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Woman's Hour

Weekend Woman's Hour: Amanda Abbington, VAT on private school fees, Steven van de Velde Olympics controversy, Aigul Akhmetshina

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture

4.13K Ratings

🗓️ 3 August 2024

⏱️ 54 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Amanda Abbington joins Anita Rani to talk about her new role in Tawni O’Dell’s play When It Happens To You. Amanda plays Tara, a mother who is desperately trying to hold her family together after her daughter is brutally attacked. She discusses playing a mother whose own trauma is triggered by her daughter’s experiences and how a culture of shame can lead to women’s silence.

The Labour government has confirmed that it will act on its manifesto commitment to change the way private school fees are taxed across the UK. The current exemption from VAT will be removed, in order to fund 6,500 new teachers in England, and the change is coming in January next year, sooner than previously thought. Nuala McGovern gets the latest from the BBC’s Education Correspondent Elaine Dunkley, and then speaks to Sarah, a parent whose son is at private school, and by Sarah Cunnane from the Independent Schools Council and Harry Quilter-Pinner from the IPPR to discuss.

The Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde has caused controversy at this year’s Paris Olympics. He is a convicted child rapist and was met with some booing when he came out for his debut match on Sunday. In 2014, when he was 19, he raped a 12-year-old British girl. He met his victim on Facebook and travelled from Amsterdam to the UK. His involvement has raised questions of whether it's appropriate for him to be representing his country at the highest level. Nuala is joined by Mhairi Maclennan, a survivor of sexual abuse herself who is also the CEO of Kyniska Advocacy, which supports women and victims of abuse in sport and Jo Easton, joint CEO and Director of Policy and Advocacy of the charity Unlock which campaigns for people with criminal records.

Irita Marriott says she is one of very few women in the UK to own an auction house. She’s the subject of a new documentary that follows her setting up her business and discovering personal stories along with antiques. She joins Nuala to talk about what it’s like to be a woman in the industry and why she loves it so much.

Hailed as the 'Carmen of our time', mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina was chosen to lead the cast of Bizet’s immortal masterpiece in eight international productions in one season. At the age of 27, Aigul has made history as the youngest artist ever to take on the title role at both the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her debut album features a portrait of her famed Carmen and other operatic arias, including a Bashkort folk song. She joins Nuala to discuss her music, and perform live in the studio.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells Editor: Emma Pearce

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Before you listen to this BBC podcast I'd like to tell you about something else you might enjoy.

0:05.0

My name is Allison Hindle and I commission audio drama and fiction for the BBC.

0:10.0

It's a great privilege because I get to unearth stories people love.

0:13.7

You should see the books and scripts covering my floor,

0:16.5

from new talent and established writers as well as classics.

0:19.8

The BBC has such a rich history of making great audio drama,

0:23.7

we're still the largest producer in the world,

0:26.0

and the popularity of podcasts means we can share what we do with even more people.

0:30.8

So if you like to lose yourself in a gripping audio drama or book, find your next listen on BBC Sounds.

0:37.0

BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.

0:42.0

Hello, I'm Anita Rani and welcome. Music Radio Podcasts.

0:42.8

Hello, I'm Anita Rani and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.

0:47.6

Just to say that for rights reasons, the music in the to talk about her new play when it happens to you and also about her experience on

1:05.0

strictly come dancing and the backlash she and her family have received as a result.

1:09.3

We'll also hear from an antiques dealer on why she runs her own auction house, why few women do it

1:15.5

and how she made it onto our TV screens.

1:18.1

Most of the people who are on TV on all these antique programs, they have been head head hunted and I was just a small

1:24.7

time dealer so I decided that I wanted to be on antiques road trip I got hold of

1:30.1

their executive producers phone number and I just rang him and I said what do I do to get this job six

1:37.1

months after that phone call I had the job also as the new chancellor Rachel, plans to charge 20% VAT on private school fees,

1:46.0

we look at what effect this could have on pupils and parents.

1:50.0

And the Mezzo-Soprano Eiegel-Ahmetsina, hailed as the common of her time.

...

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