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A denim jacket with a patch sewn on with red thread, with a needle with thread resting on the jacket

Traditional arts

idea

Could the art of ‘sashiko’ help to mend our frayed world?

The Japanese art of ‘sashiko’ celebrates the rough edges of life. Could this be the patchwork solution for our frayed selves?

by Melanie McGrath

Photo of a person with a guitar leaning on a car in a forest with bright red foliage wearing a white shirt and hat.

Music

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Bob Dylan turned American folk traditions into modern prophecy

Bob Dylan’s ‘A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall’ is the first truly modernist folk song: it reworks tradition into a prophetic warning

by Timothy Hampton

Photo of two children in a workshop setting using tools, one holds a hammer the other uses a hand drill.

Learning and education

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Handcraft lessons belong in a radical school curriculum

Handcraft lessons in school can stitch empathy, sustainability and resilience to the shared knowledge of communal heritage

by Hinda Mandell

Photo of carved wooden figures on a white background each with simple facial features and varying shapes and expressions.

Philosophy of art

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Archaeology excavates the layers of meaning we leave behind

Archaeologists make sense of the past by thinking about the intentional and the natural meanings of what they uncover

by Marilynn Johnson

A dancer in traditional Indian dress performs on stage against a black background

Dance

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Bharathanatyam dance is a living exploration of being human

With its origins in 16th-century India, Bharathanatyam remains hugely popular. Here’s a primer to kickstart your enjoyment

by Lakshmi Thiagarajan

Black and white photo of a woman holding a cat in a kitchen while a child eats at the table.

Food and drink

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La cucina povera delivers the fare we need to sustain us now

La cucina povera made do with whatever was available in nonna’s kitchen garden, and remains the perfect fare for our times

by Louise Fabiani

Medieval illustration of three musicians: one with a violin, another in a blue robe, and the last with a flute, framed by colourful borders.

Music

idea

Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives

Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations

by Elizabeth Eva Leach