Illuminated podcast

Illuminated

Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transported by the art and inventiveness of the very best programme makers. Just press the switch. New episodes are available weekly on Sunday evenings. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to make sure you don't miss an episode.

Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transported by the art and inventiveness of the very best programme makers. Just press the switch. New episodes are available weekly on Sunday evenings. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to make sure you don't miss an episode.

 

#73

Hearing Aids

Like so many people at a similar time of life, the poet Paul Farley is facing up to the fa... more

23 Nov 2025

28 MINS

28:56

23 Nov 2025


#72

Lost In Lullabies

From Rock-a-bye Baby to Brahms to AI…Has the lullaby become a lost art? Matt Edmonds is tr... more

10 Nov 2025

28 MINS

28:32

10 Nov 2025


#71

The Little Box Which Contains the World

Emily Berry leads us on an exploration of agoraphobia: a poetic journey through the lives ... more

09 Nov 2025

28 MINS

28:43

09 Nov 2025


#70

The Piano Boat

The Piano Boat, the floating concert hall where world-renowned concert pianist Masayuki Ta... more

02 Nov 2025

28 MINS

28:53

02 Nov 2025


#69

Problems with Julia Masli

There are so many problems in the world. For the past three years, Estonian clown Julia Ma... more

26 Oct 2025

28 MINS

28:53

26 Oct 2025


#68

The Findhorn Garden

This is a story about a community on the north east coast of Scotland that talked to plant... more

19 Oct 2025

29 MINS

29:05

19 Oct 2025


#67

Returned to Sender

Clint Buffington spends his time where land meets sea, searching for a very specific treas... more

12 Oct 2025

28 MINS

28:59

12 Oct 2025


#66

Peanuts at 75

On the 75th anniversary of the iconic comic strip Peanuts, psychoanalyst and author Josh C... more

05 Oct 2025

29 MINS

29:18

05 Oct 2025


#65

Driving, Driving, Driving on the Autobahn

Alan Dein takes to the road to explore the social and cultural resonances of Kraftwerk’s A... more

28 Sep 2025

28 MINS

28:36

28 Sep 2025


#64

How Trains Shrank Time and Space

200 years ago, the modern railway was born. On 27th September 1825, the first ticketed pas... more

21 Sep 2025

28 MINS

28:45

21 Sep 2025


#63

The Cat Killer Detectives

When decapitated cats start appearing in South London, animal rescue duo Boudicca Rising a... more

07 Sep 2025

29 MINS

29:31

07 Sep 2025


#62

The Watch Case

Watchmaker Rebecca Struthers has been invited to come and examine a watch which its owners... more

24 Aug 2025

28 MINS

28:36

24 Aug 2025


#61

Into the West

The red-billed chough is the most dashing crow in the world. These rare, flamboyant, scarl... more

17 Aug 2025

28 MINS

28:59

17 Aug 2025