A Blush of Boys

What is it like to grow up as a boy in the second decade of the 21st century, and what sort of men are boys expected to become? As gender roles continue to evolve and are redefined, who are the role models for young males today, and what sort of message are they conveying to the next generation?

As part of our masculinities series, A Blush of Boys contrasts the experiences of two adult men with two boys from St Martins Youth Arts Centre. Two boys aged ten and eleven discuss how they feel about growing up, alongside actor and performer Paul Capsis and author Tony Birch.

Former journalist and politician Maxine McKew hosts this wide-ranging discussion about what advice boys of yesteryear found most useful while they were growing up and what pressures the boys of today are facing.

Presented in partnership with St Martins Youth Arts Centre.

Men Overboard

What does it mean to be a man – or a boy – in the 21st century? How far have we come in shedding the macho expectations of the past … and to what extent do we still perform our gender roles on a daily basis? Do we still believe that boys are made of slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails, or that real men don’t eat quiche? This insightful series explores masculinity through talk, performance and across the generations.