Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week we turn our attention to the objects that surround us — the everyday things we carry, discard, and barely notice — and ask what they might reveal about who we are and the times we’re living through. From museum collections to sensory experiences and a little magical mischief, this episode explores the curious relationship between the material world and the mind.

Kevin is joined by Corinna Gardner and Donata Miller-Obebe from the Victoria and Albert Museum to explore the fascinating world of Rapid Response Collecting. From single-use vapes to the mosquito emoji, the V&A is capturing objects that speak to contemporary social, political, and cultural moments as they unfold. Together, they discuss what it means to collect the present — how design reflects behaviour, how objects carry meaning, and why even the most ordinary items can become powerful markers of our time.

From the museum to the brain, it’s time for Archie’s Neuro Nuggets. This week, we dive into the strange, tingling world of ASMR — exploring what happens when whispers, taps, and gentle sounds trigger sensations of calm for some, and disdain for others.

Back on our audio stage, we return once more to the corridors of the Xander Eldrick Institute, where The Strange Brothers continue their pursuit of the mystical arts. With more mind games, magical mishaps, and deeply questionable decision-making, Salazar and Craig find themselves once again toeing the line between illusion and chaos.

So whether you’re noticing the objects around you a little more closely, tuning into the subtleties of sound, or simply coming along for the ride — there’s always a place for you in The Big Smoke!

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Links

🔎 Explore the V&A’s Rapid Response Collection

💡 Email your Rapid Response Collecting ideas: aapd.enquiries@vam.ac.uk

🧠 Archie McAlpine & Associates Ltd.

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro & Show Menu

(01:37) V&A Rapid Response Collecting Interview

(46:39) Archie’s Neuro Nuggets: The Science of ASMR

(53:13) The Strange Brothers: Conscious Subconsciousness

(1:02:32) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Archie’s Neuro Nuggets by Archie McAlpine

The Strange Brothers written and performed by Jamie Sandersfield and Matthew Nicholson