‘From Ambridge to Afghanistan’: Annual MERL lecture to star Felicity Finch from ‘The Archers’
This year’s Museum of English Rural Life annual lecture will be an ‘Archers special’; MERL has housed a great deal of Archers-related objects and archives, from marketing material to collectors memorabilia in the exhibition ‘everyday stories of country folk'. The lecture will focus on the global influence and popularity of the BBC Radio 4 serial, which is now in its 60th year – establishing it as the longest running soap opera in world history. This is also the 60th anniversary of MERL.
The lecture will be hosted at the ‘great hall’ on the London Road campus, on November 24.
Overseas Archers-equivalents include ’Urunana’ (or ‘Hand in Hand’) in Rwanda, ‘Dom 7, Podyezd 4’ in Russia and ‘Naway Kor, Naway Jwand’ in Afghanistan, which has an educational theme. The Afghan programme has been broadcast by the BBC World Service since 1994; agriculture aside, the programme is also written so as to teach the listeners how to avoid minefields, and has content relating to the Taliban and the opium trade.
Ms Finch had a role in helping train the actors in the Afghan programme, about which she will speak during the lecture. She said: "It's been an amazing journey for me to travel to countries like Rwanda and Afghanistan where they have their very own radio soap operas, using The Archers as their model.
"These programmers provide a lifeline for millions of listeners as they both educate and entertain through their strong storylines and characters. I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences at the MERL lecture."
Although attendance for the lecture is free of charge, you will need to book tickets. To get them, email merlevents@reading.ac.uk or telephone 0118 378 8660. Go to reading.ac.uk/merl for other information regarding the museum and the lecture.
Article written on November 23.