Forever Young

What does it mean, in 21st Century Britain, to be an adult? In this series of 'documentary pop songs' we examine the shifting borders of adulthood in sexual, social and financial relations.

Personal relationships have always been central to the way young people define themselves - as child, girlfriend or boyfriend, fiance, spouse, or parent. But with changing approaches to sex education, a transformation in our understanding of sexuality and shifting attitudes towards the institutions that support personal choices, it's no longer appropriate to assume any inevitability about settling down with a life-partner and starting a family.

We hear from teenagers about how their education in sexual and personal relations is drawn from the internet and the playground as much as from the classroom, we gather the experiences of young parents, and we compare the attitudes of twin sisters Nuala and Niamh - one in a relationship', one 'very single', one straight, one gay.

For each episode of Forever Young, we've commissioned a new song on each of the three themes. The Love and Marriage song is written and performed by husband and wife pop duo Summer Camp.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall with Hana Walker-Brown.
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

A vibrant 'documentary pop song' exploring the shifting borders of adulthood.

Documentary pop songs that explore what it means to be an adult in 21st-century Britain

What does it mean, in 21st Century Britain, to be an adult? In this series of 'documentary pop songs' we examine the shifting borders of adulthood in personal, social and financial relations.

Fleeing the nest, escaping the day-to-day oversight of parents and living as a self-sufficient being are traditional indicators of maturity. Yet such independence requires an elaborate supporting scaffold - usually requiring employment, financial acumen or reliance on the welfare system.

For each episode of Forever Young, we've commissioned a new song on each of the three themes. The House and Home song is written and performed by Kieran Mac Feely, aka Simple Kid.

Produced by Alan Hall with Hana Walker-Brown.
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

A vibrant 'documentary pop song' exploring the shifting borders of adulthood.

Documentary pop songs that explore what it means to be an adult in 21st-century Britain

What does it mean, in 21st Century Britain, to be an adult? In this series of 'documentary pop songs' we examine the shifting borders of adulthood in personal, social and financial relations.

Much of a young person's sense of maturity evolves from his or her changing relationship with the world around them. Part of that comes from how they feel about the way they fit into it - but a significant part is also determined by social conventions, civil institutions and the structure of the State.

For each episode of Forever Young, we've commissioned a new song on each of the three themes. The Rights and Responsibilities song is written and performed by Ghostpoet.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall with Hana Walker-Brown
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

The Rights and Responsibilities song is written and performed by Ghostpoet.

Documentary pop songs that explore what it means to be an adult in 21st-century Britain