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Culture

Essays and videos on the arts, literature, travel, rituals and celebrations
A sepia photograph of a woman from the 19th century, sitting on an ornate wooden chair, wearing a ruffled dress with buttons.

essay

Stories and literature

The real Miss Julie

Victoria Benedictsson assumed a male identity, achieved literary stardom, and took her own life. Then Strindberg stole it

Elisabeth Åsbrink

Black-and-white photo of three dancers in dynamic poses; one man lifting a woman in a dress while another woman in a black dress dramatically leans back.

essay

Thinkers and theories

Dancing and time

For Rachel Bespaloff, philosophy was a sensual activity shaped by the rhythm of history, embodied in an instant of freedom

Isabel Jacobs

A traditional Noh theatre mask lies on a table, surrounded by pottery and art supplies in a workshop. A person works in the blurred background.

video

Dance and theatre

How a Noh mask-maker summons a lifelike face from a single block of wood

16 minutes

Close-up of an old book page displaying a portrait of a man with text in the background, titled “Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies.”

video

Dance and theatre

Leaf through Shakespeare’s First Folio for a riveting journey into theatre history

13 minutes

A close-up of a robotic prosthetic leg displayed on a wooden surface, with chrome and black components, reflecting light from surroundings.

video

Biotechnology

What it’s like to wear a prosthetic that ‘feels’

6 minutes

A ballerina adjusting her ballet shoe ribbons, wearing pink tights and pointe shoes against a neutral background.

video

Dance and theatre

From calluses to burnt shoes, the elegance of ballet is built from the ground up

4 minutes

Performers in traditional attire dancing energetically on a stage, with some clapping while seated and others standing mid-movement.

video

Dance and theatre

Absorb the infectious rhythms of Setapa – a joyous dance from southern Africa

7 minutes

Five dancers in colourful leotards performing in a well-lit studio with large windows, arched backs and arms extended behind.

video

Dance and theatre

Technology, philosophy, randomness – how Merce Cunningham pushed dance to its limits

7 minutes

Two women touch hands through a clear plastic barrier, one wearing a mask and gloves, the other smiling and wearing a striped top.

video

Wellbeing

A unique theatre performance explores what touch means in an age of lockdown

17 minutes

A person sits alone at a desk near large windows with a city skyline view. The ceiling above has a wavy, golden design.

essay

Architecture

Acoustic naturalism

Our movies and offices are engineered to sound natural based on what rang false in the theatres of 18th-century Paris

Joseph L Clarke

Woman in green dress playing conga drums with colourful mural in background, looking joyful.

video

Music

The formidable female rumba group shaking up Cuba’s conservative music scene

20 minutes

A staged theatre performance with actors in Renaissance costumes and modern attire in front of a painted backdrop.

essay

Dance and theatre

Phantasia

Imagination is a powerful tool, a sixth sense, a weapon. We must be careful how we use it, in life as on stage or screen

Paul Giamatti & Stephen T Asma

A shirtless dancer posing on stage with an angled room in the background where a couple interacts, creating an illusionary effect.

essay

Dance and theatre

To the core

A devastating loss can shatter the façade we put up for others, exposing our deepest, rawest self. A work of art can do the same

Julia F Christensen

Five people leaning in unison on a dimly lit stage with a dark background, highlighting a dramatic performance scene.

video

Dance and theatre

Dancers tumble in and out of love as the ground spins beneath their feet

6 minutes

Hexagonal building tiles, some crafter with small pots with plants growing from them. The pots have a rustic, earthy texture.

video

Future of technology

Ceramic coral reefs and sawdust houses – the architects 3D-printing the future from scratch

4 minutes

A dancer in motion on a dark stage. The blurred effect creates a sense of fluid movement and ethereal light.

idea

Dance and theatre

How dancing helps me think, and thinking helps me dance

Glory M Liu

Black-and-white photo of a dancer in a costume performing against a shadowy background, with one hand raised near his head.

idea

Dance and theatre

For Nietzsche, life’s ultimate question was: ‘Does it dance?’

Kimerer LaMothe

The actor Benedict Cumberbatch dressed as Sherlock Holmes being interviewed outside a terraced house, number 221b. Co-star Martin Freeman and another man stand watching.

idea

Neuroscience

Acting changes the brain: it’s how actors get lost in a role

Christian Jarrett

Photo of excited concert-goers capturing the moment on their phones, with vibrant purple stage lights illuminating the scene.

idea

Dance and theatre

The pandemonium of modern celebrity began in 19th-century theatre

Sharon Marcus

A group of women wearing colourful traditional attire, dancing and smiling as part of a cultural celebration.

idea

Dance and theatre

The dancing species: how moving together in time helps make us human

Kimerer LaMothe

A ballet dancer’s feet in pink pointe shoes standing on a wooden floor in a dimly lit room.

idea

Dance and theatre

How ballerinas defy the corporeal in a quest for the ethereal

Olivia Campbell

A black and white photo of two dancing figures, one with wings hovering over the other who is kneeling with an arm extended.

video

Dance and theatre

Classical ballet transforms into a dance of the surreal in this duet from 1968

14 minutes

Film character with white face paint, smeared lipstick, holding a Joker card while wearing a purple suit and green vest.

idea

Personality

Is acting hazardous? On the risks of immersing oneself in a role

Samuel Kampa

A person wearing a colourful traditional mask with horns, fangs and intricate details against a cloudy sky backdrop.

video

Rituals and celebrations

Dance with the devil: the colourful Mexican art form that summons demons

6 minutes