ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

James Fox and Alastair Sooke Launch Art History Podcast 'Stories of Art'

publication · 2026-05-21

Former BBC rivals Dr James Fox and Alastair Sooke are co-hosting a new weekly podcast, Stories of Art, produced by HENI Talks. The series covers art history from Ancient Egypt to the Young British Artists, with episodes on Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Artemisia Gentileschi, Alberto Giacometti, Frida Kahlo, and Michelangelo, plus deep dives into works like The Scream and the Bust of Nefertiti. Fox is a Cambridge art historian and Creative Director of the Hugo Burge Foundation; Sooke is chief art critic at The Telegraph and a trustee of the Ampersand Foundation. The podcast is produced by ex-BBC Commissioning Editor Emma Cahusac and Producer Director Ben Harding. HENI has produced free arts content for over a decade.

Key facts

  • Stories of Art is a new weekly podcast launched by HENI Talks.
  • Co-hosts are Dr James Fox and Alastair Sooke, former BBC rivals.
  • Covers art history from Ancient Egypt to the Young British Artists.
  • Episodes feature Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Artemisia Gentileschi, Alberto Giacometti, Frida Kahlo, and Michelangelo.
  • Includes deep dives into The Scream and the Bust of Nefertiti.
  • James Fox is Director of Studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and Creative Director of the Hugo Burge Foundation.
  • Alastair Sooke is chief art critic at The Telegraph and a trustee of the Ampersand Foundation.
  • Produced by ex-BBC Commissioning Editor Emma Cahusac and Producer Director Ben Harding.

Entities

Artists

  • James Fox
  • Alastair Sooke
  • Francis Bacon
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat
  • Artemisia Gentileschi
  • Alberto Giacometti
  • Frida Kahlo
  • Michelangelo

Institutions

  • HENI Talks
  • BBC
  • Emmanuel College, Cambridge
  • Hugo Burge Foundation
  • The Telegraph
  • Ampersand Foundation
  • University of Oxford
  • Courtauld Institute of Art
  • Waterstones
  • Nero Book Prize

Locations

  • Cambridge
  • United Kingdom

Sources