Arts and culture radio

Arts and culture radio places creative work and cultural life at the centre of its spoken programme. Cinema, literature, visual art, performance and related subjects can provide material for interviews, reporting and discussion. The defining feature is sustained cultural attention, with the programme offering context around works and the people involved in them. Formats can range from a conversation with a creative contributor to coverage of a festival or an extended discussion of an artistic practice. These programmes give speech a substantial role, allowing ideas and experiences to be developed beyond a short announcement. A specialist service may concentrate on one art form while another addresses several areas of cultural activity. The category reflects the broadcaster's continuing editorial focus. Music can accompany the output, but a playlist alone does not establish an arts and culture format. Cultural interviews, criticism, educational context and event material together explain the listening experience, with individual services selecting the subjects and audiences that give their programme its own identity.