Diary for 6th September to 12th September 2007

THURSDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER - Open Evening at Birkbeck

Tonight I'm off to the Royal National Hotel in Central London for Birckbeck College's open evening for prospective students and existing members of the college. It will be possible to talk to staff about the college's Certificates of Higher Education in Social Anthropology, that are normally around 16 weeks in length and range from broad introductions to the subject to specialisms such as the anthropology of tourism. To find out about more short courses in anthropology check out the special edition of Anthropologist About Town from a few weeks ago.

FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER - Date for your diary

The Black International Film Festival starts today at the ICA, a week of films about, and produced by, the black community. On show will be documentaries, music videos, animation and fictional films - many of them having their UK premiere here. Screening tonight at 19.30 is Diaspora Diaries (tickets are £8) which captures the voices of various African communities across the UK including Dr Hassan Aero, Keeper of Anthropology at the Horniman Musuem. You can watch a trailer of the film here, which also includes contributions from DJs, poets and soldiers. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director.


SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER - Spin doctors in Strathclyde

On Saturday, I'm hoping to attend a day of the conference on Communication & Conflict: Propaganda, Spin & Lobbying in the Global Age at the University of Strathclyde. It's listed on the Royal Anthropological Institute's events calender, which includes many interesting and relevant conferences happening around the world, as well as useful links to anthropology department webpages. The conference is open to everyone from A-Level students to academics, but you need to register first before attending. If you're interested in anthropology and the media more generally, then it might also be worth having a look at the BA course on offer at the University of Sussex, and the MA on offer at SOAS in London.

SUNDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER -Football in Zanzibar

Today I'm back down at the Black International film festival at the ICA for the 20.30 screening of Zanzibar Soccer Queens, followed by a Q&A with its director Florence Ayisi. It portrays the lives of a female football team playing their matches in a mainly Muslim society. Florence Ayisi teaches film at the International Film School of Wales and was co-director of Sisters-in-law with Kim Longinotto, and they both often use anthropological methods in their film-making. Sisters-in-law, about two female judges in Cameroon, is available to view or buy from the Royal Anthropological Institute in London. You can also watch another of Longinotto's films - 'Divorce Iranian Style' - for FREE on the internet here.

MONDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER - Return of Night Waves

After a summer break, the Radio 3 social affairs programme 'Night Waves' returns to the airwaves tonight. It often features anthropologists discussing contemporary developments in society. Tonight, author and film-maker Naomi Klein is discussing her latest book about government exploitation of disaster. Klein's previous work has included the famous book 'No Logo' and a documentary film called 'The Take' which are sometimes used by anthropology lecturers as examples of community resistance to globalisation and how people adapt to social change. the latter followed a group of redundant Argentinean workers who reoccupied their old factory to continue working. Look out on the Night Waves website and this blog for upcoming episodes featuring anthropologists!



TUESDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER - Resistance and Power

Today I'm going to watch a few of the short films that form part of Al-Jazeera English's 'People and Power' strand. They're all available to watch on youtube for FREE and the theme of looking from the bottom-up at how small communities interact with wider society is similar to anthropology's way of working. A good one to check out is 'The San Bushmen of the Kalahari' about the bushmen's fight to protect their ancestral lands from diamond miners. The film is directed by Oliver Steeds, who also runs an interesting exploration organisation called I-NOMAD, which has in the past employed anthropology students as volunteers.


WEDNESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER - Land of the Rising Sun

Today I'm going to get hold of a copy of a book I saw reviewed last week in The Independent's Arts section. It's called Japan Through the Looking Glass, and is written by Alan Macfarlane, professor of anthropology at Cambridge University. The book makes a thorough examination of Japanese culture from an anthropologist's perspective, from wrestling via public toilets to geishas. Alan Macfarlane has also written several other books that offer a useful introduction to anthropology for people new to the subject, including Letters to Lily - a series of letter to his granddaughter explaining 'how the world works'. He also runs an online resource of photographs, writings and other anthropological information from the Himalayas, which you can easily while away a Wednesday evening with.

Diary for 30th August - 5th September 2007

THURSDAY 30TH AUGUST - Tibetan Pilgrimage on film

There's another chance to watch Werner Herzog's documentary 'Wheel of Time' today at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh. As I've mentioned on the blog before, the film contains rituals never before seen on film during a Buddhist ceremony promoting peace and tolerance, and Herzog's approach to his subjects is often compared to that of anthropologists. For more information contact the Filmhouse on 0131 228 2688.



FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST - Community photographers' magazine

Today I'm going to check out my local bookshop to see if it's stocking the latest issue of Daylight magazine, due out imminently. Published biannually, the magazine uses photography and essays to address some big contemporary issues from the 'bottom-up' with portraits of people and communities around the world. For example, the last issue focused on the theme of 'global commodities', or more specifically the individuals behind global trading networks. Like anthropology, the magazine looks at the social and cultural situations of those involved in such structures - stories and realities often hidden behind business statistics and financial rhetoric. A word of warning - for some reason it's not available in WH Smith but should be in most of the other likely places and online, priced at £7.50, some of which supports grassroots media projects across the globe.





SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER - Singing with Basil

The British Film Institute is currently running a season called Documentary Centenaries, and today it celebrates the work of Basil Wright, whose 'poetic' film-making crops up on many a visual anthropology course. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Song of Ceylon, perhaps his most famous film, about cultural life and religious customs in Sri Lanka. It is amongst four of his works that are screening tonight at the National Film Theatre from 18.00 - tickets are £8.60 (less for students). Interestingly, The Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) now gives out a Basil Wright film prize at its film festival every two years, and you can read more about this year's winners here.

SUNDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER - Chasing plastic bags

Today I'm off to see what I can make of the current exhibition at The Photographers' Gallery, called 'The Movement of an Object'. It is a collection of shots from around London, as photographer Marysa Dowling followed a plastic bag across the capital and captured how it was recycled by thirty different individuals from a 2 year-old to a 77-year old. You can also add your own pictures of plastic bags to an online collection here. Anthropologists often study objects as revealing entities in their own right about how and why society functions, such as in The Social Life of Things which traces the journey of all manner of things from human relics to oriental carpets. The Photographers' Gallery is open from 11.00 (midday on Sundays) until 18.00, and entrance is FREE.




MONDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER - Amore on your mobile

Pocketvisions returns this evening with what is claimed to be the first ever documentary shot entirely on a mobile phone. Referencing Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1965 film that featured Italian's views on life and love, Nuove comizi d'amore (New Love Meetings) gathers amorous confessions from across Italy about sex and sexuality. As usual, it is screening at the Roxy Bar & Screen from 19.00 and entrance is FREE. Pocketvisions has also just opened entries for the 2nd London International Documentary Festival to be held next Spring, so if you've made or are making an ethnographic film it may be worth submitting. The deadline is 6th December 2007 and you can find out more here.

TUESDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER - Tribal happenings

This evening I'm going to catch up with BBC1's Tribe again as the programme visits Anuta in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific. Some academics have labelled Bruce Parry's trips as 'skateboard anthropology', so see what you make of his latest trip to such a hard-to-reach location and people. The Anuta live by the principles of 'aropa', namely sharing their possessions as an expression of love for their community. For an alternative view on the Anuta, you could see if your local library stocks specialist Richard Feinberg's account of the oral traditions of the islands. Also well worth a look is Survival International's blog page, which features short films about indigenous communities around the globe.

WEDNESDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER - Art from Burma

Today I'm going to attend an exhibition currently being held at Asia House in London, called Burma Inside Out. It is a collection of artworks produced by Htein Lin, who was imprisoned in Myanmar from 1998-2004 on charges that were never proven. Whilst behind bars, he used materials such as prison uniforms to create artwork reflective of his time spent under the guard of the military junta. It's an interesting expression of the relationship between the individual and the 'state' and is open from 10.00 until 18.00 daily, with admission priced at £2. On Wednesday there's also an opportunity to listen to music from Myanmar from 18.30 onwards. If that's whetted your appetite, then there's also a display of prisoner art from the UK currently on at the ICA - hurry though as it ends this week.

Diary for 23rd August - 29th August 2007

THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST- Sacrifice in the library

This morning I'm off to a talk at the British Museum's Centre for Anthropology on Sacrifice, Ideology and Political Authority in Moche Culture. It's being given by Steve Bourget from the University of Texas who has done extensive research on Moche high-status burials in ancient Peru. Whilst there, I'm also going to have a read of some of the vast collection of 120,000 anthropological books in the museum's library, which can be used free of charge as long as you have some form of photo identification. It also contains maps, newsletters and a picture archive so is well worth a few hours of your time.




FRIDAY 24TH AUGUST - Granite-cased ethnography

On Friday I'm off to visit the Marischal Museum in Aberdeen, incidentally the second largest granite building in the world. Linked to the University, its collections include many ethnographic objects from around the world as well as artefacts from the local area. At the moment, there is also an exhibition examining the union of Great Britain in 1707 from a wider social perspective, attempting to see the religious and economic, as well as political, reasons behind the event. The museum also holds a series of Tuesday evening lectures, starting in September that address a whole range of subjects linked to the collections. It is open from 10.00 until 17.00 and entrance is FREE, or you can even visit the museum's virtual collections from the comfort of your own home here.



SATURDAY 25TH AUGUST -Bhangra in Britain

I'm going to kick off the weekend by going along to 'Soho Road to the Punjab' at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. Part of the capital's India Now season, it's an exhibition that tracks the influence and development of bhangra music from the Punjab in 300BC to its status within contemporary British society as an important cultural form. On Saturday, there is also a music workshop with artist Gursharan Channa. The exhibition is open from 10.30 until 17.00 in The Brunei Gallery and admission is FREE, although if you want to attend the workshop booking is recommended on 020 7898 4915.





SUNDAY 26TH AUGUST - Bringing Africa to Kent

On Sunday I'm going to the Quex Museum in Kent, which houses an extensive collection of artefacts from the Asian and African travels of one Percy Powell-Cotton, a major in the British army in the early 20th century. The museum is open from 11.00 until 17.00 and the array of objects there includes the Major's diary entries and some early film footage of his expeditions. It also has close links with the University of Kent's anthropology department, and there is currently someone doing their PhD research on the museum. And just in case you needed any more incentive to check it out, this weekend the venue also plays host to QUEX FEST, a local music event for anyone who fancies getting on down to some Kentish tunes.


MONDAY 27TH AUGUST - It's a wrap

Today I'm heading down to a favourite haunt - the Horniman Museum - to browse their current exhibition called 'Wrapping Japan', which takes a closer look at wrapping as a Japanese cultural practice. It can be socially significant in a number of ways from protecting modesty to commanding respect, and is a particularly refined art in the Far East. The exhibition is partly inspired by the book Wrapping Culture, by Joy Hendry - who has also published a useful introduction to social anthropology. The collection is on show in the Balcony Gallery until February next year and admission is FREE.


TUESDAY 28TH AUGUST - Bamboozling basket-making

On Tuesday I've booked myself in for a two hour session at the British Museum with one of Japan's most renowned basket makers, Hayakawa Shokosai V. Following my trip to the Horniman, this should be a good opportunity to link theory to practice by listening to a man designated as one of Japan's 'Living National Treasures' - an interesting concept in itself. He will be explaining the traditions and techniques of crafting bamboo and how they have changed over the years. Entrance to the session, which begins at 14.30 and is linked to the Crafting Beauty collection currently on in the museum, is £5, and booking in advance is highly recommended.




WEDNESDAY 29TH AUGUST - A treehouse perspective

This afternoon, I'm going along to the Barbican to clamber around a new exhibition by the Slovenian artist Marjetica Potrc. Much of her work is inspired by issues also of interest to social scientists and 'Forest Rising' is an imaginative architectural installation addressing issues of overpopulation and climate change. On show is a replica 'island community' that could potentially be suspended from the Amazonian treetops as way of overcoming these issues. It sounds like an interesting perspective on rural (or jungle) life, in that it focuses on 'modern' solutions and avoids stereotyping such communities. Therefore, I'm planning to take along a copy of anthropologist Stephen Nugent's (who runs the MA in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths) book on life in the Amazon, 'Big Mouth' which also challenges overly romanticised depictions of the area. The exhibition runs until 2nd September and entrance is FREE.

Diary for 16th August - 22nd August 2007

THURSDAY 16TH AUGUST - Films and Society

All this month, the British Film Institute is screening "10 Documentaries that shook the World". It is a collection of films that ranges from propaganda-fuelled celebrations of power, such as the Nazis' "Triumph of the Will' to campaigning pieces that document little-known injustices across the world, such as McLibel. Many of the films being shown are used as examples of the relationship between documentary film and society on university visual anthropology courses, so not only are they eye-opening for their subject matter but also as a way of analysing how the the filmic medium in the last century has been used to affect, as well as reflect, people's knowledge of the world around them.


FRIDAY 17TH AUGUST - Faces of Exclusion

Today I'm going to check out a prize-winning film made by a student on the MA in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths University, London. Prestes Maia won the Inter-American Bank's Faces of Exclusion 'microdocumentary' competition for its portrayal of a social movement amongst homeless people in Sao Paolo, Brazil who are reoccupying abandoned buildings. The aim of the competition was to enlist film-makers to complement more traditional research methods by documenting issues of social exclusion in Latin America. It's an interesting example of a development organisation turning to audiovisual research methods - good news for visual anthropologists everywhere! You can watch the film online, along with films made by other students, here.


SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST - Vodou in Old Street

This weekend there's a Haitian film festival being held at The Foundry in East London, in combination with an exhibition running there - Vodou Rezistans. The exhibition is a combination of sculpture and photography from 14.30 until late, and is being co-organised by Leah Gordon - an English film-maker and artist who has been working with Haitian artists for many years. The films being shown look at the social context for much of the art produced in Haiti. At 20.00 tonight, there's a short portrait of two sculptors from the island and the cultural and political forces that have shaped their work followed by Jorgen Leth's 'Dreamers' which documents the influence of spiritual forces such as vodou on everyday life. For more information, please contact Leah Gordon on leahgordon@aol.com



SUNDAY 19TH AUGUST - Telling porkie pies

Pigs hold great importance in many societies and cultures from their use as currency in Polynesia or as a taboo food amongst Jewish people. All in all, any student of anthropology is bound to come across them in one form or another. So today I'm going a little offbeat to pig out on porcine culture in an attempt to understand why they can be so valuable. After doing some background research by clicking on those links, I'll be returning to the Haitian Film Festival at The Foundry for the 20.30 showing of "A Pig's Tale" about a Vodou priest searching for a mythical Creole pig threatened with extinction by an misjudged US sponsorship programme. Following that, I can justifiably trot on home to rustle up something delicious, possibly using one of the suggestions from this article, which again refers to the cultural importance of our curly-tailed friends.


MONDAY 20TH AUGUST - Romany on the Radio

This evening I'm planning to tune into the second episode of Romany Roads on Radio 4 at 20.00, which looks at the changes in gypsy life since the end of World War II, and to what extent their culture and lifestyle has been affected by various challenges. Lat week's programme focused on the history of the gypsy diaspora across Europe and featured several ethnographic accounts from the early 20th century.
Also worth noting is that Thinking Allowed - a favourite of Anthropologist about Town because it regularly features anthropologists - is now available as a podcast. You can set up an automatic download here. There's also an opportunity to sign up for presenter Laurie Taylor's "irreverent"weekly take on life amongst social scientists in his newsletter.


TUESDAY 21ST AUGUST - Return of the Tribe

Tonight sees the return of BBC 1's flagship series, Tribe, in which explorer Bruce Parry travels the world and meets various tribal peoples. As you may be aware, the programme has been the subject of heated debate amongst anthropologists regarding how successful it is in its representations of the tribes it films. In fact, there was even a debate on the subject at the recent Ethnographic Film Festival in Manchester. In the first episode, Bruce visits the Matis people of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, and learns about the rituals they use to prepare for hunting, as well as looking at their relationship with outsiders from other parts of Brazilian society. You can view a preview of the programme online, as well as a series of other clips from the series. There's also more information available on the Survival International website here.

WEDNESDAY 22ND AUGUST - Savage Minds

On Wednesday I'm going to check out another anthropology blog, Savage Minds, that operates as a discussion forum for (mainly postgraduate) students of anthropology. A brief look suggests they talk about anything from the Iraq war to sexual promiscuity via farming in Africa. It's a broad look at the latest developments in the field and is relatively accessible for those new to anthropology. They also have guest contributors - anthropology professors - from all over the world to keep things fresh. Well worth a look.

Diary for 9th August -15th August 2007: Courses Special

EVENING AND ADULT EDUCATION
COURSES SPECIAL:

With this week's news in the Times that a lady called Phylss Taylor has received a Masters in Anthropology at 94 (after doing her undergraduate degree at 70), it's clear that it's never too late to learn some anthropology! With this in mind I'm doing an evening/Saturday course special on anthropology this week and each day I'll be investigating a different course.

You might be surprised to find out that there are actually lots of anthropology courses available for people who don't want to study anthropology in a traditional university degree context, who just want to learn about it for pleasure rather than a qualification, or who want a little taste before committing to a degree. Most of these evening and Saturday courses start after the summer and are taking bookings now. This definitely isn't an exhaustive list, so if you are interested in a doing a little life-long learning than check out universities/colleges etc... near you to find out if they offer any anthropology-flavoured courses (on university web-pages they might be listed under the life-long learning or continuing education departments). Sometimes there is a minimum (not maximum!) age requirement so be carefully to check before you book.



THURSDAY 9TH AUGUST - The Battlefields of World War I

If you are looking for something to do immediately, this is your last chance to sneak onto a course being run next week in conjunction with Cambridge University called Excavating Memories. Combining archaeology and anthropology, over five days course members study the material culture of the Great War, including objects recovered from excavations of front line trenches. It is being held at the Institute of Continuing Education at Madingley Hall, which runs a variety of courses over the year, including several in social anthropology, that often include field trips. For more information, you can have a look at the brochure online, or contact the courses registrar on 01954 280399 or registration@cont-ed.cam.ac.uk.


FRIDAY 10TH AUGUST - Health, wealth and human remains at London's only specialist provider of evening Higher Education

For those of you looking to start something after the summer Birkbeck College in London, offers a wide range of evening courses in various aspects of anthropology. Their Certificates of Higher Education in Social Anthropology are divided into modules of 16 weeks each in length and you need to do a combination of modules to complete the certificate. Most course start around the beginning of October, and subjects range from basic theory to the Anthropology of Space, Architecture and Landscapes. The certificates are qualifications in their own right, but can also be used to gain entry onto degree programmes.

If forensic anthropology is more your thing, you might be interested in Birkbeck's new London Bodies Course, which teaches you how to analyse human remains every Wednesday night for 24 weeks, using the archaeological remains at the Museum of London. No prior knowledge is required!

Birkbeck has a university open evening on 6th September, or you can contact the anthropology department directly on 0207 631 6640 or by emailing socialstudies@fce.bbk.ac.uk





SATURDAY 11TH AUGUST - Short courses: studying in the City

If you want something a bit shorter, City Lit in London runs adult education sessions in the evenings or as one-off day events. They have four different anthropology options - A Taste of Anthropology is a one day introductory course, and the next one begins in December. Otherwise, they run the twelve week "Ways into Anthropology 1, 2 & 3", split into modules that cover cross-cultural comparison, fieldwork and religion and globalisation respectively. Ways into Anthropology 1 is the one to plump for as an introduction to the subject and the next one begins on the 17th September. You can enrol online here, or contact the humanities department for more information on 020 7492 2652 or email humanities@citylit.ac.uk


SUNDAY 12TH AUGUST - A Radical Anthropology evening class

Another London based evening class is run by the Radical Anthropology Group. Anthropology professor Chris Knight from University of East London, together with several visiting lecturers, runs the class called "A Human Revolution" which has a strong emphasis on Native American, African and Australian Aboriginal mythologies. The class is very sociable and members are invited to come a bit before the class to discuss anthropology over a hot vegetarian meal. It can be taken as a University Certificate or done just for fun. Last year it started in September and was run in a community centre in Camden, but this is subject to change so make sure you email for full details (contact details can be found on their website)


MONDAY 13TH AUGUST - Shamanic Sussex

Like most universities, the University of Sussex has a Centre of Continuing Education, and come October they are also running a few interesting anthropology courses. These include evening classes in shamanic consciousness (over eight weeks) or a broad overview of the discipline in 'Ways of Seeing'. You can enrol online here or by telephoning the CCE on 01273 678527. If you are interested in studying an anthropology degree full time at Sussex, the department is having an Open Day on 13th October.


TUESDAY 14TH AUGUST - Boogie down to Bristol.

Today I'm going to check out the short courses available in archaeology and anthropology as part of Bristol University's Lifelong Learning network. There's a whole host of different aspects of anthropology on offer, from religion to the environment to fieldwork methodology. Particularly interesting is the two day course (run over a couple of Saturdays) this October in Rhythm, Bodies and Culture, which looks at the meaning of dance in various different cultures. The course starts on 20th October, but places are booking up quickly already. You can download the enrolment form online, or for more information contact the course organiser, Sean Caveille, on 0117 9546070 or at s.caveille@bristol.ac.uk




WEDNESDAY 15TH AUGUST - Film & Identity at Goldsmiths

The final option I'm going to list this week is the Professional and Community Education (PACE) courses run by Goldsmiths College. Starting in October, there are two courses on offer - "Film & Anthropology", and "Space, Place & Identity" which explores issues of diaspora in the contemporary world. Both courses only require you to attend for two hours per week and run until the end of May. At Goldsmiths, you can also do a Foundation Certificate in Social Anthropology over a year, for which you need to attend two evenings a week, but you can progress onto a full time BA from this course if you are hooked. For more information, please contact Jenifer Mayo-Deman on 020 7919 7953 or at j.mayodeman@gold.ac.uk

Diary for 2nd August to 8th August 2007

THURSDAY 2ND AUGUST - Parallel worlds

Today I'm going to read an interesting article I spotted on the web last week about an anthropologist's research into Second Life, the online virtual world. The article includes an interview with an American anthropologist, Tom Boellstorff, who as part of his work is studying religious practices in Second Life. Apparently the virtual community of people attending mosques, churches and synagogues act very similarly to how they would in real life, but are beginning to form communities that would be impossible outside of the internet because of geographical distance. Technology is set to impact upon anthropology more and more as it develops, so this is a good introduction to a tricky subject.

FRIDAY 3RD AUGUST - We're all going on a summer holiday

On Friday I want to plan a trip a little further afield, to the Musee de l'Homme in Paris. L'Homme Expose is the first part of an ongoing exhibition investigating the history of man. It aims to show the history of those who have tried to describe and understand the nature of humanity over the past 700 years. Entrance to the exhibition is about five euros, and you can find out about Eurostar train times and prices here. While traveling over I might do a bit of background reading on a couple of the most famous French social scientists, Claude Levi-Strauss and Emile Durkheim.



SATURDAY 4TH AUGUST -Social systems in Cornwall

On Saturday I'm heading over to Tate St.Ives in Cornwall to have a look at their current exhibition 'Social Systems'. It's an interactive display where visitors are expected to become part of the artwork, as a 'social sculpture' in progress. So it's a good way of understanding how individuals, especially outsiders such as anthropologists, can and do influence a social system or event. You can view profiles of some of the artists involved here. The exhibition runs until 2nd September, and entrance is £5.75, or FREE if you're under 18.



SUNDAY 5TH AUGUST - Can white men jump?

Today, I'm going to spend some time browsing an online resource set up by a group of American Anthropologists about race, that asks the question, "Are we so different?". It is designed to make us think more carefully about race in the contemporary world, and the way in which meaning is assigned to how people look. The site contains articles, photographs, films and interactive exercises to explore these issues. A couple that look particularly interesting are the opportunity to understand what it is like to live as someone else, and a section on racial stereotypes in the world of sport, both part of the Lived Experience microsite.


MONDAY 6TH AUGUST - Triple Bill at Pocketvisions!

The latest installment in Pocketvisions' series of films this summer sees a hat-trick of documentaries on show tonight at the Roxy Bar & Screen. First up, at 19.00, is the short film 'The Midnight Man' which portrays carnival time in Brazil.

Then, straight afterwards is 'Garlic and Watermelons' about the controversial eviction of a group of gypsies in Athens prior to the city's hosting of the 2004 Olympics. Finally, in the new late-night 21.00 slot at Roxy, is 'Stella Polare' - an experimental film which uses fragmented images and words to reflect upon violent political action, war and terrorism. Sounds like a night not to be missed - entry, as usual, is FREE.


TUESDAY 7TH AUGUST -More dancing at the Horniman

For those of you who haven't yet got on down to the Horniman Museum for their summer sessions with the Nzinga Dance Ensemble, there's another great opportunity today with Afro Hiplife. It's an afternoon workshop for 13-19 year-olds where you will have the chance to try out various modern dance forms combined with African cultural dance. The workshop costs £5 and starts at 14.00 - to book you'll need to contact Nzinga Dance on 020 8314 5238. While down at the Horniman, the Musical Instruments Collection is also well worth a look, which has over 7,000 sound-producing objects from across the world, right through from ancient Egyptian bone clappers to electric guitars. Entrance to the collection is FREE.



WEDNESDAY 8TH AUGUST - Unplugged in Edinburgh

On Wednesday I'm hoping to soak up some of the Edinburgh Festival before going to check out David Batchelor's exhibition, Unplugged at the Talbot Rice Gallery. Occupying a large atrium space, the collection contains a variety of salvaged objects from London's East End and Scotland all of which have little or no financial worth, from plastic pegs to combs and toys. They are, however, all artefacts from people's lives, and can tell us a lot about the operation of a certain area of economic and, perhaps more importantly, social activity. The consumption of goods is an important area of anthropological study and has ranged from analysis of French middle class taste in fine art to the decoration of flats on a council estate -you can read an article about it here. The exhibition is open from 10.00 until 17.00 between Tuesday and Saturday, and admission is FREE.

Diary for 26th July to 1st August 2007

Thursday 26th July - The Unhappy Hour

Today I'm going to listen again to the discussion about 'The Art of Moaning' that featured on Radio 4's Women's Hour last week. Social anthropologist, Kate Fox (author of 'Watching the English'), was part of a discussion about why British people are so renowned for complaining, inspired by a Lancashire pub that has confined all moaning to a Sunday afternoon Unhappy Hour. You can listen to the locals whinge about everything from dominoes to bus journeys, and then hear Kate Fox's assessment of it all as a social ritual. Watch out though - perhaps in an effort to make us grumble that nothing's ever easy Radio 4 have mixed up the links, and to listen to the discussion you need to click on the link next to 'Endometriosis', not 'The Art of Moaning' - you can find it here.


Friday 27th July - Food and culture

Today sees the launch of the Whitecross Street Market Food Festival, as part of the 'New Crowned Hope' season at the Barbican that has been celebrating world cultures for the past month. The Festival aims to show how culture is 'rooted' in agriculture, which is also a growing area of research in anthropology - food can by symbolically, politically and economically important in people's lives. For example, you can now study for an MA in the Anthropology of Food at SOAS, and there are several books on the subject, such as the tasty-looking read, Food and Culture. The Festival opens (in the presence of Anthony Worrall-Thompson no less) at 13.15 on Friday and lasts from 10.00-17.00 each day of the weekend, and is free except for what you choose to eat.

Saturday 28th July - Music to change the world

I'm back down at the Barbican today for some dancing to work off all that fine food I enjoyed yesterday. Another part of the New Crowned Hope season, is the 'Another World is Possible' weekend of concerts, showcasing the exciting range of music that exists within refugee communities. Highlights include Emmanual Jal, from Sudan, who raps against the use of child soldiers and on Sunday at 14.30 a group from Congo, Kasai Masai. The events - all FREE - are being run in conjunction with the Refugee Council, an organisation that campaigns for greater understanding and respect of refugees and their cultures.



Sunday 29th July - Read all about it!

Last week an anthropologist, Melissa Leach, was profiled in The Guardian for her pioneering work as the newly appointed director of a research unit aiming to understand why the gap between the world's rich and poor is growing. She is a great example of how relevant anthropology can be in movements for social change, since her findings are used to inform and often overturn government policies. Her principle aim is always to bring the voice of local people to the fore, since they are naturally well-placed to work out local solutions and address local needs. You can read another article about her work here.



Monday 30th July - Exploring the City

On Monday I'm off to the Global Cities exhibition at the Tate Modern which explores 10 cities from across the globe in terms of their size, speed, diversity, density and form through photographs, writing and film. You can watch some of the films on the website - such as this look at immigration and segregation in the bustling metropolis that is Sao Paolo, Brazil. The exhibition runs until 27th August and entrance is FREE.

Then later that night, I'll be sitting down to watch the fascinating BBC observational documentary, The Tower, which charts the 'regeneration' of an estate in South East London and what this meant for its inhabitants old and new. You can watch a trailer here. Both the exhibition and the documentary explore issues that are central to the anthropology of cities, which studies the hugely complex societies that exist within the urban landscape.


Tuesday 31st July - World culture comes to Plymouth....and the web

Today I'm going to check out the ethnography collection at the Plymouth City Museum which contains over 3700 artefacts from all over the world. These include the walking boots of one Gertrude Benham, who spent 30 years travelling the world, and in the process collected around 700 objects which are now on display. Gertrude was the first woman to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in 1909, and interestingly she used to swap her knitting for many of the items she collected along the way. Recently, they museum have also set a website as part of an initiative which includes comments on the objects from visitors to the collection - you can view it online here. The museum is open 10.00 to 17.30 from Tuesday to Friday and admission is FREE.


Wednesday 1st August - Talking Tools at the British Museum

Come Wednesday, I'm back down at the British Museum for Jill Cook's talk, Life on the edge: the last hunter-gatherers in Britain. It is linked to the episode of the BBC2 programme, The Museum, showing on Thursday nights at 19.30, which follows what happens when some of the museum's objects go out into the community. These range from an image of the Hindu Goddess Durga, to ancient board games, to an ancient handaxe. The talk begins at 13.15 in Room 51 and admission is FREE.