Dr Edson Burton wears many different hats, both figuratively and literally. He’s a writer, performer, historian, poet, well-dressed man about town, and – as you’ll know if you follow his social channels – physical training enthusiast. So who better, for this week’s episode of Unpacked, to wade into one of the thorniest issues of the day – what is our culture, and who does it belong to?
It’s a topic that’s reared its head in so many ways over recent years around questions ranging from inequality in the arts, cultural appropriation and the forces of gentrification, to Brexit and, of course, the arguments raging around borders and anti-immigrant hatred. And we’ll be getting into all of those.
In a freewheeling chat with Neil, Edson speaks about his personal experience of moving between worlds: working-class Bedford roots to academic institutions; Radio 4 to grassroots venues; poetry to dancefloors. Rather than “cutting himself off” from any part of his life, he describes identity as something we carry – and something that keeps evolving.
That applies not only to individuals but also Bristol, and to the wider UK as it wrestles with economic and political changes, the temptation of populism and questions over who we even are as a nation. With our city vying to become UK City of Culture in 2029, Edson and Neil explore how culture can people can get out of their silos and find the things that unite us as Brits – of which, our guests argues, there are many, if we’d care to stop and think for a minute. It’s an epic chat – hope you enjoy.
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Absolutely brilliant interview with Edson Burton – can’t say how much I enjoyed it!