Mary promises more women in Civilisations

( and says she’ll be paid same as men )

MARY BEARD says the BBC’s flagship new arts show Civilisations will have a greater focus on women than the original — and is “absolutely confident” all three hosts are being paid equally.

The 1969 series Civilisation, which was presented by art historian Kenneth Clark, is viewed as a landmark for TV coverage of the arts. But it has also been criticised for its narrow view of Western culture dominated by men.

Beard said she was “absolutely indebted” to Clark’s series but felt “iffy” about his “patrician style”. She added: “How can a woman not think there must have been more women in art than Elizabeth Fry, the Virgin Mary and a couple of hostesses?”

Historian Simon Schama will present five episodes of the BBC Two show,

Beard two and David Olusoga two — a decision the BBC said was due to “a combination of expertise and availability”. Asked about the equal pay row at the BBC, Beard said: “I am absolutely confident that we are all being remunerated as far as I can see on a pro-rata basis equally.”

She said viewers would see “very clearly” the greater focus on particular women — including a Roman woman thought to be the world’s first portrait painter and a poet whose writing was carved into an Egyptian statue two thousand years ago. She also plans to look at India’s Ajanta Caves — Buddhist monuments cut from rock in the second century BC — from a female explorer’s perspective.

The series, to be shown in spring, is part of a new BBC culture season, also featuring An Alternative History Of Art on

Radio 4. @RobDexES