Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger Kneebone

Professor Christopher Smith, Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the UKRI International Champion and the UKRI-IS8 Responsible Owner for the Creative Industries. Christopher is a distinguished academic who has been Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews since 2002 and publishes widely. In this conversation we explore the idea of creativity and discuss how current funding models might better address the needs of researchers in every field. 

Dr Ed Cope is Senior Leadership and Workforce Development Programmes Manager at the Premier League. Ed is fascinated by issues around coaching in the world of top level football. His doctorate explored children's sports coaching and he has held academic positions at Loughborough University. In this conversation we explore Ed's ideas around learning design and his current work with the Premier League Academy programmes.

A first career as a human rights lawyer led to Nic becoming a district judge in the civil courts, then a circuit judge hearing criminal cases. After judging for 24 years Nic retired from the law and is now focusing on his interests in historical research, writing, photography and documentary film-making. He is actively involved in issues around the rights of indigenous peoples in South America and has recently returned from Colombia as part of a multinational delegation. His book The Infernal Tambopata: British Slavery in 20th Century Peru and Bolivia provides a historical exposé of a little known moment in Amazonian history and will be published by Liverpool University Press in November 2026. In this podcast we explore some of these many strands. https://nicmadge.co.uk/about_me.php

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, has had a long career as a Conservative politician. He represented South Dorset in the House of Commons from 1979-1987. He was a junior defence minister for two years before being appointed to the House of Lords as Lord Cranborne after the 1992 general election. In the 1990s he was Leader of the House of Lords, from which he retired in 2017. His home is Hatfield House in Hertfordshire. This conversation was recorded in early November 2023, before David Cameron was appointed Foreign Secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. 

The philosopher María José Frápolli is Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of Granada. Maria has held many senior roles, including professorships at major universities in the UK and Europe. In this podcast we explore the nature of her work and discuss the challenges of explaining the nature of philosophy and philosophical research to those outside the field. 

Lieutenant Colonel Lauren Petritz-Watts is Principal Director of Music (Army) - the most senior position in this branch of the Army. In this podcast we explore the many aspects of Lauren's current role, her experience as a commissioned officer, the unique characteristics of Army music and her experience as the first woman to be appointed to her current position.  Lauren describes the key role of music in the Army, from regular formal ceremonies such as Trooping the Colour to special state occasions and overseas visits. We also discuss her personal journey within a system which offers both opportunities and challenges. 

Tim Goode is Residentiary Canon at York Minster. In this podcast we explore how his own experience of disability has shaped his role in the Anglican church, and discuss the ideas in his recent book Breaking Not Broken. https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334063162/breaking-not-broken

Sebastian Kraemer is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. His first degree was in philosophy. He then qualified in medicine before specialising - first in paediatrics (in Glasgow, Manchester and London) and then in psychiatry (at the Maudsley Hospital and the Tavistock Clinic in London).  His current work explores how people can work together effectively, despite profound disagreement and even hostility. He is especially interested in attachment as a basic drive. In this podcast we discuss many aspects of his long professional career and explore similarities and differences between our experiences. https://www.sebastiankraemer.com https://www.karnacbooks.com/product/how-do-we-even-talk-about-palestine-and-israel-one-group/98411/

Andy Stirling is emeritus professor in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex. His many interests centre around issues of uncertainty, diversity and power in science and technology.  Andy has played a leading role in many project areas, including social justice, democratic politics and respect for the natural world. In the 1980s he was a volunteer with Greenpeace and took part in campaigns around nuclear disarmament and energy challenges. https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p7513-andrew-stirling

John Law is a pianist and composer who works across multiple genres. Initially trained as a classical musician, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In his early twenties he discovered jazz and improvisational performing and changed the direction of his career. He has recorded over fifty albums and played with a wide range of leading artists. I've followed his work for many years and have heard him play on several occasions, most recently as part of a quartet led by the saxophonist Jon Lloyd. http://www.johnlaw.org.uk https://jonlloydmusic.com/jon-lloyd-quartet