Civilisations Stories

Actor Ace Bhatti, himself a former lifeboatman, goes to Whitby, Hull and the small village of Staithes to explore how artists were inspired by the sea and the men and women who make a living from it. He examines the pioneering photography of Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, paintings by the Staithes Group of Artists and a piece of art which has been worn by a Hollywood star.

Meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker reveals his passion - and talent - for the art of portraiture and discovers that our 21st-century obsession with image is nothing new. In this tour of some of the south of England's art treasures, he learns how artists down the ages have subtly shaped and manipulated our opinions of their subjects, and the times in which they lived, by enhancing some aspects of their features and erasing others. He discovers how, 2,000 years ago, Celtic Britons looked to Roman coins for tips on how to appear as Roman as possible and that Renaissance artists in the 1600s effectively photoshopped their subjects in oil paint to convey the right public image, and the captivating portraits of pioneering Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron inspire him to take more risks with his own art.

Bushcraft expert Ray Mears travels back in time 4,000 years into Bronze Age East Anglia in search of clues about its people living in this mysterious yet innovative period of our history. The Bronze Age was a crucial point in time that linked the Stone Age with the Iron Age. Ray discovers its artworks, jewellery, monuments and unusual finds - and how each object tells us something about the spirit of our ancestors. He begins at Southwold Museum in Suffolk where he examines a small and personable stone carving, the Easton Bavents Deer, made just as the Stone Age was ending and the Bronze Age was beginning. At Holme beach in north Norfolk, Ray investigates the site of an imposing timber circle Seahenge, now preserved at Lynne Museum. He discovers what it tells us about the ceremonial rites of the early Bronze Age people, and how they were capable of great engineering undertakings. Ray learns about the shared religious beliefs of Bronze Age people at Norwich Castle Museum where he goes behind the scenes with senior curator of archaeology Dr Tim Pestell to find a rare Bronze Age treasure - the Rudham Dirk. Heading west towards the Fens, he visits Flag Fen Archaeology Park - the site of an important Bronze Age settlement. Along with archaeologist Francis Pryor, Ray admires a beautifully made dagger with antler handle and learns of the ceremonial worship of water. At Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire, Ray comes face to face with the Great Gold Torc - a majestic piece of jewellery that marks the emergence of a warrior aristocracy. The journey concludes back at Norwich Castle Museum with one of the greatest treasures ever discovered in Britain, the Snettisham Treasure. This may have been the royal treasure of the Iceni tribe and was produced as the Bronze Age receded and the Iron Age dawned. Ray's curiosity leads us on a journey back through time and to enlightening treasures - showing us how the Bronze Age developed into an astonishingly advanced civilisation.

How coal created a lasting legacy of art in the east Midlands, and the fight to preserve it for future generations. An industry, which once employed more than 24,000 men in the region, will be remembered forever thanks to the rich collection of paintings, preserved colliery buildings and artefacts, many of them saved by volunteers.

Fashion historian Amber Butchart unravels the story of 'the first refugees'. The Huguenot silk weavers of Spitalfields made a perilous journey to Britain over 300 years ago, but they left a legacy of industry, great riches and artistic masterpieces. This is one of history's most important stories of migration.

In days of Empire - from the cloudy north west - the world must have seemed exotic and vividly coloured. Brits travelled the globe to bring back treasures such as mummies, art and even circus animals. Writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie reveals how these discoveries influenced and reshaped our towns and cities from one of the most colourful - and controversial - chapters of our past.

Nick Baker journeys across Dartmoor to discover the artists and artisans that brought its wild and raw beauty into the public imagination.

Sophie Robinson explores the Arts and Crafts movement in the South East and finds out why it was a rebellion against Victorian mass production.

Join presenter Mark Williams on the trail of three remarkable men from the 18th century. He uncovers tales of flamboyant dandies and dealmakers, inventors and innovators - and shares the secrets of what amputations were like in the days before anaesthetics. If you had thought Georgian England was just rich men in posh houses taking snuff, think again. Mark shows that the West Midlands was a hotbed of creativity and discovery, and the evidence can be seen in paintings and other art forms still with us today.

Civilisations 'The Remains of Slavery' is presented by Bristol's Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers - whose ancestors were taken as slaves from west Africa to the Caribbean. Like the landmark series which has been running on BBC2, the history is told through objects and architecture - but in this West Country addition, they are all found in and around Bath and Bristol. The documentary reveals that while Bristol was responsible for the business end of the slave trade, Georgian Bath boomed on the back of the profits made from it. Throughout the programme we visit landmark sites, including Dyrham Park, home to the Blackamoor statues, the Saltford Mill, where guinea kettles were made and exchanged for slaves, the Henbury slave grave, Beckford Tower and many more. Presenter Miles Chambers talks with experts of the West Country slave trade and explores the artefacts that keep the history alive.

Angela Bruce traces the impact of the Romans on modern-day northern life.