asylum seekers are entitled to in Spain, and the struggles of obtaining refugee status.Escuchar audio

The first day of the annual bull runs in Pamplona left 6 people injured (and one gored) on Sunday, which isn't entirely unprecendented. The San Fermín festival is known, above all, for the famous running of the bulls, which takes place every morning during the week of festivities. In today's broadcast, we speak with Íñigo Gómez, of the Pamplona City Council, about the bull runs and about everything else that makes the festival so unique.Escuchar audio

World Pride Day is celebrated on the 28th of June, but, here in Spain, a lot of the celebrations actually take place during the month of July instead. Within Spain's Pride period (out of sync with the rest of the world) here at the English Language Broadcast we're going to talk about LGBT rights and initiatives here in Spain. Starting by revisiting one of the more recent achievements in LGBT+ rights in Spain, 'la Ley Trans' (the Trans Law). This is a law that came into force in Spain over a year ago, and that caused — and continues to cause — quite the stir, with some political parties within Spain still making attempts to repeal it.We check in with the law over a year later alongside Oscar Rodríguez, of Spain's main LGBT organizations, the FEDLGTBI+ (La Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Trans, Bisexuales, Intersexuales y más).Escuchar audio

During the 80s a transition period was happening in Spain. The end of the dictatorship brought a new freedom to the Spanish people that led to movements like "La movida madrileña", influenced by punk and rock and with colourful and sometimes even carnoonish aesthetics. During these hectic times the capital of the country received the visit of one of the figures that matched the dynamism and vibrancy of the counter-cultural landscape.Andy Warhol arrived in Spain in 1983 on occasion of the exhibition "Pistolas, Cuchillos y Cruces" (pistols, knives and crosses) developed for the Gallery Fernando Vijande. Now, the Collection Suñol Soler in the museum Lázaro Galdiano organized an exhibition to remember the time Warhol visited Spain by the hand of Fernando Vijande. To tell us more about this visit and its impact on post-Francoist Spain, we visited the museum and spoke with Rodrigo Navia-Osorio Vijande, son of Fernando Vijande and president of the Colección Suñol Soler.Escuchar audio

The metro is a means of transport city-folk are now more than accustomed to, and in Madrid there are currently eleven lines and 302 stations! In today's broadcast, we're going to go back to the beginning of Madrid's metro, which opened in 1919. We'll learn about how it came through an exhibition about the architect that designed the first stations: Antonio Palacios. We're accompanied by Javier Garrido, tour guide of the exhibition Antonio Palacios: the architect of Metro.Escuchar audio

After the European elections, in which the rise of the far-right surprised many, and with the upcoming elections in France and in the US, on today's broadcast we analyze current international politics with Alberto Coll, international law professor in the DePaul University. Escuchar audio

Next month the 2024 Olympics will begin in Paris. This year 5250 will participate in the games, the same number as men. A success in terms of parity, especially if we think about 100 years ago... In the 1924 Olympics, also in Paris, only 136 women competed, compared tp more than 2900 men. For our country those games were particularly special. Rosa Torras and Lilí Alvarez were the first Spanish women in the Olympics, paving the way for all female athletes who came after them and in particular for the 173 women who are expected to participate in this year's Olympic games.Now, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first time Spanish women participated in the Olympics and to celebrate the figure of Lilí Alvarez. The photography festival Photoespaña, in collaboration with the Fundación Ortega Marañón, organized an exhibition showcasing the story of Lilí Álvarez, her achievements and influence, not only in sports but in culture. To learn more about the exhibition "La señorita: Lilí Álvarez and the beginnings of women's sports 1915 - 1936" we visited the Foundation Ortega Marañon and Spoke with curator, Lucía Lain. Escuchar audio

"Spain is different" was a slogan promoted by the Spanish government to appeal to the masses abroad during the Francoist dictatorship. But how different is Spain, really? In today's broadcast, we'll be talking to historian Nigel Townson, author of The Penguin History of Modern Spain. The book covers Spanish history from the 1898 disaster, in which Spain lost the last of its colonies, up until today. So, today we'll be discussing the book, looking into the roots of some of the issues we see in Spanish politics and society today, and answering the question: Is Spain really different?Escuchar audio

"To infinity and beyond" is the famous phrase from the 1995 movie Toy Story, the first fully computer animated feature length film. Now, we're more than accustomed to seeing films of this medium, but what do we really know about how they're made? What exactly does 'computer animated' mean? What lies beyond infinity?An exhibition titled 'The Science behind Pixar' is currently running in the CaixaForum in Madrid, and in today's broadcast, the director of CaixaForum Madrid Isabel Fuentes tells us about everything that goes into a production made by the studio. On today's broadcast we also learn about the American fellows, the first community of fellows of Spain's Teatro Real outside of Spain.Escuchar audio

The attrocities commited during the Francoist dictatorship are well known in Spain and abroad. On this broadcast we focus on one of those terrible episodes: the stolen children. Since the end of the Civil War in 1939 and well into the democratic period in the 90s, it is estimated that thousand of newborns were taken from their mothers and "adopted" by families loyal to the Francoist regime.Recently a law proposal was admitted in congres. It aims to provide resources and reparations to the families affected. To tell us about this law and the historical context in which this took place, we spoke with Arantxa Borrachero Mendívil, researcher and director of the project "Mujer y memoria" (Women and memory). Escuchar audio

The beaches of Malaga and Granada, the coast of Maresme in Barcelona, the island of La Concha in Guipuzcoa, the port of Valencia or the Bay of Alicante... These are all part of the almost 8 thousand kilometers of shoreline in Spain and they all have one thing in common: they have been given a "black flag" by the environmentalist confederation "Ecologistas en Acción".These flags are awarded every year to raise awareness about pollution and environmental mismanagement of the coasts of Spain. To tell us about the biggest problems they have encountered this year in the Spanish shoreline, on this broadcast we spoke with Ana Aldarias, spokesperson for Ecologistas en Accion. Escuchar audio

The feria del libro in Madrid is sadly coming to an end this weekend, but the literary spirit is not gone. On today's broadcast we tell you about the first free "litmag" (or literary magazine) published in Spain: The Madrid Review. To tell us about it we spoke with its founder and editor James Hartley.And after that, on Sunday the 16th, as the Feria comes to an end, a very special event will take place in three of the most emblematic literary places of the capital. The 3rd edition of "Bloomsday Madrid - Dublin" will bring James Joyce's "Ulysses" to the Cuesta de Moyano, the Retiro book fair and the Juanito bookstore in El Rastro. Susan Bolger, from Tourism Ireland told us about their plans.Escuchar audio

Last Thursday, Jose Manuel Albaresm, Spanish Foreign Affairs minister announced Spain's intention to intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.On this broadcast we analyze what this decision entails with Ana Maria Salinas de Frías, public international law professor in the University of Malaga and president of the Spanish association of international law and international relations professor.Escuchar audio

2023 marked the one hundreth anniversary of the death of Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla, known as the "painter of light" for the extraordinary way in which he reproduced light in his paintings. To celebrate his life and his work, the Sorolla year began back in February of 2023 and, throughout these months, events and exhibitions were organized in different parts on the world to remember the artist.Now, the Sorolla Museum, located in Madrid, in what used to be Sorolla's house, will be closing their Sorolla year with the exhibition "Sorolla en 100 objetos" (Sorolla in 100 objects), which aims to bring people closer to Sorolla not only as a painter, but as a person.To learn more about this exhibition, we visited the exhibition accompanied by Blanca de la Válgoma, curator in the Museo Sorolla.Escuchar audio

Continuing with the literary theme to celebrate the Feria del Libro, on this broadcast we are joined by Terry Craven, owner and co-founder of "Desperate Literature", a small international bookstore in the center of Madrid which is currently facing some struggles. And from the Madrid bookfair we jump to a festival. The 19th edition of the Flamenco Festival in London began on the 4th of June and will run until the 15th, a week full of "love, pain and heat" that's how they describe it on the website. To tell us more about what they have planned we spoke with Miguel Marin, director of the Flamenco Festival.Escuchar audio

The Madrid's yearly bookfair began on the 31st of May and we could not miss the chance to visit it. On this special broadcast, recorded in la Feria del Libro in the Retiro Park, we speak about this year's bookfair and its theme: Sports and literature, with its director, Eva Orúe, and its head of programming, Daniela Mercado.And after that, we have a round table on the importance and challenges of translation with translators Alice Banks, Robin Munby and Inmaculada Pérez Parra. Escuchar audio

For some time now we have been hearing a lot about AI, its uses, its dangers, its regulations... The truth is AI is here to stay and now institutions are recognising the value it can have for society. The 2023 National Innovation Price was given out back in April and the price for Young Innovative Talent was awarded to Natalia Rodriguez.Natalia is the founder and CEO of Saturno Labs, an innovation lab that focuses on deep tech and aims to help people in areas like medicine, psychology or social services. The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities awarded her with this distinction for "embodying the value of multi-disciplinarity and creativity in the development of innovative entrepreneurship projects". Natalia joined us in this broadcast to tell us more about what she does and how Saturno Labs is helping people.Escuchar audio

Back in the 4th century, Roman emperor Constantine The Great commissioned a statue of hilmself. It was originally located in the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome, before being pillaged, most likely for the bronze portion. The marble remnants were found in the 15th century and now a Spanish foundation used the remaining parts to recreate the statue and back in February, the Colossus of Constantine returned to Rome.The Factum foundation worked with the Capitoline Museums and the Prada foundation to recreate the 13-meter statue for the exhibition "Recycling Beauty" in 2022 and on the 6th of February of this year it was installed in the gardens of Villa Caffarelli, in the Capitoline Museums complex. To tell us more about this project and what they do in the Factum foundation, on today's broadcast, we spoke with its founder, Adam Lowe. Escuchar audio

On Tuesday the 28th of May, Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, joined the 140 countries that recognize Palestine as a state, bringing the number up to 143, a decision that has come into place following Israel's severe offensive in the region, killing more than 36 thousand Palestinians since the 7th of October. Now the question that remains is what does this mean? To clarify this, on this broadcast we are joined by Pau de Vilchez, International Law professor in the Balearic Islands University.After that, Madrid's International Documentary Festival begans this week, with International and National Categories. We'll talk to the festival's director, Luis Parés.Escuchar audio

Back on the 16th of May, the European Commission opened formal proceedings against Meta to investigate possible breaches of the Digital Services Act when it comes risk of addiction, privacy, safety and security of minors who use their platforms, Facebook and Instagram. To analyse the proceedings and the reason behind them, we speak with Johannes Bahrke, spokesperson for the commission.And after that, Jorge Ramiro, professor of criminology applied to digital spaces in the Universidad Europea, tells us about the real impact of these social media platforms on children and teenagers.Escuchar audio

Historian, writer and ex-politician Michael Ignatieff is this year's Princess of Asturias Awards Social Sciences winner. Michael Ignatieff has dedicated his life to studying democracy, human rights and nationalism. He has published 18 books, taught History at Cambridge, and even took part in politics when he led the Liberal Party in Canada.After he was named this year's Princess of Asturias Social Sciences winner, we had the chance to speak with him... about his work, about his dashed hopes for world politics, and nationalism and political polarization in Spain. Escuchar audio

On the twelfth of August of 2022, author Salman Rushdie was about to give a lecture in West New York when he was stabbed 15 times by a young man who barely knew anything about him. What the young man knew was that, Rushdie was considered a blasphemer and that in 1989, Iran had sentenced Rushdie to death, a year after the publication of his novel 'The Satanic Verses'.The author survived the brutal attack, but lost his right eye and now, two years after the attack, Mr. Rushdie decided to narrate this experience in a new book called 'Knife'. He has been in Spain this past week for the release of the Spanish translation "Cuchillo" and during his visit he spoke with our colleague, Laura Barrachina, from Radio Uno's culture section, about that August 12th, his sense of humor, the power of literature, and freedom of expression.Escuchar audio

AI technology is evolving faster than we can adapt to, and as helpful as the technology can be, it also comes with its own risks... So, as it grows and changes, it's important to establish policies on its use and development.Last week, the Council of Europe agreed on a treaty on AI. They call it the first internationally binding treaty, and it includes measures to prevent AI systems from undermining democratic processes and institutions. Non-EU member states can sign the document, which will be open for signature in September, and countries including Argentina, Israel, Japan and the US were involved in the drafting of the treaty .To learn more about AI policies and what they should include, we hear from Mark Rotenberg, the President of the Center for AI and Digital Policy, a network of AI policy experts, that advises governments and international organizations on AI regulations.Escuchar audio

In the small city of Cuenca, in the region of Castila la Mancha, the "Casas Colgadas" (that is the hanging houses) are probably its most important landmark.These houses were built in the 15th century and, although most people who visit them usually enjoy the outstanding view from the outside, the inside of the houses is equally remarkable.The 15th century houses host the Spanish Museum of Abstract Art, which was established in 1966 and has a collection of 129 paintings. The museum is currently undergoing a reform to give the paintings the best conditions and meanwhile, some of them have been going on tour. The exhibition, with some of the most important pieces, is called "El pequeño museo mas bello del mundo" (The most beautiful small museum in the world) and it has already been in Barcelona, Granada, the US and Germany.And now, its last stop is Madrid, in the headquarters of the Juan March foundation.To tell us about this very special museum and the exhibition, we visited the Foundation and spoke with Manuel Fontán, curator and director of museums and exhibitions in the Juan March Foundation.Escuchar audio

How do you build a democracy? Today, we're going to set out to answer that question quite literally, with architectural historian Manuel López. After the dictatorship, in the late 1970s and early 1990s, the regional Government of Valencia mobilized architects, planners, and graphic artists to devise a new public sphere, hoping to recover a local identity that Franco’s dictatorship had repressed for decades. Manuel López has recently published a book on the subject, titled Architecture for Spain's Recovered Democracy.After we talk to Manuel, we stick to the subject of architecture with the new exhibition La ciudad visible / La ciudad en juego (The visible city / The city at play). The exhibition offers a perpective on the connection between videogames and cities, and we learn all about it with Luca Garrubba, one of its curators.Escuchar audio

After two weeks of students' protests in Spain, the CRUE (Conference of rectors of Spanish Universities) released a statement in announcing they would review their collaboration agreements with Israel, and suspend those with institutions that are not committed to safegurading the peace in the region. However, protests are expected to continue, as students consider this isn't enough. Coral Latorre is the General Secretary of the Students' Union and she joined us to tell us more about the students' demands. Also in today's broadcast, we talk about Artificial Intelligence in education. This week, the Camilo José Cela University in Madrid held a symposium about AI in education, and we spoke with some of the speakers there about how AI might change students, schools, and education.Escuchar audio

It has been more than four years since Brexit and two years and a half since the negotiations between Spain and the UK about Gibraltar began. Gibraltar is a small region in the south of Spain, sovereignty of the United Kingdom since 1713. It has been a point of contention between Spain and the United Kingdom for a long time, especially after the inclussion of the territory in the list of Non-Self Governing territories of the United Nations. And after Brexit, when the entirety of the United Kingdom left the European Union, including the territory of Gibraltar, negotiations began to protect the interests of Spanish and British citizens in the area. To learn more about what is happening in Gibraltar and why the negotiations are taking so long, we spoke with Luis Rodrigo de Castro, international relations professor at the CEU San Pablo. And after that, we pivot to another story concerning internationals. In April, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced the end of the "Golden Visa" was near. To learn more about what this means, we were joined by Emilio Ramirez, immigration lawyer and member of the Madrid bar association. Escuchar audio

Learning what risks we could need to face and how to face them is as important for individuals as it is for communities. Having this knowledge and being prepared, can help us avoid the economic, sanitary or social consequences these risks might bring. The British NGO Sense about Science is aware of the importance of leaning about risk factors and because of that, they developed the project "Risk know-how", which is led by Leonor Sierra, and aims to offer guidelines and resources to help community leaders understand, assess and evaluate the risks their communities face. Leonor joined us on this broadcast to tell us about this initiative.Also on this broadcast, we speak with Maria Santoyo, director of the photography festival Photoespaña, about this year's edition and the novelties it will be bringing. The festival is organized by La Fabrica with the support of public and private entities including the Ministry of Culture and the Regional and Municipal Governments.Escuchar audio

I am sure that many of you have heard about Lorca, Cernuda, Miguel Hernandez... The artists of the Generation of '27 were one of the most influential groups in the history of Spain. However, have you ever heard about Maruja Mallo, Maria Zambrano or Ernestina de Champourcin?The women from this generation were equally important and equally outstanding and yet, they were forgotten. On this broadcast we remember these women: the women of the Generation of '27, also known as "Las sinsombrero" (The women without hats). We do so accompanied by Margarita Marquez, professor and director in the gender equality office in the Complutense University of Madrid and researcher in the Ortega-Marañón Foundation.Also on this broadcast we celebrate World Portuguese Language Day by speaking with our colleague Angela Blazquez from the Portuguese Language Broadcast. Escuchar audio

Rent prices have become one of the most impotant social problems in the last years. Prices have increased a 74.6% in the last 10 years, a number which is even bigger in cities like Madrid or Barcelona. Meanwhile, the average salary in Spain has only increased a 4% during that time. With these numbers it is no surprise that so many Spaniards struggle to pay rent and cannot afford buying a house, leaving little to no housing options for many.Almost a year ago, the new housing law was approved. This law aimed to alleviate the tension in the housing market, both in renting and in purchasing. But, has it actually caused any possitive effects in the market during this time? To tell us about it, on this broadcast we are joined by Valeria Racu, spokesperson of the Tenant's Union. Escuchar audio

Today we're going to talk about a drug that's infamous amongst Britons in Spain: Nolotil. Over the past few years, this pain medication has been making headlines, accused of being particularly dangerous for British and Irish people here in Spain, causing side-effects that have, in some cases, lead to death.In fact, it's a medication that is banned in most countries (including the UK and the US), but that is one of the most popular pain medications here in Spain. This month, Spain has agreed to open an investigation into the drug... and today, we'll hear from Cristina García del Campo, president of ADAF, the association that first brought attention to the danger this medication poses.Escuchar audio

Spain's central bank is the Banco de España, and its archives contain decades of information about its branches, its buildings and its employees. And many of the documents, from the last quarter of the nineteenth century onwards, contain photographs.The archivists at the Banco de España have spent recent years cataloguing all the photographs found within their archives that illustrate the history of the bank, but also the history of Spain and its people... As well as the history of photography itself, with its changing quality and aesthetics. And a selection of these photographs are now available to the public, in an exhibition that opened at the beginning of this month, and that will be open until the 20th of July... 'The Photographic Archive of the Banco de España'. We talked to archivists Elena Serrano and Patricia Alonso, curators of the exhibition.Escuchar audio

El Barrio de las letras is Madrid's literary district, full of history and paved with words of great Spanish authors... Literally. Felicity Hughes, writer for the new Lonely Planet Madrid tour guides, has just written a book all about the neighbourhood explaining its history and its authors. She joins us in the studio, along with David Price, English bookshop owner in the barrio. So, today's broadcast is a bookish one, as it coincides with World Book Day, which is also the anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes' death. Escuchar audio

This year, eighteen masterpieces from the Prado Museum's collection will be seen in museums in different regions all around Spain. Works from painters such as Murillo, Velázquez, Rubens and el Greco. In today's broadcast we talk to the Prado Museum's Manager of Preservation, Víctor Cajeao, to learn more about this project, which has the support of Telefónica, Spain's telecommunications company that celebrated it's one-hundredth anniversary on Friday.Escuchar audio

In Andalucía, the southern-most region of Spain, the city of Seville has come alive for the springtime Feria de Abril, the April Fair. This week-long celebration with medieval roots begins every year soon after Holy Week and is one of the the biggest event of the year for Seville-natives. Sevillanas, flamenco, casetas, bullfighting, horse-drawn carriages, music and lights make up this spring time celebration. We talk to Santiago García Dils of the Sevilla City Office, who tells us about the fair's history, and how this year's fair is going.Escuchar audio

A few weeks ago a Spanish judge ordered the closing of Telegram in Spain, an instant messagging platform with more than 8 million users in the country. This decision came after a complaint from media organizations Mediaset, Atresmedia and Movistar Plus, accusing the platforms of allowing users to share copyrighted content. The order sparked a wave of criticism and raised a lot of questions about censorship and free speech. Eventually, the ban was suspended by the same judge who, after a police report, considered it was "disproportionate".The ban of social media platforms is not exclusively a Spanish problem, recently the US passed a bill to ban Tik-Tok for security reasons, they argue its ties to China threaten national security because the Chinese government could use this platform to spy on Americans. To tell us about the difficulties that fast-developing technologies pose when it comes to their regulations, on this broadcast, we spoke with Enrique Puertas, doctor in applied information technologies and director of the Big Data master in the Universidad Europea of Madrid.Escuchar audio

"Tourists go home", graffitis with these words were found in the walls of the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. But what some British media have called a "war against the Brits" is not a rejection to tourism but the defense of biodiversity and decent living conditions for locals. According to the Canarian government, in 2023, the islands received more than 14 million tourists, a huge amount, especially taking into account that the islands have a population of around 2 million people. The mass tourism model that was developed in the last years is putting the islands' biodiversity in danger and also means worse conditions for locals.Several organizations from the islands have called for demonstrations to protest against this tourism model on the 20th of April. Under the slogan "Canarias tiene un limite" they will campaing for a change in the model. To tell us about this protest and their demands, we are joined by Ivan Cerdeño, a volunteer from the Asociación tinerfeña de amigos de la naturaleza. Escuchar audio

April 10th is the International Day of Science and Technology, a day established by the general conference of UNESCO to highlight the value of scientific and technological advances. This date also honours Doctor Bernardo Houssay, the first Latin American to be awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1947 for his discoveries in Physiology and Medicine. To celebrate this important date, we will be meeting S.A.R.A.H. S.A.R.A.H., which stands for Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health, is one example of science and technology being used to provide a useful service for citizens. This AI system, developed by the World Health Organization, gives out information and resources about health issues and healthy habits. To learn more about her, we spoke with Doctor Ruediger Krech , Director of Health Promotion at the WHO.After that we learn abut an initiative in the Basque Country has been using a Picasso painting in their Palestine protests to help spread their message. We spoke with Kulturatik, the initiative, about what the town of Guernica, in the north of Spain, might have in common with the Gaza strip.Escuchar audio

Today we'll be talking about The Art of Manga. Manga, for those who don't know, are Japanese graphic novels, and anime is Japanese animation in the same style. This year, the anime film The Boy and the Heron won best animated film at the Oscars, and anime series and films are growing more and more popular outside of Japan... as are the manga they are often based on. The Art of Manga exhibition opened last week in Madrid, and it covers the history of manga with a section focusing on the arrival of manga and anime in Spain. We visted the exhibition in the Colegio de Arquitectos de Madrid and talked to Oriol Estrada, manga and anime specialist, about this art form, its history, and its Spanish appeal.Escuchar audio

April 7th is World Health Day, a day sponsored by the World Health Organization to draw attention about health and raise awareneess abour certain health-related issues. This year's theme is "My health, my right" which aims to "champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education, and information" and promote healthy habits and a healthy environment. On this broadcast we speak with two Spanish scientists who are involved in pioneer investigations that could potentially improve diagnosis and treatment for Alzheimer's disease and cancer. On the one hand Marta Cortés-Canteli, from the Fundación Jiménez Diaz, studies the connection between cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease. And on the other hand, Hector Peinado, from the Spanish National Cancer Research Center, investigates about exosomes, the vesicles that stimulate cancer metastasis.Escuchar audio

It has been 85 years since the end of the Spanish Civil War and the beginning of the Francoist dictatorship. The war between the Republicans and the Nationalists took place between the year 1936 and 1939 and marked a dark period in the history of Spain. And even today, Spanish society continues to suffer the consequences of this conflict.Despite the obvious importance of this time period, there are no national museums to remember the war. On this broadcast we learn about the first and only museum about the Spanish Civil War, which is not based in Spain, but in Canada. The Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil War has recently added new exhibits, and we spoke with the museum's co-founder, Antonio Cazorla, professor of Contemporary History in the Trent University of Canada .Escuchar audio

The word engineer has its origin in the latin "ingenium", a word associated with the mental capacity to develop and design new things. Any person who has the will to innovate and create something could be an engineer, regardless of their gender.Still, we find that women are a minority in the engineering field, in fact, according to data from the Spanish Institute of Women, women represent only 20% of engineers, when they represent a 54% of all university students. The reasons behind this are numerous, Sara Gómez, engineer and PhD in Materials engineering from the Poly-technic University of Madrid, advisor to the Royal Academy of Engineering and director of the Women and Engineering project, told us about this issue.Escuchar audio

On today's broadcast we retrieve a special program from our archives. Written by Jesus Carreras and translated to English by our colleague Alison Hughes, this broadcast tells us about how Holy Week is celebrated in the regions of Spain. Escuchar audio

It's Easter Week, celebrated in Spain as Semana Santa or 'Holy Week', and processions with hundreds of years of history parade the streets all over the country. In today's broadcast, we'll be focusing on one aspect of these parades. The nazarenos (or the penintents) don hoods eerily similar to those of the Ku Klux Klan, and every year, Spanish people have to explain to tourists that Holy Week celebrations have absolutely nothing to do with the white supremacist group.We talk to historian Javier Burrieza about the origin of this traditional Easter garment, and learn about possible explanations and links. After that, we'll learn about traditional Easter foods in Spain... And celebrations in Lebanon from our correspondant in Beirut.Escuchar audio

Recently, the European Parliament approved the first regulation on artificial intelligence, which establishes some requirements and obligations for AI platforms that operate in the European Union. This law is part of the EU digital strategy and aims to ensure better condition for the development and use of this technology while protecting fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability. To tell us more about the use of AI, the threats and challenges it poses and the key aspects included in the AI Act, we spoke with Javier Ramos, electric and engineering professor and rector of the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid.Escuchar audio

We are slowly approaching the end of the month of March and there are two dates that we could not miss. On the 21st of March we celebrated World Poetry Day, a date that was declared by UNESCO in the year 1999, to "celebrate one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity." And next week, on the 27th of March we will be commemorating World Theater Day, which was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute.Here in Spain the association Soy de la Cuesta, have organized a poetic and theatrical tour under the name  "De fieras a ferias. Alguien tuvo la delicadeza de enviar una carta" (From beasts to fairs. Someone was kind enough to send a letter) from the Retiro Park to the Cuesta de Moyano to celebrate these dates. The tour is also intended to celebrate the figure of novelist, poet, playwright and art collector, Gertrude Stein, and commemorate the Surrealist Manifesto, 100 years after its publication. Actress, writer and performer, Sasha Falcke, and writers Juanpe Sanchez Lopez and Maria de la Cruz will also be taking part in this celebration. To tell us all about this tour we spoke with writer, researcher, translator, and curator of the tour Helena Mariño. FOTO: Escuchar audio

Spain's social and political issues might sometimes be difficult to understand for a foreign audience and sometimes even for Spaniards... Separatism, nationalism, polarisation are some of the concepts that have been making headlines in the last years. English journalist and writer, Michael Reid, provides some context about these issues in his book "Spain: The Trials and Triumphs of a Modern European Country", published in 2023 and which now has been translated to Spanish. Michael Reid joined us in this broadcast to speak about his book and contextualize Spain's current social and political issues. Escuchar audio

In 2022, the Spanish Council of Ministers declared the 17th of March as Comic Book Day, a measure to promote the sector and recognize its social and cultural value and importance. This date was chosen to commemorate the first publication of the legendary comic magazine, TBO, back in 1917 and which became so popular that people started using the word "tebeo" to call all comic books. This year we participate in the celebration of comic books and graphic novels, which have been entertaining us for decades and spoke with Laureano Dominguez, editor from Astiberri, a Basque comic books publisher with more than 20 years of experience in this medium. Escuchar audio

Broadcast radio is the most popular source of in-car entertainment, with 70% of the content listened to in cars being radio but the car industry is slowly moving towards radio-less cars. New electric vehicles manufactured by BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volvo and Tesla have all dropped AM radio. In the face of this, UNESCO and broadcast organizations recently issued a joint statement asking the car industry to not axe radio receivers in their newer models.To tell us about this statement and the importance of keeping radio in cars, we spoke with Mirta Lourenço from UNESCO, Claudio Cappon, general secretary of COPEAM,  a non-profit UNESCO media-communications association, and Tomas Granryd, head of digital partnerships in Swedish radio.Escuchar audio

Before becoming the most popular novelist in the 19th century, Charles Dickens was a prolific journalist, a profession that he continued until his final days. He published more than 4 hundred articles, in very varied genres: satire, melodrama, opinion, essay... Now a new book aims to bring this journalistic legacy closer to the Spanish-speaking public "Pasiones públicas, emociones privadas" is a collection of 30 articles orginally written by Charles Dickens and translated to Spanish by Dolores Payás.On this broadcast we speak with Dolores about dicovering Dickens' journalistic side and translating and adapting it for the Spanish speaking public. Escuchar audio

With the development of new technologies children and teenagers are more and more exposed to online content that can be damaging for their emotional well-being. This content can include explicit violence, sexual images, hate speech and mis-information campaigns that can have severe consequences in their social development. To prevent these issues, the Spanish National Institute of Cyber-security, INCIBE, launched a campaing to raise awareness about these dangers. Carlos Puente, cyber-security for minors technitian in INCIBE, joined us to talk about the campaign.And after that, we tell you about a new exhibition taking place in Bilbao. "Signs and Objects. Pop Art from the Guggenheim Collection" is the name of the new exhibition organized by the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Pop art emerged in the UK towards the end of the 50s and reached the US in the 70s, where it became extremely popular, as it broke with the predominant "Abstract Expressionism" and focused on humour, irony and wit which could be interpreted as a celebration of popular culture or a harsh critique of it. The exhibition includes 40 pieces and will be open until the 15th of September. Curator, Joan Young, tells us about how they planned this exhibition.Escuchar audio

On this special broadcast we visited Spain's biggest contemporary art fair: ARCO. "The shore, the tide , the current: an oceanic Caribbean" is the name of this year's central programme, curated by art historian Sara Hermann and curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Carla Acevedo-Yates. Carla was kind enough to speak with us ahead of the fair's opening about their approach to the project. And in the fair we were joined by Henrique Faria owner of the New York gallery of the same name, Christopher Rivera, owner of Puerto Rican gallery Embajada and artist Gabriella Torres-Ferrer, who told us about their connection with the theme. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we're going talk about perhaps one of Spain's tastiest products: Its cured ham, jamón ibérico. Jamón ibérico is one of the two varieties of jamones... This kind comes from the ibérico pig, an ancient breed characterized by its dark hair, black hooves and marbled meat. The highest quality jamón ibérico is the jamón ibérico de bellota, of the acorn-fed variety. From October to March, the ibérico pigs are allowed to roam free through paradisical fields and do nothing but eat and sleep, and then repeat. This season is called 'la montanera', and it's a vital season, because the quality of the jamón depends on how well the ibérico pigs live and eat during this time.We visited the 'El Sendal' farm in Puebla de Obando (Badajoz), in the heart of Extremadura's pasture, with a herd of 120 100% Iberian acorn-fed pigs and were guided around the farm by its technical director Samuel González, and the rancher Manuel Gómez.Escuchar audio

Madrid Art Week is taking place in Spain's capital from the 6th to the 10th. Although the massive Contemporary art fair ARCO will be the main focus this week, in today's broadcast we're going to visit a peculiar proposal made by the Hybrid Art Fair, which takes place in hotel rooms. This is the fair's most international edition, featuring galleries and artists from all over the world, who each play with the space in a different fashion. We talk to Ana Sanfrutos, one of the fair's directors, and also hear from some of the participating galleries and artists.Escuchar audio

We Are Free To Change the World: Hannah Arendt's lessons on Love and Disobedience has been named by The New Statesman as one of the most relevant publications of 2024. In the book, historian Lyndsey Stonebridge (the foremost expert in the 20th century philosopher) details how we can apply Hannah Arendt's thinking to our tumultuous modern-day reality. Arendt fled fascist Europe and became one of the biggest opponents of totalitarianism, which is currently on the rise. We also discuss social media's impact on real-life discourse and the language used in crises.Also, we hear a report from our correspondant in Beirut, Elsa Yasbek Charabati, about Spaniards living in Lebanon.Escuchar audio

The 29th of February is Rare Disease Day, a date that was established in 2008 by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases. This date was chosen to raise awareness about the exceptionality of rare diseases and advocate for more research and better treatments for those affected.In Spain, it is estimated that more than 3 million people are diagnosed with rare diseases and according to the Spanish federarion of Rare Diseases, only 6% of these diseases have a treatment and almost 50% of patients are not satisfied with the health care they received. The Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases (FEDER) have been advocating for research, diagnosis and access to treatments for 25 years. To tell us more about rare diseases, the importance of raising awareness and the federation, we spoke with David Sanchez, member of the board of directors of the federation. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we talk books. Ybernia is a new bilingual publishing house based in Madrid that publishes in both English and Spanish. So far, it specializes in Irish writers writing about Spain, and has published books like La vida en el cráter by María Correas and Enda Keneally and Wild Bird by Art O'Donnell.We also remember Paco de Lucía on the 10th anniversary of his death.Escuchar audio

This 24th of February marks the sad two year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And after two years of fighting, things are looking bleak. In recent weeks, Ukranian President Zelensky has reiterated the need for more weapons, and the Ukranian military also saw itself withdrawing from the city Avdiika, Russia's biggest victory in months. Before we enter the third year of this conflict, here with us the English Language Broadcast of Spanish National Radio we talk to political expert Borja Lasheras, to discuss what we've seen so far and what we might expect. Escuchar audio

According to the 2023 Threat Landscape report published by ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, 19% of the events from July 2022 to June 2023 targetted organisations in the public administration. The truth is that cyber-attacks have increased exponentially in the last years and to guarantee a secure digital landscape, the European Commission proposed a Cyber-solidarity Act.This act aims to increase and improve preparation, detection and response to cybersecurity threats in the European Union. To tell us all about this proposal, we spoke with Lina Galvez, Socialist member of the European Parliament, vice-chair at the indutry, research and energy commitee and raporteur of the Cyber-solidarity act. Escuchar audio

The use of mobile phones in schools has been an ongoing debate for a few years, it responds to new trends and new challenges that we did not have before, and that is why experts are suggesting their regulation. Recently, the Spanish Minister of Education suggested banning mobile phones in schools, and some regions have already established new measures to control their use. To tell us about the consequences of the use of mobile phones, both, in and out of schools by children and teenagers we spoke with Marta Labrador Mendez, doctor in psychology and professor in the Computense University in Madrid.Escuchar audio

Born in 1947 in Andalusia, Francisco Sanchez Gomez, also known as Paco de Lucía, is considered to be the best flamenco guitarist in the world. He was born in the city of Algeciras and was the youngest of five children. He got his stage name from his mom, Lucia, and his love for music from his dad, Antonio, an amateur musician who used to work in tablaos. His dad began to teach him guitar when he was only six years old and he immediately showed his talent. At the age of 12, he began performing with his brother Pepe as the duet called "Los chiquitos de Algeciras", soon after, his popularity and prestige skyrocketed and he made a name for himself in Spain and abroad.He sadly passed away on the 25th of February of 2014, 10 years ago, and to pay homage to him, his life and work, a festival in New York has been organized by the Paco de Lucia Foundation: "Paco de Lucia legacy". To tell us about Paco de Lucia and what to expect from the festival, we speak with Curro Sanchez Varela, film director and producer and Paco de Lucia's son. Escuchar audio

The thirteenth of February was World Radio Day, a date set by UNESCO to celebrate and recognize radio for all that it is. According to UNESCO, despite the growing influence of the Internet and social networks, radio continues to be a prime source of information and entertainment. So, this World Radio Day we talk to UNESCO Communications Chief Mirta Lourenço about the importance of radio and its tenacity. After that, we learn about Cádiz's Carnaval chirigotas, and hear a sweet Valentine's tune.Escuchar audio

Last week we learned that in the first month of 2024, more migrants arrived on the Canary Islands than during the entire first half of last year. 2023 was already a record year in Spain, with 52.945 irregular arrivals... only beaten by 2018 numbers, when 64.298 arrivals were registered.In today's broadcast, we ask Agustin Mussini, Project Officer and Spokesperson for the IOM in Spain if we can call the recent influx of arrivals a 'crisis', and he gives us the tools to analyze the current situation.Escuchar audio

Based on the true story of the Uruguayan rugby players whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972, Society of the Snow is up for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars this year. It's also up for 13 Goya Awards (Spain's own film awards). One of them being for Best Special Effects. Manuel Ramirez is the Director of Studio at El Ranchito, the Spanish VFX company that worked on Society of the Snow from day one, and which has years of experience working on international productions (such as Stranger Things, Game Of Thrones, The Mandelorian...). After the news, we'll hear about exactly how much work went into making Spain's Sierra Nevada mountain range look exactly like the Valley of Tears in the Andes for Juan Antonio Bayona's much talked about film.Escuchar audio

Back in 1969, when the astronauts from Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Neil Armstrong described its surface as "very, very fine-grained" "almost like a powder". Later on, in 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission, astronaut Harrison Schmitt coined the expression "Lunar hay fever" to describe the symptoms of all 12 people who had stepped on the moon, the symptoms were sneezing, congestion and watery eyes. In some cases it took days for the reactions to fade.Now, more than 50 years later, the European project DUSTER (Dust Study, Transport, and Electrostatic Removal for Exploration Missions), aims to study lunar dust, the dust particles present in space, which can be harmful for machinery and humans. The Duster team is led by the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, which is joining efforts with ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab, Thales Alenia Space - Spain and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia. To learn more about lunar dust and the project DUSTER, we spoke with Rosario Sanz, project manager of the Duster project in the IAA.Escuchar audio

Spain has been leading the world ranking for organ donations for 32 consecutive years and 2023 marked a new record for the country, with a donation rate of 48.9 donors per million population and 5,861 transplants. Recently, Spanish minister of health, Mónica García, praised the Spanish donation system and recognised the job done by health professionals during all of the processes involved. The Spanish model has been considered the gold standard for decades, and this is not only because of the implication and collaboration of Spaniards, but also because of a strong and solid donation and transplant system. To tell us about it we spoke with Beatriz Dominguez-Gil, director of the Spanish National Transplant Organization.Escuchar audio

The five-day workweek is a man-made structure that's only just over a hundred years old, and some believe that it might one day become a thing of the past. A pilot project in our neighbouring country Portugal of a four-day workweek is currently sparking some conversation here in Spain. This is a pilot project run by the Portuguese Government, in which 41 companies participated in adapting to a four-day workweek, with no wage-cuts and a reduction in hours and which has shown largely positive results. Here in Spain, Deputy Prime Minister, Yolanda Díaz, has spoken of the reduction of hours from forty to thirty-seven-and-a-half, but so far, the reduction of the work-week is something that has only been experimented with in similar pilot projects. To learn about the one currently taking place in Portugal, we spoke with Pedro Gomes, Professor in Economics at The University of London and one of the project's coordinators.Escuchar audio

Within the walls of the new Royal Collections Gallery in Madrid, centuries of historical artifacts that once belonged to the crown are now on display for all to see. By artifacts, we mean anything you might find in a royal Spanish household: tapestries, carriages, paintings, jewels... and artworks by greats such as Caravaggio, Velázquez, Goya...The museum is run by Spain's state agency of Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage), which preserves and shares Spain's history. So, in today's broadcast, we talk to the chairwoman of National Heritage, Ana de la Cueva, about the museum and how long it's been in the making, but also about the National Heritage state agency as a whole.Escuchar audio

Madrid's International Tourism Fair known as FITUR came to an end this Sunday with a record number of 250-thousand visitors. This year's partner country was Ecuador, and our last broadcast was dedicated to the country's stand and products.Although tourism is one of Spain's biggest sectors, in recent years, resentment towards tourists has grown amongst local Spaniards, especially on the coasts and islands. In today's broadcast, we talk to the Director of the Tourism Board of the Island of Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, about this phenomenon, which has been dubbed 'turismofobia', and how the local Government hopes to remedy it.Escuchar audio

On this special broadcast we visit Fitur, the international tourism fair that's held every year in Madrid. This year's partner is the country of Ecuador, located in South America and which sits on the Ecuator line, thus, its name. With a population of 16 million, the country features Amazon jungle, Andean highlands and the Galapagos Islands. We will stop by its stand in the fair and learn about some of the things Ecuador has to offer like traditional straw hats, coffee, butterflies and Miske, an alcoholic beverage made from agave. Ecuador is the second producer of cocoa after Brazil, and the country's cocoa beans even has their own name: Arriba beans. These cocoa beans are used to make chocolate and on this broadcast we will also learn about what is said to be the "best and most ethical" chocolate in the world with Santiago Peralta, CEO and founder of Paccari. Escuchar audio

"Sport has the power to change the world" with this quote by Nelson Mandela the NGO Goals for Freedom present themselves. They have been operating in Uganda since 2018 with the objective of promoting equality through sports and empowering women. They also brought the initiative to Valencia, where they organize "Pachangas", that is friendly games, to help women, migrants and anyone who wants to join distract themselves, come together and learn about each other. To tell us all about Goals for Freedom, we spoke with Patricia Campos Domenech, football coach, former pilot and founder of the NGO.Escuchar audio

On today's broadcast we would like to take you back in time and visit the Residencia de Señoritas, which was located in Fortuny Street, number 53, in Madrid, at the beginning of the 20th century. The Residencia was founded in 1915 with only three students, but it quickly grew in popularity, by the end of that year there were 36 students enrolled from all over Spain and by 1936, when it shut down, there were 250 students every year. To learn all about what is considered to be the first university education center for women in Spain, we visited the historical building and spoke with Noemi Cueto, art historian, director of institutional relations of the Ortega-Marañon foundation and member of the scientific committee of the exhibition about the Residencia.Escuchar audio

On December 8th, a cargo ship off the coast of Portugal lost six containers, at least one of them full of plastic pellets: microplastics that are used as raw materials to produce plastics, and which often end up in the oceans. Days later, bags full of these microplastics and loose pellets began to wash up on Spain's Galician coast. This is a crisis that has gained more publicity in the past two weeks as regional elections in Galicia draw close... But, pellets and microplastics aren't just a Galician problem. We are joined by Raúl García, Senior Fisheries Officer for WWF Spain, who says the problem didn't start with this spill.And after that, we listen to the rest of our conversation with sociologist Constanza Tobío Soler about nineteenth-and-twentieth century author and sociologist Charlotte Perkins-Gilman.Escuchar audio

More than 100 days have passed since the attack perpetrated by Hamas on the 7th of October, which led to an extreme counter offensive by Israel. Since then, almost 24 thousand Palestinians have been killed, 40% children, and 60 thousand have been injured. 150 health centers have been attacked and almost 2 million peple have been forced to leave their homes. On the 29th of December, South Africa filed a case in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. But what does this mean and what could the outcome be? To answer these questions we are joined once again by Pau de Vilchez, professor of international law in the Balearic Islands University. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we're going to look around a few of the many warehouses of Peris Costumes, a company with clothes you've most certainly seen on your screen. They dress television and movies such Bridgerton, Peaky Blinders, the new Dune film, Ridley Scott's Napoleon, Disney's Mulan, Malificent, House of the Dragon... The list goes on and on and on! They have warehouses all over the world, but their headquarters are in Madrid, which we at the English Language Broadcast had the honor of visiting. We'll hear from Javier Toledo, the president of Peris Costumes, and after that the company's Project Manager, Elena Ortega, takes us on a tour.Escuchar audio

That one sex should have monopolized all human activities, called them "man's work," and managed them as such, is what is meant by the phrase "Androcentric Culture".The Man-Made World was first written and published by author and sociologist Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1911. In this book, Perkins Gilman wrote of our 'androcentric culture', that is, a society that is built entirely around men. At the time of its first publication, this book wasn't paid much mind by the early feminist movement of the time, which hinged primarily around the vote for women. Perkins Gilman had a slightly more radical approach, and believed women should seek equality with men beyond just the vote. The Man-Made World was picked up again by the feminists of the seventies and eighties, and now, over a hundred years after its first publication, Spain's Center for Sociological Research has edited and published a new edition (Un mundo hecho por los hombres o nuestra cultura androcéntrica), edited by sociologist Constanza Tobío Soler. Professor Tobío visits us at the English Language Broadcast to talk about what was so revolutionary about Perkins Gilman's text then, and why it's still worth reading now.Escuchar audio

At the end of 2023, different institutions in different countries published their words of the year. The one chosen in Spain, by a foundation ran by the Royal Spanish Academy and the EFE news agency, was polarización, meaning polarization... A word that reflects the highly political election year we just got through. In Germany, krisenmodus, meaning crisis mode was the word of the year, after a year of crises such as wars, climate change and inflation. In Japan, the kanji chosen through popular vote was tax. In Australia, the word chosen was cozzie livs, meaning cost of living. But one of the words of the year that made headlines worldwide was the word chosen by the Publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary. Rizz, a slang term that emerged on the internet and gaming platforms, and which the Oxford Dictionary describes as "a colloquial word, defined as style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner". Oxford University Press describes their search for the word of the year as a quest to seek “a word or expression that reflects the past twelve months in some way, having potential as a term of lasting cultural significance or providing a snapshot of social history.”In today's broadcast we take the oportunity to talk linguistics with an English philologist, Miguel Delgado. We'll discuss Oxford Dictionary's 2023 word of the year and how words come to be... And then, we'll talk about how the Spanish language is influenced by English.Escuchar audio

Epiphany, known in Spain as el Día de los Reyes Magos (the Day of the Three Kings) is celebrated with parades all over the country every year on the fifth of January. The stars of these parades are the three kings, known also as the three wise men who brought the newborn Jesus Christ gifts of gold, incense and mehrr: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar. However, these parades find themselves embroiled in controversy year after year, for one of these Three Wise Men (Balthasar) is depicted as a black man. Yet he is not always portrayed by a black man but rather a white man in facepaint. After the newscast, we'll be talking to the Coordinator of the Pro-Human Rights Association of Andalucía, Diego Boza, about the persistent use of blackface in local parades all over Spain.Escuchar audio

We are joined on today's broadcast by political scientist Alberto Spektorowski, to talk about South Africa launching genocide proceedings at the International Court of Justice over Israel's military operation in Gaza: a military operation that began in retaliation of the October 7th attacks, in which Hamas killed over 1000 Israelis and took 240 hostages ; a military operation that has so far killed over 20.000 Palestinians and wounded over 57.000 , according to Gazan authorities. In the year 2000, Alberto Spektorowski worked alongside Israel's then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Shlomo Ben Ami during the Camp David Summit, an effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Spektorowski tells us why he thinks the two-state solution has failed to come to fruition in the past, and also weighs in on what we might expect as the conflict continues. On the sixth of January, Spain celebrates el día de los Reyes Magos, known in English as Epiphany, and this is a festivity that comes with its own special treat. Later on in the broadcast, we talk with Paloma Silvestrin of the bakery Doble Uve Obrador, the winners of second place in this year's Best Artesenal Roscón de Reyes Competition in Madrid about this particular food.Escuchar audio

A robot and a dog become best friends... Behind such a simple premise we find a profound and unique story of love, friendship, loneliness and companionship with very special moments told through delighful animation and musical numbers. Robot Dreams was originally a graphic novel by Sara Varon, and it has now been brough to cinema screens by Spanish director, Pablo Berger, in the form of an animated musical without dialogues. Pablo Berger joins us in this broadcast to discuss the film, winner of Best Animated Feature Film at the European Film Awards and Goya nominee. After that, we learn about what is now considered the worst drought in the history of Catalonia and the measures being taken to preserve water with Samuel Reyes, director of the Catalan Water Agency.Escuchar audio

In just a few days, the Puerta del Sol clock will, once again, welcome Spaniards to the new year. In Spain it is traditional to visit the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid on the last day of the year and eat 12 grapes while listening to the 12 strikes of the bell. Everything has to be ready for that moment, security protocols, transport, emergency services, cameras and media... But probably the most important element of that night is the clock located in the tower of the Royal House of the Post Office. Since 1996 the workshop in charge of the maintenance of the Puerta del Sol clock on this day and throughout the year is the Relojeria Losada. On this broadast, we visit the "Relojeria" to learn all about the preparations for this year's celebration with Pedro Ortiz Rey, one of their watchmakers.Escuchar audio

Christmas is a time of fun and enjoyment, a time to spend with loved ones and remember what we are grateful for, but we cannot forget that it is also a time of solidarity, compassion and sympathy with the people who need it the most. The NGO Cooperacion Internacional knows this and this year, once again, they organized the campaign"Una sonrisa por navidad" which aims to bring presents to children in disadvantaged situations. To learn more about it we visited the headquarters of Cooperación Internacional in Madrid and spoke with María Mompó, coordinator of the project. And at the end of the broadcast, we bring you another thing that is typical of this time:Christmas concerts. Last week, we attended the Banda de Música Villa de Madrid's Christmas concert "Una navidad de película" and spoke with some of the musicians from this local band.Escuchar audio

In a previous broadcast we told you about the extravagant Christmas display in the north-western city of Vigo, which includes a 44 meter-tall Christmas tree. But did you know that the tallest Christmas tree in Spain is located in the city of Cartes, in the region of Cantabria? It's 65 meters tall, and goes to show how much competition there is between Spain's many town halls to have the tallest tree for the season. However, a few citizens of a Galician town have tired of this competition, and want to remember the real meaning of Christmas, which is found in the smallest things. Neighbours of Vilagarcia de Arousa gathered together to put up what is now the smallest Christmas tree in Spain. On this broadcast we tell you all about this tiny tree with Pedro Falcón, member of the board of the Neighours Association Breogán de O Piñeiriño. We also bring you another story about a small Christmas tree that went viral a few years ago and has secured its place in one of the most important squares of the city of Ávila and in the local's hearts: "el árbol chico del chico". Later, we tell you about a very original twist on a typical Spanish tradition: the nativity scene, but made with Playmobil. And we finish this broadcast revisiting another Christmas tradition: the yearly Christmas lotery.Escuchar audio

It's been 12 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone, the first movie from the Harry Potter Saga, was released in Spain, and it quickly became a huge phenomenon everywhere in the country. More than six million people watched it and it became one of the highest grossing films in Spain. The magic of Harry Potter has accompanied Spaniards since the first book came out back in 1997 and now an exhibition just arrived in Barcelona to immerse us once again in the wizarding world. To tell us about it, we spoke withTom Zaller, founder and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, the company behind "Harry Potter: the exhibition".Escuchar audio

On Monday 11th, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) published their yearly report on the state of democracy in the world. IDEA is an Institute that works to protect democracy, and this year's report turned in troubling results: off the top, it states that half of all countries saw declines in democracy over the past five years. The report was presented here in Madrid by IDEA's Secretary General, Kevin Casas. We spoke with him about the growing trends and challenges faced by democracy now and in the upcoming year.Escuchar audio

The town of Vigo in the northwest of Spain has made name for itself in recent years thanks to its Christmas decorations: more specifically, its lights, which this year were turned on on the 24th of November, a whole month before Christmas. To learn all about this Christmas wonderland, we speak with Vigo's mayor, Abel Caballero. But not all that glitters is gold. An association of neighbors in the surrounding area complain about the noise, rubbish, light pollution and even safety hazards the extragavant display has brought into their lives. Álvaro Herrera, spokesman for the Neighbors of Vigo's Central Area Association, tells us about their struggles.Escuchar audio

El Camino de Santiago (or, as English-speakers know it, Saint James' Way) is a pilgrimage that traverses the top reaches of the Spain's Peninsula all the way to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The oldest iteration of this long path, this camino, begins in France, and is known as The French Way. The eleventh of December marks 30 years since this particular pilgrimage was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We talked with pilgrim Juan Camaño, of the Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago, about the origins of this route and pilgrimage, and how it survived all these years and is still walked today by people from all over the world. After that... The Berlin Wall: A World Divided is an exhibition currently running in Madrid, and is the first (according to the President of the Berlin Wall Foundation, Axel Klausmeier) to place the Iron Curtain in its global context. We hear from the Foundation President at an act celebrating the new exhibition.Escuchar audio

During the 19th century right after the Spanish-American war, a new phenomenon took over the United States: the Spanish Craze. During this time Americans became extremely interested in everything related to the Spanish and the Hispanic. Perhaps due to an ideallization of the country, the people or the way of life, the Spanish became a trend, and artists, dancers, painters, musicians, writers... helped spread the Spanish Craze all over the country. On this broadcast, we speak with doctor Rachel Strauss, an independent scholar who specializes in 20th century dance history, about the reasons behind the Spanish Craze and the development of this phenomenon.Escuchar audio

On December 6th, Spain celebrates the Spanish Constitution, which was approved in 1978 after the dictatorship. But did you know, this is not Spain's first ever Constitution? A Spanish Constitution was first written and promulgated in 1808 when Napoleon invaded Spain and placed his brother Joseph Bonapart on the Spanish throne. This is just one of the impacts Napoleon Bonaparte had outside of his home country of France. During his short-lived rule, the French General revolutionized military organization and training, reorganized education and sponsored the Napoleonic Code, a prototype of later civil-law codes. His reforms left a lasting mark on France and a lot of Western Europe, and beyond... As the new Ridley Scott film about the General is currently in cinemas, we've taken the opportunity to speak with historian Alexander Mikaberidze, the author of the first global history of the Napoleonic Wars: 'Napoleonic Wars: a global history'.Escuchar audio

Earlier this year, we covered an upcoming project that mixed the best of Flamenco with the best of Rock and Roll. The show, titled 'OCO' (One Chance Only) was created by old-school rock promoter, Pino Sagliocco, a promoter who had worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Queen and The Rolling Stones. The show ended up not being a 'One Chance Only' opportunity. It ran for four days in April, but returned to Madrid in October, with returning players singer Bernard Fowler and saxophonist Tim Ries, two musicians of the Rolling Stones' band. On this broadcast, we revisit the interviews conducted back in April, with Bernard Fow-ler, Tim Ries and Pino Sagliocco.Escuchar audio

Did you know that five centuries ago Michelangelo's The Last Judgement in the Sixtine Chapel was censored for nudity? Censorship has accompanied us since the beginning of art and now a new museum in Barcelona has opened to help us reflect on its meaning, showcasing pieces that have been banned through the centuries. The origin of the exhibition was the artpiece 'Political prisoners in contemporary Spain' by Santiago Sierra, which was removed from the contemporary art fair ARCO when it was first displayed. On today's broadcast, we speak with Carles Guerra, artistic director of the Museu de l'Art Prohibit.Escuchar audio

Last week we celebrated World Olive Day and attended the ceremony organized in Madrid by the International Olive Council and the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies. There, we spoke with Jaime Lillo, Deputy Executive Director of the Council about the situation of the olive oil industry.A few days ago, the European Union approved the use of glyphosate for ten more years, despite the controversy around it and criticism from several environmentalist groups, including Greepeace. Eva Corral from the Greenpeace European Unit, tells us about the consequences of the use of the herbicide.Escuchar audio

The seabed is rapidly becoming a new space of concern in security politics. In Europe, largely triggered by the 2022 sabotage of he Nord Stream pipelines, but also investments by Russia in subsea capabilities, NATO countries are reevaluating their dependency on subsea infrastructures such as pipelines and data and electricity cables.With the context of Spain's current EU presidency, the Spanish Navy hosted a forum last week at navel headquarters in Madrid to discuss maritime security, and in particular, the seabed. Christian Bueger, professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at the University in Copenhagen, Denmark, and also the director of the Safe Seas Network, was in attendance and we took the chance to speak with him about maritime security as a whole, and the European Union's current quest to become a Global Maritime Security Provider.Escuchar audio

At the end of October, Spain's ombudsman released a report on an independent investigation into sexual abuse in Spain's Catholic Church. This report did not give a specific number of victims, but in a poll of more than 8000 adults, 1% said that they had been sexually abused by members of the clergy when they were children. Josep María Tamarit, professor of Criminal Law at the Open University of Catalonia and coordinator of various investigations into sexual abuse in the Church, collaborated in the creation of the Ombudsman's report. Fernando García-Salmones is of the Infancia Robada Association, and is a survivor of abuse in his childhood. In today's broadcast, we hear from both guests and learn more about this report, and the situation of abuse in the Spanish church, which has been kept secret for the longest time. Escuchar audio

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is visiting Israel, the West Bank and Egypt to analyse the situation during the four-day ceasefire. He reaffirmed Spain's intention of recognizing Palestine as a state and once again advocated for the two-state solution. He ended his tour of the Middle East with Egyptian President Al Sisi, Egypt being a key country in perhaps reaching a peaceful agreement between Israel and Palestine.Since the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which has left more than 1200 Israeli deaths, according to the Israeli government, and 14000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, several associations, including the UN, have condemned Israel's brutal attack on Palestine. Recently, the Spanish Association of International Law and International Relations Professors released a statement condemning Hamas' attack and Israel's actions, which they consider to be contrary to human rights and the Humanitarian International Law. On today's broadcast we speak with Pau de Vilchez, one of the signers and professor of international law at the Balearic Islands University, to provide some context about the conflict and the statement they have signed.Escuchar audio

On Thursday, socialist leader Pedro Sanchez was elected by congress for a third term, with the support of Catalan separatist parties in exchange for the controversial Amnesty Law. But... what does it entail and why is it so controversial? To answer these questions, on today's broadcast we spoke with José María Pernas, Constutional Law professor in the University CEU San Pablo and doctor in Law, Government and Public Policy.Escuchar audio

A series of conferences titled Educadoras y Feministas entre España y América (Educators and Feminists between Spain and America) is currently taking place here in Madrid, detailing the links forged between America and Spain in the twentieth century. It all began when American intellectuals came to Spain and opened the International Institute for Girls, following the footsteps of American colleges, and offered higher education to Spanish women who had no access to it. We visited the Institute to learn about the establishment's history and spoke with Pilar Piñon, the Institute's current Executive Director.We also recap the results of this year's edition of the Latin Grammys, which this year took place in Spain, outside of the US for the first time ever.Escuchar audio

The Filmoteca española, or Spanish Cinemathéque, was founded in 1953 with the objective of preserving, restoring and investigating about Spanish film heritage. It was first integrated in the Ministry of Information and Tourism and later in the Ministry of Culture, until 1982 when it was transformed into an autonomous entity. This autonomy, however, only lasted a few years until 1985 when it was integrated in the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts.The Spanish Cinemateque has a very long history since its foundation and this year we are celebrating its 70th anniversary remembering the role of the institution during all these years. To tell us more about it, we speak with Valeria Camporesi, film historian, researcher, and director of the Spanish Cinematheque.Escuchar audio

"A great civilization is not conquered from without, until it has destroyed itself from within."This is a quote from Anthony Mann's 1964 film, 'The Fall of the Roman Empire', and it is written on the final pages of the book we talk about on this broadcast, titled 'Why Empires fall: Rome, America, and the Future of the West'. This book was published in English earlier this year, but its Spanish translation ('¿Por qué caen los imperios?') made its way to the shelves this month. Authors Peter Heather and John Rapley join us in this broadcast to talk about the parallels and differences between ancient Rome and the Modern West. Escuchar audio

On this broadcast we visit the exhibition Before America: original sources in modern culture with Manuel Fontán del Junco, one of its curators and Director of museums and exhibitions in the Juan March Foundation. The exhibition explores the influence of pre-Columbian and native American arts and culture in modern representations. Escuchar audio

On today's broadcast we learn about the Silbo Gomero, the Gomero whistle, which is an articulated whistle language used in the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands. To tell us about its origins, history and use we spoke with Eugenio Darias, from the Silbo Gomero Cultural association. After that, the British council in Spain tells us about the Spanish students who plan to study abroad, and how the landscape of international study has changed after Brexit and COVID-19.Escuchar audio

A month has passed since Hamas militants lead their attack on Israel, and since Israel began its counterattack, through which it assures it wants to "make sure October 7th is never repeated". One month, thousands of lives lost... Health officials in Gaza report that more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in the war since Hamas killed 1,400 Israeli and seized more than 240 hostages on October 7th. On this broadcast we are joined by  George Emile Irani, Doctor in International Relations from the University of Southern California, and Professor of International Relations at the American University of Kuwait to analyse the factors which led to the escalation of the conflict, the implications and what the future holds.  Escuchar audio

Princess Leonor swore alliegance to the Spanish Constitution on the 31st of October, the day of her 18th birthday, and the forty-fifth anniversary of Spain's Constitution. She is the heir to the throne in a divided Spain, and in today's broadcast we recap the events of Tuesday.Also in today's broadcast: the National Park of Doñana in Andalucía, in the south of Spain, has been in Spanish headlines for some time now. The wetland lagoon in this park has been suffering from dry spells, in part due to the climate crisis and the droughts it causes. But the national park has also seen problems in the form of illegal wells. We talk to Danielle Dessi of the SEO Birdlife Organization about the state of the lagoon and the dangers it faces. Escuchar audio

SA Cosby is an award-winning author from Southeastern Virginia, in Spain for the Getafe Negro Crime Fiction Festival, which this year had the United States as a guest country. Called the 'rising star' of the southern noir genre, his 2020 novel "Blacktop Wasteland" won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was named book of the year by NPR, the Guardian. In 2021, "Razorblade Tears" was a New York Times Bestseller and on Barack Obama's summer reading list!Those two booksare the ones that have been published in Spain. What makes the south a good setting for crime fiction? What can we learn from crime fiction? What about his novels could appeal to a Spanish readership?Escuchar audio

Fake news (or 'disinformation') has become an increasing concern over the past few years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of the current conflict in Palestine and Israel and the wider spread of misinformation (especially on social media) we talk to EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Peter Stano. Where does it come from? How big is the threat?We also talk about Pedro Duque, the first Spanish astronaut, who first went to space on October 29th, 25 years ago.Escuchar audio

Madrid's Crime Fiction fair, 'Getafe Negro', had it's 16th edition this week, and this year's guest country was the United States. The poet Anne Carson opened the festival, and American author Don Wislow was awarded the José Luis Sampedro prize. The festival's logo is a raven, as Edgar Allen Poe is understood by many to be at the roots of the 'crime ficiton' literary genre... Julia García, one of the festival's curators, tells us about its origins in the US and how it arrived in Spain, as well as the current popularity of the genre here.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we cover the first fully-private rocket launch in Europe: the launch of the Miura 1 from Andalucía, Spain. PLD Space, the Spanish company that built the rocketship and carried out the launch, called the launch a success, even though some of the mission's goalposts were moved... We talked to the executive president of the company, Ezequiel Sánchez, about the missions' accomplishments and what this launch means, for the company, for Spain and for Europe... And what exactly private companies contribute to the space-sector.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, Spain's 'Eñe' literature festival seeks to become a bridge between Latin-America and Europe in its fifteenth year, when before it has kept to Spain alone. We talk with the festival's 'artistic director', journalist and writer Jesús Ruiz Mantilla, about the festival's evolution towards including other artforms and types of media, and the power of language.Escuchar audio

<p>Spain is the third country with the most cybersecurity breaches. In the second trimerster of 2023, information from more than 4 million accounts was leaked, that is 30 accounts per minute. October is European Cybersecurity month and to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity, on today's broadcast we speak with Miguel Ángel Ordóñez, director of Security and Resilience in Kyndryl Spain and Portugal.</p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/how-to-keep-your-data-safe-for-cybersecurity-awareness-month/6995147/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/how-to-keep-your-data-safe-for-cybersecurity-awareness-month/6995147/" alt=""/>

<div aria-level="2" class="RCfNE allowTextSelection" title="Emisión en inglés del 19-10-2023 (jueves)">The 18th of October is the anniversary of Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset's death and to remember him we visit the Foundation Ortega y Gasset in Madrid. To talk about his impact and legacy, as well as the work the Foundation is doing, we speak with Jaime de Salas Ortueta, Director of the Ortega y Gasset Studies Center.</div><p><br></p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/jose-ortega-gasset-philosopher-of-people/6992841/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESHORAA&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/jose-ortega-gasset-philosopher-of-people/6992841/" alt=""/>

<p>"The society of the snow" is the film chosen by the Spanish Film Academy to represent Spain the 2024 Academy Awards. It tells the story of the 16 Uruguayan survivors of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes, where they had to face extreme conditions on their own for 72 days. The film, directed by Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, is based on the 2008 book "La sociedad de la nieve" by Uruguayan writer Pablo Vierci. On this broadcast we speak with Pablo about, the impact of the accident, his connection to it and the upcoming movie. </p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/society-of-snow-true-story-of-tragedy-and-survival/6990974/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/society-of-snow-true-story-of-tragedy-and-survival/6990974/" alt=""/>

<p>This past week, the Israeli conflict has been quickly escalating after Hamas attacked Israel last Saturday... Our correspondant in Lebanon, Elsa Yasbek, details the beginning of the conflict, and then we speak with Alberto Coll, Law Professor of DePaul University in Chicago, about the international reaction and repercussions of this war. Will this war distract from the conflict in Ukraine? How long will this fighting last?</p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/analyzing-international-response-to-israel-hamas-war/6990040/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/analyzing-international-response-to-israel-hamas-war/6990040/" alt=""/>

<p>Today's broadcast coincides with the national day of Spain, and we visit the Corral de la morería, the oldest Tablao Flamenco in Spain, to talk to Armando del Rey, the co-owner of the establishment about tablaos, flamenco, and its Spanish roots. The 'Corral' is even putting on a show in Plaza Mayor in Madrid for the National Day of Spain's festivities on Thursday the 12th of October.</p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/celebrating-spains-national-day-with-flamenco/6990038/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/celebrating-spains-national-day-with-flamenco/6990038/" alt=""/>

<p>According to a study by the Mental Health Confederation of Spain, 74.7% of the population considers that mental health in Spanish society has worsened since the pandemic. In today's broadcast we speak with Nel González Zapico, president of the Mental Health Confederation about the situation and the challenges related to mental health we have in our country, as well as the role of the confederation. </p><p>Unwanted loneliness and isolation are closely linked to mental health issues and particularly affect the elderly. In the last few years, a few initiatives have been developed globally to acknowledge and prevent this situation and promote measures to reclaim their role in society and guarantee their right to a dignified life. In Spain the NGO Adopta un Abuelo (Adopt a Grandpa) was created with this objective in 2014. To learn more about what they do, we speak with Alberto Cabanes, CEO and founder of the association.</p><p> </p><p><br></p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/mental-health-in-spain-priority-for-future/6990341/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/mental-health-in-spain-priority-for-future/6990341/" alt=""/>

<p>Today we return to the Picasso year, to those year-long celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Spanish artists' death, with the Thyssen Museum in Madrid's final Año Picasso exhibition. The exhibition is titled "Picasso: The Sacred and the Profane" and focuses on the influence religious imagery had on the painter best-known for 'cubism', and his return to this imagery in his later years. We take a walk around the exhibition and talk with its curator, Paloma Alarcó, after the news from Spain.</p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/picassos-sacred-and-profane-influences-at-thyssen/6987100/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/picassos-sacred-and-profane-influences-at-thyssen/6987100/" alt=""/>

<p>'Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Beliefs' is the name of the exhibition the British Museum has brought to Spain. It focuses on feminine power in art   throughout history and includes 166 pieces from prehistory util the 21st century. Eve, Lilith, Greek Goddesses and creatures such as Athena and Medusa, the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet... are included in the exhibition which is divided in 5 thematic sections: creation and nature, passion and desire, magic and malice, justice and defence and compassion and salvation.</p><p>In today's broadcast we speak with Belinda Crerar, curator of the exhibition and content developer for international exhibitions of the British Museum, about the roles these characters have played in society since the dawn of time.</p><p> </p><p><br></p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/revered-and-feared-feminine-power-arrives-in-madrid/6982567/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESHORAA&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/revered-and-feared-feminine-power-arrives-in-madrid/6982567/" alt=""/>

<p>Just outside the Atocha station in the center of Madrid, very close to el Parque del Retiro, we find a small oasis for bookworms or anyone who is interested in literature. The official name is Calle de Claudio Moyano, but it is popularly known as Cuesta de Moyano, the Moyano Slope. </p><p>Almost one hundred years after its official opening, the Moyano Slope book fair is going through some tough times and because of a popular initiative in the spring of 2019, the association "Soy de la cuesta" was created. In today's broadcast we speak with Lara Sanchez, director of the association, about the cultural and historical importance of la Cuesta de Moyano. </p><p>And we also bring you a recap of the winners of the San Sebastian Film Festival, which closed this weekend.</p><p><br></p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/cuesta-moyano-literary-oasis-in-center-of-madrid/6980475/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESEMIF01&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/cuesta-moyano-literary-oasis-in-center-of-madrid/6980475/" alt=""/>

<p>Today we have a foodie broadcast, about two things Spain is well known for: its paella -- a dish typical of the region of Valencia -- and its wine, which is one of its biggest exports. To talk Paella, we have Javier Blanc, a Spanish chef working in Canada who recently won second place in the Concurs Internacional de Paella Valenciana de Sueca.He tells us about his business 'The Paella Guys' and  And for wine, in time for the harvest season, we talk with Adrian McNamus of Northwest Iberia Wine Tours, which covers the northwest regions of Spain and part of Portugal. One of those regions of Spain is Galicia, home to the wondrous Ribeira Sacra. Adrian is also a Knight of the Order of Albariño Wine... Listen to the broadcast to find out what that is!</p><div><br/><a href="https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/wine-and-paella-from-spain-to-world/6979564/">Escuchar audio</a></div><img src="http://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/m?ci=es-rssrtve&cg=F-N-B-TERNE-TERPROGR-TERMAGAZ-TESHORAA&si=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/emision-en-ingles/wine-and-paella-from-spain-to-world/6979564/" alt=""/>

This second half of the year Spain is holding Presidency of the Council of the European Union and as part of the cultural program to mark the Spanish presidency, an exhibition opened in the Lex building in Brusels, in Belgium. The exhibition shows some of Spain's Europa Nostra Awards, which acknowledge restorarion and conservation efforts. In today's broadcast we speak with Enrique Calderon, general secretary of Hispania Nostra, the association behind the exhibition.Escuchar audio

At the end of August, the UK governmet announced new border controls, in this podcast we speak with Miguel Flavián, Head of Foreign Trade at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, to hopefully get to the bottom of what this all means. Spain's co-official languages are Galician, Basque, Catalan and Valencian, and to celebrate European Day of Languages, we tell you all about their origin and history.  Escuchar audio

We have a cinematic broadcast today... as the San Sebastián Festival kicks off here in Spain, we head back to the London Spanish Film Festival to talk about its 'Treasures from the Archives'.  In a festival that showcases the best and newest Spanish Cinema has to offer, there's also a section dedicated to Spanish classics. This year, the London Spanish Film Festival features' Embrujo', a 1948 film starring Lola Flores, and the 1972 documentary 'Two Memories' by writer Jorge Semprún... Two films that have little in common, and maybe even clash. The director of the London Cervantes Institute, Victor Ugarte, tells us more.Escuchar audio

The first time Ernest Hemingway visited Spain he arrived in Pamplona in 1923 for the San Fermines, the running of the bulls festival. After that, he travelled to the country a few times throughout his life and he even called it "the last good country left". Several of his works are inspired by his trips to Spain:  For whom the bell tolls, The sun also rises, The Dangerous Summer, The garden of eden or The capital of the world... amongst many others.  To celebrate the 100th annversary of his first visit to Spain, on today's broadcast, we speak with Carl Eby, president of the Hemingway Foundation and Society, and with Lara Sánchez, director of "Soy de la cuesta" the association behind the events organized in Madrid to remember the author's visits to Spain. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we link up with the UK... first, for the London Spanish Film Festival, which begins this week in the English capital. Premieres, documentaries and treasures from the archives, including films in all of Spain's languages. The festival's founder and director, Joanna Granero, tells us more... And then we talk James Bond, legacy and diversity with Kim Sherwood, the writer of the latest Bond novels, who was recently in Segovia, Spain, for the Hay Festival of Literature and Art.Escuchar audio

Algur H. Meadows was a Texan oil financier in the 1950s, when he took frequent business trips to Spain. On these trips, he spent many hours at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain's national art museum, and was inspired to begin his own collection of Spanish art. All these years later, the Meadows Museum in Dallas, Texas is known as the "Prado on the Prairie", and has established it's own cultural institute centered around Spanish masterpieces: the Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture. Our colleague Íñigo Picabea talked with the new Institute's director, Greg Warden, to learn more about it.After that, our correspondant in Lebanon, Elsa Yasbek, reports on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after taking a look at the news we talk to Miguel Malla, leader and founder of the Madrid-based jazz ensemble Racalmuto. Besides performing live at clubs and other venues, Racalmuto have released two excellent studio albums, "Racalmuto" (Subterfuge Records) and "De Nuevo En El Infierno" or "Back in Hell Again" (Zakopane Records). A conservatory-trained clarinetist and saxophonist, Miguel Malla talks about his discovery of jazz and, in particular, the refreshingly ear-opening light jazz of Raymond Scott and John Kirby that was all the rage back in the 30's and 40's and that Racalmuto play so well today. Escuchar audio

"We cannot know what time will do to us with its fine, indistinguishable layers upon layers, we cannot know what it might make of us." Javier Marías, Spanish author of books such as 'A Heart So White' and 'The Infatuations', passed away a year ago, on September 11th at the age of 70. He was not only a novelist, but a respected newspaper columnist, and an award-winning translator... both of these jobs greatly influenced and elevated his work, and his literature is still regarded as some of Spain's best years after it was first published. To remember him today, a year after his passing, we have with us on the English Language Broadcast Professor Alexis Grohmann, head of the Edinburgh Cervantes Institute and Professor of Spanish Literature.Escuchar audio

Spain is one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads, and in today's broadcast we talk to nomad Tim Roberts, who is currently living in Alicante on the Mediterranean coast. Tim has been a nomad for 6 years and in that time, he has travelled to more than 50 countries and written a book offering tips and advice for journeying into digital nomadism, "Goodbye Office, Hello World".Later in the broadcast, we also remember María Jiménez, a Spanish singer, dancer and actress known for her strong character, indomitable spirit and being an advocate for feminism. Escuchar audio

Have you ever dreamed of dropping everything and running off to live off the land in farm in the middle of nowhere? Well that's what today's guest, journalist and writer Paul Richardson, did 30 years ago, and he tells his story in his book 'Hidden Valley: Finding Freedom in Spain's deep country'. He also shares his insights after years writing travel articles about hidden corners of Spain. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we mourn the loss of the Basque bookshop Lagun, a symbol of resistance during the dictatorship, and of unity against terrorist attacks of the Basque group ETA. It closed last week after 55 years. After that, we talk with videogame journalist Alfredo Pávez about the evolution of the videogame industry in Spain on occassion of Spain's Videogame Day.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after taking a look at the news, we visit one of the most unique and striking buildings in Madrid, the Palacio de Longoria, for a guided tour of the SGAE, the General Society of Authors and Publishers.  The SGAE is Spain's copyright and performance royalties organization and it has its headquarters in this arresting Art Nouveau building situated in the center of the Spanish capital.Escuchar audio

After the news from Spain, we talk food with Silke Van Loenen, author of the Terrific Tapas cookbook. We talk about the Spanish custom of receiving a tapa when you order a drink, the difference in tapas in different parts of the country, and what drew her to write a cookbook about tapas in the first place. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after taking a look at the news we talk to Aurelio Solana, the founder and director of So-La-Na production company, about Authentic Flamenco, the international flamenco tour that is presenting top Spanish flamenco in some 40 cities in 17 countries around the world from May to December of this year. We also hear comments from the tour's artistic director, Amador Rojas (pictured in photo), who is also a star flamenco dancer. Authentic Flamenco is an initiative of So-La-Na Productions, Madrid's Royal Opera House, and technology company Fever. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after taking a look at the news we talk to Aurelio Solana, the founder and director of So-La-Na production company, about Authentic Flamenco, the international flamenco tour that is presenting top Spanish flamenco in some 40 cities in 17 countries around the world from May to December of this year. We also hear comments from the tour's artistic director, Amador Rojas (pictured in photo), who is also a star flamenco dancer. Authentic Flamenco is an initiative of So-La-Na Productions, Madrid's Royal Opera House, and technology company Fever. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after taking a look at the news we talk to Aurelio Solana, the founder and director of So-La-Na production company, about Authentic Flamenco, the international flamenco tour that is presenting top Spanish flamenco in some 40 cities in 17 countries around the world from May to December of this year. We also hear comments from the tour's artistic director, Amador Rojas (pictured in photo), who is also a star flamenco dancer. Authentic Flamenco is an initiative of So-La-Na Productions, Madrid's Royal Opera House, and technology company Fever. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we go to Dublin for a photography exhibition that has the support of the Cervantes Institute... 'And You, Why Are You Black?' is the title of the exhibition by Spaniard Rubén H. Bermúdez, and it serves as a sample of his photobook with the same title. After that, we learn about the history of Women's Football in Spain. It's beginnings, its hurdles... the stones that paved the rocky road that lead to this weekend's World Cup Win in Australia. Although women began forming their own football clubs in the 1920s, the dictatorship quicky put an end to women's sport, and it wasn't until the 70s when women football players finally began to win some ground. But the struggles of women in sports, of course, didn't end with the end of the dictatorship. We'll also learn about a few of the women who played back when women's football had even less support than it does now... After the news.Escuchar audio

Today we celebrate Spain's win at the Women's World cup in Australia. After that, we look back on acclaimed poet and playwright, Federico García Lorca, 87 years after his murder during the Civil War, with words from Hispanist and biographer Ian Gibson. We also learn about his impact on one of the greatest songwriters of our time, Leonard Cohen.Escuchar audio

After his passing earlier this month, we remember Spanish cyclist Federico Martín Bahamontes, the first Spaniard to ever win the Tour de France. His nickname was 'the eagle of Toledo', as he specialized in mountain climbs... After that, we talk forest fires and new methods for limiting the amount of damage they cause, with the Telecommunications Engineer of the Environmental Departmentof Gran Canarias, Gonzalo Guitiérrez. The island of Gran Canarias in the Canary islands recently implemented a wildfire simulator, the first time this technology has been used in the field.Escuchar audio

World Rollercoaster Day is celebrated on August 16th and for this summertime broadcast, journalist and rollercoaster enthusiast Javier Escribano tells us all about these types of amusement park attractions and the biggest and best ones we have here in Spain. August 16th is also Madonna's birthday, and to celebrate, we'll try to give an answer to the question: Where is 'La isla bonita'?Escuchar audio

It's the summer holiday season, and August is a month during which a large part of the country is on standstill... So we thought we'd take a trip around Spain and learn about the Fiestas of International Tourist Interest from the country's different regions. Through this broadcast, we hope to share some of the interesting things that go on here in Spain that a lot of people both abroad and even Spaniards might not know about... Thursday was also the 100th anniversary of the passing of the impressionist Valencian painter Joaquín Sorolla, known as 'the painter of light'... An anniversary that is being celebrated through exhibitions in Valencia and Madrid. We take a brief look at his life, his work and his impact after our news broadcast...Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we revisit the compilation of 10 Spanish Horror Movies based on their ratings in the online movie data base IMDb.Following the filming of the second season of the series 'House of the Dragon' in Cáceres last May, the city has confirmed the second edition of the 'City of Dragons' event in the month of November. We revisit the programme on the first edition that took place in the city of Cáceres last October and which gathered both experts and fandom of the 'Game of Thrones' universe.   Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we revisit the second part of the compilation featuring some of the best Spanish Football Figures in the history of that sport in our country. From legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas to the scorer of the goal that gave Spain its first and only World Cup trophy up to date: Andrés Iniesta.We'll also talk about the Unity Euro Cup and the eleven players that represented Spain in this European competition that promotes solidarity with refugees.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we talk to French cellist and composer Matthieu Saglio about his latest album, entitled "Voices."  Saglio, who lives in the Mediterranean city of Valencia, also expresses reservations about AI (artificial intelligence) and its employment in the creation of music.   We also hear music from the new album—released on the German label ACT—on which Saglio is accompanied by eight guest vocalists and his band: Steve Shehan on drums and percussion, Christian Belhomme on the keyboards, and Léo Ullmann on violin.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we have a compilation of some of the best Spanish Football Figures in the history of that sport in our country, from a player of the 20's such as Pichichi, to the only Spaniard who has won two consecutive ballon d'Or Awards: Alexia Putellas.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we remember comic author Francisco Ibáñez, creator of 'Mortadelo y Filemón' (known as Phil and Mort in English), who passed away days ago at the age of 87. After that, we talk to the Schools Advisor for the British Council, Vicky Goff, about the popularity of Spanish as a second language in schools in the UK.Escuchar audio

Today we have a special broadcast on World Dog Day, a day that Spain, Mexico and some Latin American countries celebrate every 21st of July. We speak with zoological consultant and science-writer Jules Howard, author of the book ‘Wonderdog: the science of dogs and their unique friendship with humans', which was translated into Spanish earlier this year. He'll tell us about how dogs have evolved throughout history and the special bond they share with humans. We'll also catch up with the great results of the latest edition of 'Healthy Cities', a challange promoted by health care provider Sanitas.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we talk to Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, who was awarded with the 2023 Photoespaña prize at Spain's international photography festival. Burtynsky is known for his large-scale photographs of industrial landscapes, and his latest series, titled 'African Studies', is a collection of aerial-view photographs of African deserts and saltmines. After the interview, our correspondant in Beirut, Elsa Yasbek, tells us about a flamenco show that took place in the archeological Roman Temple of Baalbeck (Lebanon) put together in partnership with the Spanish Embassy in Lebanon, and with the help of flamenco percussionist Nacho Arimani.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we revisit a recent interview with Madrid-based strategic sustainability advisor Leonardo Martins Dias, who carries out multi-lateral projects in sustainability and gives classes on and conducts research in what he terms "a more genuine sustainability."  Author of a recent article in the Madrid daily El País carrying the headline "The Assault on the Three Branches of Government in Brazil: A Social Analysis on the Ground," he talks about this event and the challenge of creating hope for the future among "the orphans of the state."  Before the interview we take a look at the news, including the end of the San Fermín running of the bulls festival in Pamplona.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we go on a guided tour of the Royal Opera House of Madrid: one of the most iconic cultural landmarks in the heart of Spain's capital city. We'll follow Ray Green, a volunteer guide and a knowledgeable expert on the Opera House's history. With him, we'll discover the rich history and engineering wonders that have graced its stage for many years. We’ll also highlight the main features of this year’s edition of Opera Week taking place between the 10th and the 16th of July. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we to take a deep-dive into the famed 'San Fermin' festival that takes place in Pamplona every summer, most commonly known as the 'running of the bulls festival'. We explain the festival's origins and walk you through everything the celebrations have to offer, including the daily bull runs. After that, we travel to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon, where Spanish designer Ana Inés Jabares Pita explains her contribution to the Royal Shakespeare Company's latest production of 'As You Like It'. Finally, our Lebanon correspondant Elsa Yasbek walks us through the activities currently being hosted by the Cervantes Institute in Beirut. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we make a final visit to the retrospective exhibition at Madrid's Thyssen Museum dedicated to British painter Lucian Freud in the company of Rachelle Bentley.  Besides being a recording artist whose music has been featured in past broadcasts—and again in this one—Rachelle has studied art history and also paints herself. On this visit she discovers the intensity and contained emotion of an artist whose paintings she never found attractive or even liked, but now decides are "incredibly interesting" when viewed not in reproductions but "in person." Before the museum visit we take a look at the news, with special focus on the first day of Pamplona's week-long running of the bulls festival.Escuchar audio

Today we have a special programme where we talk to four Spaniards living in different corners of the globe (Costa Rica, Poland, South Korea and the United States of America). These four expats will bring us firsthand accounts of their experiences and challenges in their respective host countries, and also, the reality of homesickness and how they have ventured beyond their homeland to pursue new opportunities, embrace diverse cultures and build connections across borders. Escuchar audio

We're kicking off the month of July with a mix of art and food... First, we talk to Italian dance company duo Riva & Repele, who were in Madrid for the 'Madrid en Danza Festival'. The production they brought to Spain was the 'Lili Elbe Show', based on the true story of one of the first trans women to undergo gender-affirming surgery. After that, we look into the exportation of one of the most essential elements of Spanish cuisine: olive oil. Teresa Pérez of 'Olive Oils From Spain' gives us the run-down of olive oil usage here (where it's hard to find a dish that doesn't make use of it) and the task of integrating this key ingredient to foreign dishes. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we talk to Sally Fallon, cookbook author, food and nutrition activist, and founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation for Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts. Sally Fallon, who has just been in Spain to present the Spanish-language edition of her cookbook, is a staunch champion of the traditional diet of past generations that had none of the modern qualms about cooking with butter and lard. The cookbook, originally published in English under the title “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats,” is published in Spanish by the Diente de León publishing house. The broadcast begins with a brief newscast. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and on occasion of International Pride Day on the 28th of June, we interview Mili Hernández, founder and owner of Berkana, the first LGBTIQ+ bookshop in Spain. As Berkana reaches its 30th anniversary this year, we’ll talk about the origin of the bookshop, the creation of the publishing house 'Egales' that followed Berkana's opening and the situation of the LGBTIQ+ community in Spain. Escuchar audio

The 28th of June is known as International LGBT Pride Day. Celebrations can last a week or a whole month, but the 28th is the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York City... riots that are considered to have set the precedent for Gay Pride marches today. In Spain, celebrations vary depending on the region you happen to find yourself in. But for today's broadcast, we'll begin celebrating Gay Pride Week ahead of the 28th. We sat down with Manuel Ródenas in the headquarters of Transexualia, a transexual association, to learn about the current state of LGBT affairs in Spain. Escuchar audio

In today’s broadcast we talk to classical musician Julie Aubé about the perplexing issue of focal dystonia, a neurological condition affecting muscles that can cause severe problems for professional musicians and singers or even put an end to their careers. Julie Aubé is a member of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, where she plays the double bass, and a board member of AMPOS, an organization of professional symphony orchestra musicians that, together with another musicians association, AIE, has just co-sponsored a congress on focal dystonia in Madrid. The three-day congress ended with a sold-out benefit concert in which an ad hoc orchestra made up of members from all of Spain’s nearly 30 symphony orchestras was conducted by Luis Cobos. The interview is preceded by a brief look at the news. Escuchar audio

Today we have a somewhat musical broadcast on occasion of the European Day of Music: a celebration of French origin that takes places every 21st of June with the summer solstice. We introduce the upcoming season of Madrid’s Royal Opera House (Teatro Real), and some of the operas that will be included in the repertoire that starts in September. We also interview Canadian soprano Elisabeth Hetherington, who performed in the religious art festival (FIAS) in Madrid with the musical quartet Pérgamo Ensemble. And finally, we travel to the Paleolithic to talk about the cave of Altamira, in the north of Spain, one of the oldest representations of cave art in the country. Escuchar audio

We learn about an initiative set up to assist young businesses in rural Spain at the group's first in-person meet-up in Madrid, and hear from Vanessa María Mato Pose, the owner of The Little Foxes Club, an English school in Lugo, Galicia. After that, we travel back in time to the airwaves of the 1950s, when the BBC broadcast programs in each of Spain's different languages from London during an era when those languages were banned in their own country.Escuchar audio

In today’s broadcast we visit the Thyssen Museum video installation “Of Whales” by American artist Wu Tsang in the company of Valencia-based Lithuanian jazz pianist Viktorija Pilatovic, who also contemplates and gives us her impressions of one of the all-time great self-portraits to be found hanging in the Thyssen.  And we hear music from Pilatovic’s new fourth album, “Skybridges,” along with her comments on some of the tracks. Preceding the art and music is a newscast followed by a report from our Middle East correspondent Elsa Yazbek on the Samir Kassir Awards For Freedom of the Press, announced earlier this month in Beirut.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and on occasion of International Picnic Day on the 18th of June, we have a very interesting interview with two authors and experts in the field. César-Javier Palacios and Antonio Sandoval wrote the guide 'De picnic por España' (Picnics in Spain) where they offer more than 100 locations to go on a picnic in our country, and where they recommend typical food of each region as well. Escuchar audio

Madrid's International Book Fair came to an end this weekend, but we'll hang onto the literary theme just a little longer... 'The Riveter' literary magazine was launched in 2017 by the European Literature Network with the goal of championing literature from Europe and the UK... and the twelfth edition of this magazine, "The Spanish Riveter: Riveting Writing from Spain" is the first magazine of Spanish contemporary prose and literature in English. One of the things that makes this publication special is the conscious effort to include as many of Spain's languages as possible... Catalan, Gallego, Valenciano, Basque, Asturiano...To learn more about this edition of the magazine, we talk to Katie Whittemore -- translator and the guest editor of 'The Spanish Riveter' -- and Victor Ugarte, the Director of London's Cervantes Institute.  Escuchar audio

In today’s broadcast we talk to American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Leo Sidran, who has just been in Madrid playing the drums in the jazz quartet led by his father, pianist Ben Sidran. Among other things, Leo talks about the Sidrans’ relationship with Spain of over 25 years. We also hear several tracks from Leo’s excellent new album, “What’s Trending.” The broadcast begins with the news followed by a report from our correspondent in Beirut, Elsa Yazbek, on a new initiative on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.Escuchar audio

Today we are doing a special program from the Feria del Libro of Madrid, one of the largest book fairs in the country, that comes to an end on Sunday the 11th of June. At the Spanish National Radio own stand in the book fair, we're going to have the opportunity to talk to author Luz Gabás about her last published novel ‘Lejos de Luisiana’ which is set in the American continent. We will also take a stroll around the book fair to talk to booksellers and authors who are doing book signings here for the first time. Escuchar audio

Today's broadcast is dedicated to World Enviornment Day, first celebrated fifty years ago in 1973. We take a Spanish approach in conversation with Pedro Zorilla, the Climate Change Campaigner for Greenpeace Spain, and discuss the Spain's most recent environmental struggles such as the droughts, the heatwaves, the forest fires.In what ways do extreme temperatures truly affect us? How long does it take for a forest to grow back after being reduced to ash? How dire are Spain's carbon emission levels? And, most importantly, what can be done? Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news, we talk to American jazz pianist Ben Sidran, who has just been in Madrid for a week-long residency at the Spanish capital’s premier jazz club, the Café Central.  Ben Sidran remembers The Concert for García Lorca that he gave with his quartet in Granada 25 years ago playing the poet’s own piano, and—on contemporary issues—expresses misgivings about Artificial Intelligence.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we talk about the new campaign that the World Health Organization - Europe launched two weeks ago, to raise awareness and fight the formerly named 'monkey pox' in the European region. Once again, we talk to the Head of the High Threat Pathogen Team at the WHO-Europe, Dr. Richard Pebody, about how to prevent the risk of mpox infection. Also, on occasion of World No Tobacco Day on the 31st of May, WHO-Europe expert, Elizaveta Lebedeva, tells us about the consequences of smoking and its risks to people's health Escuchar audio

Madrid's Feria del Libro book fair began last Friday, and here at the English Language Broadcast we kicked off the three-week-long event with hispanist Ian Gibson. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Gibson has Spanish nationality and has dedicated the better part of his life to twentieth-century poet and dramatist Federico García Lorca, and has written about him extensively. Now, after a lifetime of writing biographies on important figures of Spain's contemporary history, he delves into his own past in 'Un Carmen en Granada', his latest book. We talk in depth about his life as a biographer and his love for Lorca and Spain at Spanish National Radio's own stand in the book fair, moments before one of his book signings.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news we meet Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith who has returned to Spain fifteen years after his last visit.  Besides giving concerts in Madrid and Barcelona, he performed a couple of songs live on Radio 3, Spanish National Radio's domestic youth music and culture station.  We hear those live performances as well as tunes from earlier albums, and talk to this talented and disarmingly unassuming artist whose admirers include Paul McCartney and Steve Earle.  Ron Sexsmith—who can perhaps best be described as a songwriter's songwriter—is currently presenting his new album, "The Vivian Line."  Released in February, it's the 17th album in his ample discography, its songs composed during the Covid-19 pandemic.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we talk about a trilogy of crime novels and thriller written by American author J.K. Franko, who was in Madrid presenting the Spanish translation of his work. With his background in Philosophy and Law, the author explores the different aspects of criminal justice and legal system in a story of a perfect crime.We also hear from our correspondent in Lebanon, Elsa Yazbek, who tells us about a protest for women's rights, and Amy Egan follows the opening of the new branch of the Cervantes Institute in Edinburgh with words from its director Alexis Grohmann.Escuchar audio

The 38th Madrid en Danza international dance festival is currently taking place in the capital, and in today's broadcast, we talk to two directors with shows being performed: Ann Van Der Broek, with the show 'Joy Enjoy Joy', described as a "tentative ode to happiness"... and Hofesh Sheckter, whose show 'Double Murder' brings two performances together... one more macabre than the other.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news and a new Report From Lebanon sent in by our Beirut correspondent Elsa Yazbek, we talk to Joan Anton Rechi, the director of Andorra's new Clàssicand Festival.  Set to take place from June 2nd through 11th in the principality of Andorra, situated in the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France, this year's edition is the first of this new international festival dedicated to classical music, dance and performing arts.  We also talk to Catalan actress Ariadna Gil, who will be on stage for a performance at the festival entitled "Vivir / Morir" (To Live / To Die), based on a book by French writer and rabbi Delphine Horvilleur.  The broadcast ends with the music of Basque accordionist Gorka Hermosa, who is in Berlin this weekend for the premiere of his new composition "Peace Dream." Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we talk about the challenge 'Healthy Cities' that this year reaches its eighth edition with a record of participants. This is an initiative promoted by the health care provider Sanitas in collaboration with more than 200 other companies, where participants have to walk 6,000 steps daily over a period of two months. We talked about the importance of carrying out initiatives such as 'Healthy Cities' with the chiefs of Sustainability of Sanitas, Catherine Cummings and Yolanda Erburu. And on occasion of International Museum Day on the 18th of May, we take a brief tour through some of the most important museums in Madrid. Escuchar audio

On the day marking the 35th anniversary of the introduction of teletext in television broadcasting in Spain our focus is, however, not on electronic media, but rather on the traditional and time-honoured medium of paint and canvas. And, in particular, on the work of Antony Williams. A new show of paintings by this crtically acclaimed British artist has just opened at Madrid's Leandro Navarro Gallery, and we pay the gallery a visit to see the paintings and meet the artist. The painting that accompanies this podcast, "Antonia Looking Up," is one of the works by Antony Williams on exhibit at the Madrid show, which runs through June 30th. The catalogue can be viewed on-line. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, Spain welcomes the English National Ballet at the Teatro Real in Madrid, with a revival of the classical ballet 'Raymonda'... The show's director and choreographer, Tamara Rojo, was the artistic director of the English National Ballet for ten years, and is currently the director of the San Francisco Ballet. She reworked the original story for the ENB, changing the story's setting and drawing inspiration from Florence Nightingale in her reimagining of the ballet's titular character. We also visit a new exhibition about the early works of abstract artist Joan Miró in the Gugenheim museum in Bilbao, and get ready for this year's Eurovision final. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we talk about a non-profit cultural association that takes literature to rural areas of Spain. Maribel Medina is a Spanish writer and the director of ‘Mi Pueblo Lee’ (My town reads), who tells us about the initiative. We also talk to Spanish writer Alejandro Palomas, one of the authors that has participated in the ‘Mi Pueblo Lee’ literary festival of since its beginning, three years ago. Escuchar audio

In the wake of the historic event that was the coronation of Charles III on Saturday, we tackle Spain's own past, present and future through Australian playwright Andrew Bovell's latest play, "Canción del Primer Deseo" -- "Song of First Desire". The play gets its name from a Federico García Lorca poem, and follows the story of a young Columbian man who returns to his grandmother's home-country of Spain decades after his family fled from the dictatorship. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news, we talk to Leah Pattem, founder of the popular, dynamic, engaged and engaging English-language website Madrid No Frills, which offers up-to-date, no-nonsense, street-level reports on people and events in the Spanish capital.  It also offers, among other things, colorful snapshots of the city's typical bars that are suitable for framing (accompanying photo of Leah Pattem in front of the El Trebol Bar taken by Angel Biyanueba).Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we travel back in time in a century-old train, the oldest one still running in Spain. This heritage train covers the journey between Madrid and Aranjuez and receives the name of the product it used to transport: Tren de la Fresa - Strawberry Train.On board the train, we speak to the managing director of the Spanish railway foundation, Adrián Fernández Carrasco, who tells us about the different itineraries they offer, so that visitors can discover the city of Aranjuez, its gardens and the Royal Palace, and enjoy way more than just the ride.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news, we learn about Spain's Princess of Asturias awards.  There are eight prizes in different categories awarded each year, and this week American actress Meryl Streep was named winner of the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts.  The awards ceremony will be held in October in the Asturian capital of Oviedo, in northern Spain.  We also hear from our correspondent in Beirut, Elsa Yazbek, about Armenians living in Lebanon, and we sample several tracks from "Voices," the new album by Matthieu Saglio, a talented French cellist and composer based in the city of Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we talk about the contemporary opera Nixon in China that is taking place at the Royal Opera House of Madrid until the 2nd of May. This historical opera is about the state visit made by U.S. President at the time, Richard Nixon, to Beijing, and his encounter with chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung. We'll hear from Nixon in China’s composer, John Adams, stage director, John Fulljames, and set and costume designer, Dick Bird. The seven performances in Madrid alternate the musical direction between Korean conductor Olivia Lee-Gundermann and Greek conductor Kornilios Michailidis. We talked to them in the opera presentation about the challenges of this production. Escuchar audio

The weekend is over, and so is World Book Day, which was celebrated on Sunday the 23rd... A date chosen because both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes passed away on that date in 1616... In today's broadcast, we'll be talking about an interesting adaptation of the epic novel Don Quijote, and hear from physician and author Kathryn Mannix, who's book on difficult and uncomfortable conversations (Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations) was recently published in Spanish.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news, we talk to the directors behind the ambitious initiative of Madrid's Royal Opera to take top Spanish flamenco to dozens of cities in nearly twenty countries around the world. The initiative is called "Authentic Flamenco," and beginning in May three different flamenco troupes will take their their dancing, singing, guitar playing, and percussion on tour to perform before audiences from New York to Seoul and from London to Aukland, Sydney, and Singapore. For more information about the tour, which ends in December, consult the website: authenticflamencoshow.com . The tour's recent presentation at the Teatro Real included a brief but highly impressive performance by a selection of dancers, singers and musicians. One of them, the dancer Amador Rojas, is shown in the photo accompanying this podcast. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we talk about one of the key agents that help in the pollination of flowers and plants. Bees are an essential part of our ecosystem and the decline in their population is now a concern for its devastating effects on the planet's biodiversity. Beehive reduced numbers is also affecting honey producers in Spain, who have to face production costs in a very competitive market. We'll talk about it with Diego Juste, spokesman of the association of farmers and cattle breeders in Spain, who states the importance of reading the labels, as in most cases, consumers are not buying just honey. We'll also talk to doctor and researcher Raquel Martín about a vaccine that is being developed in the research centre of Marchamalo, in the region of Guadalajara, to protect hives from one of the deadliest illnesses that affect bees. Escuchar audio

For years now, museums have been venturing into the world of social media, with many of them re-evaluating their online presence during the lockdown phase of the pandemic. Spain's National Art Museum, the Museo del Prado in Madrid, is a museum that has seen huge online success following the creation of their TikTok account, which is currently nominated for a Webby Award -- these awards seek to honor excellence on the internet. So, following the Prado Museum's Webby nomination, we talked to one of the museum's social media managers about the account's success, and what their videos have to offer within the oversaturated digital landscape. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news, we talk to actress and theatre director Natalia Erice, founder of Trastapillada Theatre Company, and poet and playwright Ángel Martín Rizaldos about their innovative plays for children, one of which recently won an international prize at the Cuéntamelo storytelling festival in LIma, Peru. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a quick look at the news, we visit the exhibition centre 'La Casa Encendida' in Madrid to see the work of the young artist Monia Ben Hamouda who exhibits her art in a solo institutional show for the first time in Spain. We talk to her about her work, in which she reflects on Islam's prohibition of figurative depictions, inspired by an old persian miniature about the destruction of the idols of Ka’ba, after which her exhibition is named.Ben Hamouda's ‘Destruction of the Idols of Ka'ba' is part of a series of exhibitions about 'Reclaiming Resilience' that the curators Pakui Hardware (Neringa ¿erniauskait¿ & Ugnius Gelguda) are showing in Madrid throughout the year.‘The Destruction of the Idols of Ka’ba’ is running at La Casa Encendida of Madrid from the 31st of March to the 28th of May and the admission is free. To find out more, visit their website: www.lacasaencendida.es/en/exhibitions/monia-ben-hamouda-destruction-idols-kaba-14482Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we talk to Jonathan Stafford, the artistic director of the New York City Ballet. This world-renowned ballet company, in which Stafford was principal dancer until his retirement in 2014, performed recently in Madrid. It was the NYCB's first performance in the Spanish capital and only its second anywhere in the country, the first having taken place in Barcelona in the late 50's. This week is Semana Santa or Holy Week, and today we also revisit Amy Egan's report on Easter celebrations in Spain, with special attention to Seville and its colorful processions. Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we learn about the boys' choir of the monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial, located in the north-west of Madrid. On occasion of the Holy Week celebrations that start on Good Friday and end on Easter Sunday, we talk to Father Pedro Alberto Sánchez who is in charge of the choir. He tells us about the musical training that the boys receive and about their lives and daily routines within the monastery.  We also talk to the boys and to one of their teachers and we attend their choir rehearsal. After the news, we hear from our correspondent in Lebanon, Elsa Yazbek, with a report on celebrations in times of crisis.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we take a look at an upcoming project that mixes the best of Flamenco with the best of Rock and Roll... a show created by old-school rock promoter, Pino Sagliocco, and with the participation of two musicians of the Rolling Stones' band, singer Bernard Fowler and saxophonist Tim Ries.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news we talk to Catalan orchestra conductor Josep Caballé Domenech and German cellist Jan Vogler about their world premiere recording of the "Cello Concerto in F Major" by Enric Casals, the brother of world-famous Catalan cellist Pablo Casals.  And, of course, we also hear extracts from the new recording, in which Vogler is accompanied by the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra, conducted by Caballé Domenech.   The album, released in March on Sony Classical, also includes Édouard Lalo's "Cello Concerto in D minor."Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we talk about the opera 'The Nose' by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, which comes to a close on March the 30th, after seven performances that have taken place in the Royal Opera House of Madrid. The artistic director in this production of 'The Nose' is Johannes Stepanek, who talks about sarcasm and surrealism in the plot of this opera in which a state official loses his nose and chases it through the streets of St. Petersburg.We also talk to two members of the cast, Martin Winkler and José Manuel Montero, and learn about 'The Nose's' music score with opera conductor Mark Wigglesworth.Escuchar audio

Today, we have a special broadcast all about the second most widely spoken language in terms of native speakers, with close to 600-million total speakers worldwide... El 'español'... On occasion of the Spanish Language International Congress, Amy Egan discusses the language's reach and development with Professor Alexis Grohmann, Professor of Spanish Literature at the University of Edinburgh and recently named 'Catedrático Cervantes', a Cervantes Institute Professor.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news we continue our visit to the Lucian Freud exhibition currently running at Madrid's Thyssen Museum in the company of one of the show's curators, Paloma Alarcó, who among other things defends the German-born British painter against claims that he was a misogynist.  Today's is the second part of a two-part virtual visit to the exhibition "Lucian Freud: New Perspectives," which opened at the Thyssen on February 14th and runs through June 18th.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a quick look at the news in Spain, we talk about the phenomenon of the dwarf planet Pluto entering the constellation of Aquarius with Laia Martínez, an amateur astrologist. We also learn about the differences between the fields of astrology and astronomy with Telmo Fernández, astrophysicist and director of the Planetarium of Madrid.Escuchar audio

In this broadcast, we talk Valencia's Fallas Festival with the artist of last year's main falla, Antonio Segura Dulk... And after that, we learn about The Spanish Royal Academy of History's new web portal, which features interactive world map that allows the user to pinpoint and learn about any historical event with connections to the Spanish-speaking world... At the end of the broadcast, we hear from our correspondant in Beirut, Elsa Yasbek, about the current economic crisis in Lebanon.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news we pay a visit to the Lucian Freud exhibition "New Perspectives" currently open at Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.  There we talk to the show's co-curator, Paloma Alarcó, about the German-born British artist, considered to be one of the most outstanding figurative painters of the modern age.  Today's is the first part of a two-part virtual visit to the exhibition Lucian Freud. New Perspectives, which opened at the Thyssen on February 14th and runs through June 18th.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a look at the news, we revisit the four Spanish films that have received an Academy Award in the category of best foreign film.We also talk about the Honorary Ambassadors of 'Marca España' (Brand Spain) that this year reaches its tenth edition, and we attend the ceremony presided over by the King and Queen of Spain.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, we talk to Sonja Uhlmann and Elsa O'Brien of the British Council here in Madrid about inclusive education, and the challenges and advantages of learning foreign languages for people with disabilities.Also in the broadcast, we mention the Fallas of Valencia, after the main celebrations began this Monday.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news we hear about this week's International Women's Day marches here and elsewhere around the world, and also look at gender equality in politics in Spain.  And, on a rather different topic, we also report on high-end wine thievery at a Michelin three-star restaurant in the southern Spanish city of Cáceres.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we celebrate International Women's Day talking about women and enterpreneurship with Bisila Bokoko. She is a business woman, philantropist and the founder and CEO of BBES International who offers an inspiring perspective on gender equity and women empowerment. She has also recently published a book 'Todos tenemos una historia que contar' . Also, our correspondent Elsa Yazbek tells us about an initiative for young girls carried out in Lebanon on the occasion of International Women's Day. Escuchar audio

After the news we take a unique tour of Madrid's multicultural neighbourhood of Lavapiés with Enda and María of El Arpa... The neighbourhood occupies sprawling medieval streets full of history, but we stop to admire details of the area that are often overlooked... Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news we hear from a longtime listener who tunes in on the other side of the world, we find out about the growing difficulties in matters of terminology from strategic sustainability advisor Leonard Martins Dias, and we enjoy one of the short but brilliant jewels to be found in the music of G. F. Haendel, the "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba." We hear this brief instrumental piece in a recording by The English Concert, who have just been in Madrid to give a performance of the oratorio Solomon, the third act of which opens with the queen's famous arrival Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, and after taking a quick look at the news, we talk about a volunteer programme that the NGO Pandora together with Arturo Soria school in Madrid will carry out this summer in Chitwan, Nepal. On the occasion of World NGO Day last Monday, we talk to Ana Eseverri, Director of Alianzas e Impacto and founder of the NGO Pandora; Lorea Barrón, teacher and head of the Solidarity Department at Arturo Soria School, and Gonzalo Iglesias, a senior year student of that school who will be volunteering this summer. Pandora is an organisation that promotes international solidarity education programmes in 57 different countries, as well as organising volunteering activities for foreigners in Spain. You can visit their website for more information: www.aipc-pandora.org. Escuchar audio

Greetings from Madrid and welcome.In today's broadcast, we visit Madrid's International Magic Festival, which is currently taking place in the Circo Price Theatre, and talk to a couple of the international acts featuring in this year's line-up... Magician David Williamson and Mentalist duo Thommy Ten and Amélie Van Tass. After that, we remember Carlos Saura, the iconic Spanish filmmaker who passed away earlier this month at the age of 91.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast, after the news and a report from our Middle East correspondent, Elsa Yazbek, we go the the center of Madrid to visit the Spanish capital's smallest international bookshop and hear about their not-so-small literary prize, the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize 2023.   This year's is the sixth edition of this international award for unpublished works of fiction of under 2000 words, for which submissions are currently being accepted and whose deadline is one second 'til midnight local time, April 16th, 2023.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we talk about one of the most popular celebrations in Spain. Carnival comes to an end after a week of parades, costumes, singing and dancing that identify this exhilarating festival celebrated in many places all over the country. To find out more about this celebration, we talk to Javier Bañasco, co-director of the Carnival Parade that took place in Madrid last Saturday, organised by the Theatre Company Yllana. We also interview Jaime Mejías, regional councillor for tourism in the city of Badajoz, who tells us about how the city celebrates Carnival with the largest parade in Europe; and talk to Luis Alemán, visitors reception assistant and tour guide of the Museum Casa del Carnaval of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, who gives us information about the museum (www.casacarnavalsantacruz.com). The end of Carnival festivities in Spain coincide with a very special tradition called 'El entierro de la sardina' (the burial of the sardine). Julio Nieto is a member of the brotherhood that organises the tradition in Madrid, who explains what it consists of.Escuchar audio

In today's broadcast we talk to 'El Arpa Media', an Irish-Spanish cultural initiative based here in Madrid, made up of the Irish-Spanish duo Enda Kenneally and María Correas. They have published 3 books, organize walking tours in the city and host their own podcast, constantly bridging the gap between Spain and Ireland... as well as the rest of the English-speaking world. We talk about their origins, María's latest book ('The Stuff of Life: Ancient Inspiration for Sustainable living') and an upcoming project of theirs...Find them at @_elarpa_ on instagram, their website https://irishsliceofmadrid.com, and listen to their podcast 'People Will Talk' wherever you get your podcasts.Escuchar audio