BBC - Seven Ages of Britain (2010) Part 7 Age of Ambition

Seven Ages of Britain

David Dimbleby charts a landmark history of Britain’s greatest art and artefacts over 2000 years in Seven Ages of Britain. Produced in partnership with The Open University, Seven Ages of Britain looks at our extraordinary past through the Arts - both as treasures that have often played a decisive part in events and as marvels of their age. From painted images and monuments of stone and gold to religious relics, weapons of war, instruments of science and works of art; often they are artefacts of great beauty and craftsmanship, but sometimes they are simple, everyday things which have a powerful story to tell. Over the seven one hour programmes, David roams far and wide - including Italy, Germany, Turkey, India and America - tracking down astonishing artefacts that both encapsulate events or originate from the UK, and yet ended up leaving our shores. Jay Hunt Controller of BBC One said: “The Seven Ages of Britain is a hugely ambitious arts series for BBC One. David brings the subject matter alive with journalistic endeavour and a twinkle in his eye.”

Part 7: Ambition

The 20th century saw ordinary Britons upturning ancient power structures and class hierarchies. The catalyst was the First World War, which embroiled the whole nation and called traditional values into question. The result was an ever-growing democratisation of culture, with art coming off gallery walls, becoming an instrument of self-expression at the service of the individual. David Dimbleby looks at some of the great masterworks of modern British art, but also champions lesser appreciated art forms like broadcasting and domestic design.

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