Living Gratefully: Neil MacGregor opens up to Mona Siddiqui

07/08/20 • 63 min

In this podcast Mona Siddiqui speaks to the internationally-renowned art historian, Neil MacGregor. Born in Glasgow, Neil studied languages at Oxford but was drawn to art history. His glittering career includes directorships of both the National Gallery and the British Museum as well as presenter of several award-winning radio and television programmes including Living with the Gods. Here he speaks about how speaking a different language opens up new worlds, the special place of museums and art galleries in a nation’s life, how the UK has rewritten its history and the importance of humility.

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Living Gratefully: Dr Amir Khan opens up to Mona Siddiqui

In this podcast, Mona Siddiqui speaks to the celebrity Bradford based GP Dr Amir Khan. A highly successful and motivated GP, Amir has become a familiar face on national TV, especially after his appearance in the hugely popular Channel 5 series, GPs Behind Closed Doors. Here he talks about growing up in Bradford, gratitude for his grammar school education, the challenges of fitting in, and his love for the NHS. While Amir enjoys working as a doctor, and his growing media career, he has attracted a big social media following because of his wonderful nature posts and the amusing anecdotes he shares about his relationship with his mother, #MamaKhan.

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Living Gratefully: James Williams opens up to Mona Siddiqui

In this podcast, Mona Siddiqui speaks to James Williams, the managing director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Having grown up with music in a happy home, James speaks about his mother’s strong influence, his love for brass instruments and the associated sense of community, and the reasons why he had to give up on his aspiration of playing the tuba professionally. An advocate of the creative arts and youth justice, James sees his role as managing director of the RPO as keeping orchestral music relevant to a society’s needs, sharing his passion more widely, especially in the challenging times of Covid-19. For James, music heals both physically and mentally.