Theatre and performance

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Architecture Artists and art history Beauty and aesthetics Celebrations and festivals Creativity Dance Film Imagination Laughter and comedy Music Painting and sculpture Philosophy of art Photography Play Poetry Stories and literature The nature of reality Theatre and performance Traditional arts

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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

A man walks beneath overcast skies down a wet and rutted road past a burned out tank in war-ravaged Ukraine

History of ideas

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Five timeless lessons for life from the Athenian tragedies

In a world filled with grief-fuelled rage, cultivating a tragic mindset can help you to live with grace and dignity

by Andy Owen

Two men smiling in low light, seated at a round table with drinks. One man is wearing a hat.

Stories and literature

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How to tell a better story

Personal stories have the power to connect, entertain, persuade. Use a pro storyteller’s tips to pick and prepare a great one

by Micaela Blei

Two people in a park performing a balancing act on white chairs and a wooden plank, surrounded by pine trees.

Theatre and performance

film

Two gravity-defying performances play with the physics of life on Earth

A film by Bastien Dausse

Poetry

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Why spoken word poetry is so much more than a poetry reading

As poetry returns to its roots as a performance art, it’s providing many with a powerful source of healing and community

by Erica Fletcher

A couple enjoying a cosy moment, the woman holds a pink mug while the man, in a striped shirt, leans in closely, both smiling softly.

Communication and language

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Here’s the truth about how to spot when someone is lying

From shifty eyes to fidgeting fingers, there are many folk beliefs about the signs of lying – but what does the science say?

by Tim Brennen & Svein Magnussen

Photo of a person singing dramatically in colourful patterned attire and an orange headwrap on a dark stage.

Music

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How to get hooked on opera

Aspects of opera can seem strange. But give it a try and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed in a truly magical experience

by Alexandra Wilson

Seven elderly people stand in front of an old church surrounded by a graveyard under a grey sky with trees in the background.

Theatre and performance

film

Some 40 years on, actors revisit the toil and trouble of a Macbeth fiasco

Directed by James Solden

Two women in period costumes, one lying on a bed with colourful blankets, the other standing behind her, both in a room with patterned wallpaper.

Theatre and performance

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Why did Ibsen put ‘philosophers in skirts’ up on the stage?

When Henrik Ibsen put ‘philosophers in skirts’ into his plays, he demonstrated a different way of thinking about the world

by Kristin Gjesdal

Play

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What TikTok videos have in common with Victorian parlour games

TikTok and Insta videos are the Victorian parlour games of today, allowing us to share in the emotional benefits of play

by Kim Beil & Ryan Tacata

The artist Marina Abramović in a long, white dress stands in an abandoned building, lit by studio lights. The walls are rundown and the floor has tracks for camera equipment. The woman faces forward, with her hair in a side braid, and the atmosphere is dramatic and moody.

Artists and art history

film

In a single, unbroken shot, Marina Abramović surveys her artistic evolution

A film by Art21