LUCY SPECIAL: Final Results for the RAI's International Anthropology Cartoon Contest!
The contest was very well received with entries from all over the world including India, Brazil, Italy, UK, Canada, United States and Malawi.
A panel of 6 judges were appointed to assess the submissions:
1st Place: 
Tied at 2nd Place:
Tied at 3rd Place: Igor Cherstich for his submission 'Anthropology: dialogue with the other'
David King for his submission 'The Globalised Shaman'
The following list of names and submissions are ones which the panel thought deserved to be published even though they have not received an award.
Today marks the last day of two London film festivals: the African Film Festival and the German Film Festival. To mark the finale of African films in a digital age, two final screenings, are being shown in Cine Lumiere and Richmix Cinema at 6:30pm . The Lost , is a drama which takes place in Morocco, about a gifted lute player who after being kidnapped, becomes sold as a slave to a wealthy musician. For the best and for the onion, is a documentary about the Galmi purple, an onion from Niger which pervades West African markets. For more information on the festival and ticket prices take a look here. The 12th annual festival of German films is taking place at the Curzon in Soho. The films today touch upon subjects such as home and identity, the complexities of love, and historical civil rights uprisings. Take a look at the festival programme for further details. Tickets vary in prices (the cheapest being the matinee screenings).
Today I am heading to the October Gallery to see an exhibition of work from selected artists around the world which aims to celebrate trans cultural avant-garde art. In the front gallery is a major new metal sculpture by artists El Anatsui, entitled 'In the World, But Don't Know the World?' Mr. Anatsui has produced the wall sculpture from tens of thousands of liquor bottle-tops to create a piece which strives to show the interconnection between free flowing thought and the creating of meaning and humanity's universal strive for progress. Transvangarde also includes work from prominent artists such as Rachid Koraichi, Xuang Xu, Kenji Yoshida and more. Click here for further information.
Running until the 9th of January at the Haslemere Museum in Surrey is an ethnobotanical exhibition celebrating material objects from around the world made from 26 plant species. The exhibition is run in partnership with the Economic Botany Collection at Kew Gardens, and marks the recognition of 2009 as being the International Year of Natural Fibres and the 250th anniversary of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 'Many of the objects in the exhibition date back to the 19th century and document indigenous cultures that are threatened or have disappeared'. Admission is free.
Today I am going to reserve a place for the British Museum's Centre of Anthropology's Reviewer meets Reviewed Seminar Series taking place at 10am on Thursday December 10th. In collaboration with the RAI, this seminar brings together anthropologist Dr. Rebecca Cassidy author of Horse People: Thoroughbred Culture in Lexington and Newmarket, and Dr. Margaret Tayler who reviewed the ethnography for the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. Admission is free but spaces are limited. To reserve your space, email SMarianski@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
For all of you aspiring writers of anthropological thought, the Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal which invites interested authors from anthropology and social science disciplines. The journal aims to 'offer an interface between scholarship in 'small countries' and mainstream English-language academia, with special attention being given to the work of non-native English speakers'. For more information on the journal and how to submit work take a look here.
Tonight at the Museum of London starting at 5:30pm is a free Christmas Festive Fair. There will be live music by the Zigurat Steel Band and the She'Koyokh Kelzma band, along with free workshops where participants will be able to make funky badges, gift bags, and origami gift tags. There will also be local artist stalls with textiles, glass works and ceramics. For more information visit the museum's website.
Today I am heading to Birkbeck Cinema at 12:00pm to watch a film directed by anthropologist Dr. Gaston Correno, entitled: El Western Patagonico: la imagen del indigena norteamericano en la imagen selknam' . The film analyses how Native North Americans, were depicted in genre of 'American Westerns' and the way in which similar ideas, and cinematographic elements have been Incorporated into the way contemporary fiction films portray indigenous peoples from South America. Admission is free, everyone welcome. 
Today I am heading to the British Museum's Stevenson Lecture Theatre for two film screenings which form part of the programme of events associated with the current 'Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler' exhibition. The first film, Indigenous Democracy, (directed by Bruce Pacho Lane) examines the indigenous rights revolution sweeping Mexico through the municipal elections in Heuhuetla, Puebla, and the personal effects it has on the Totonacs. The second film, Tiempo De Vals, (directed by Rebecca Savage) is an intimate portrayal of one community's reflection on the Quinceanera (a birthday celebration for 15 year-old girls). Women from the community of Tlaxcala, share their reactions to the celebration in the context of massive social changes that have taken place in Mexico over the past 40 years. Both films form part of the RAI's ethnographic film collection. If you are unable to make the screenings but would like to see the films, get in touch with the RAI's film officer at: film@therai.org.uk The screenings are free, but booking is advised. Click here to reserve your place.
The Pitt Rivers Museum and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History are starting Christmas festivities early this year. Today from 6:00-8:30pm both museums will hold a free Community Christmas Programme filled with activities such as storytelling, traditional Zimbabwean Shona Mbira music, lantern processions, marching bands, and a host of stalls where you can buy fairtrade jewelry, gifts, and books as well as getting %10 off all museum shop merchandise. Everyone welcome.
If you are a budding visual anthropologist and film maker, Goldsmiths Anthropology Society has put out a call for ethnographic films for their International Student Ethnographic Film Festival (ISEFF) which will be held from the 2nd-5th March 2010. This year's festival theme is Social Interventions: Examining the Potential for Anthropological Advocacy. For more information, submission forms and guidelines take a look at the ISEFF website. The deadline for submissions is January 15th 2010.
Today I am heading to the British Library for a second visit to their new free exhibition entitled 'Points of View: Capturing the 19th century in photographs'. This is a fantastic exhibit for anyone interested in visual anthropology and the power of photography as a medium of communication and power. Focusing primarily on the United Kingdom, the exhibition looks at the development of photography in the 19th century and it's use to reflect and to shape society in science, government, industry and art. An underlying question throughout the exhibition is 'Who was taking the photograph and why?' . You can take a look at some of the exhibition online, read reviews, and book yourself onto a group tour through this website.
If you are interested in Balkan culture and are looking to gain experience in archaeological fieldwork, the Balkan Heritage Field School provides various projects in Bulgaria and Macedonia for anthropology students. The projects range from 2-3 weeks and participants can choose projects working on documentation and restoration of ancient Greek pottery, monastery excavations, and fresco hunting photo expeditions. The projects aim to study, protect, restore and promote the cultural heritage of South Eastern Europe. The field school's website provides a lot of information, video clips, photo galleries and more on each project. 
The Manchester Museum Cafe Society hosts talks and debates where people can engage with the latest topics in science, culture and the arts, over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Tonight from 6-8pm the talk is on how Darwin's scientific research was 'used and abused' by many to support political agendas. The talk forms part of Manchester Museum's Evolutionist programme which various exhibitions, talks, activities and events on Darwin's ongoing legacy. The talk is free, but booking is advised. To book your place phone 0161 275 2648.
How do communities, change, shift or regenerate a certain area? Chocolate Films in association with London Metropolitan Archives, have created a documentary exploring the social history and community life of Thamesmead, a suburb of London. The documentary highlights residents reactions, stories and memories in reference to archival films. A Gala screening of the documentary will be held at Greenwhich Picturehouse on Saturday 5th December. Submission is free, but spaces are limited. To reserve your place email: info@chocolatefilms.com
A new GCE AS and A2 qualification in anthropology has been accredited by Ofqual, and will be available for teaching in Britain from September 2010. The A-level has been developed by the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) in partnership with AQA, and will be offered and assessed by AQA.
The A-level Anthropology is the product of over 4 years of intensive work by the RAI's Education Committee, which is composed of university-based academic anthropologists and experienced A-level teachers. The project has received national support from university department of anthropology throughout the UK; and has been funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) under its Science in Society programme. 
" Anthropology is an inherently fascinating subject and has a natural place alongside cognate disciplines as a key part of a contemporary liberal education. Yet up to now, it has been almost absent from pre-university curricula in the UK. The new GCE fills this gap. It is intellectually challenging, and will demand much of students. Those taking it, whether or not they go on to study anthropology at university, will gain an understanding of human life in society, and of diverse ways of seeing the world, that will serve them well as the globally educated citizens of the future" Hilary Callan, Director of the RAI
Currently a handful of schools in Britain teach anthropology as part of their International Baccalaureate Programme. What distinguishes the A-level curriculum from the IB curriculum, is that the IB focuses on social/cultural anthropology, whereas the A-level has a broader scope, encompassing both social/cultural anthropology and biological anthropology. Students explore themes such as 'Being human', 'Global and local processes' and 'Practicing anthropology'. One of the distinguishing features of the A-level, is that students taking the subject at A2 level, will conduct a small scale investigation on a topic of their choice in order to gain a taste of real ethnographic research. 
Many anthropologists who have gone into teaching, can be found teaching subjects such as Sociology, Citizenship, Biology or Religious Studies. The RAI's Education Outreach Programme and AQA have formed a community network of teachers and anthropology graduates who are interested in teaching the A-level. In order to teach the A-level, you will have to have a PGCE preferably in a related social science subject. If you are interested in joining the teachers network, get in touch with the RAI's Education Officer, Nafisa Fera, at education@therai.org.uk 
Alongside printed material, the RAI's Education Outreach programme is launching a dedicated website called Discover Anthropology, which will be made available shortly. The website will provide teaching/learning resources and will serve as a communication platform for teachers interested in teaching the GCE or introducing anthropological material into their teaching generally.
In anticipation of Christmas the Southbank Centre in London will hold a Christmas Chocolate Festival. The festival will run from 11-8pm daily from the 11th December to 13th December 2009. There will be stalls all celebrating different aspects of chocolate, from eating and drinking chocolate, to artistic creations, and the history of production. The festival will include a range of demonstrations, and workshops where participants get a chance to make chocolate truffles and watch master British chocolatiers such as William Curley, Damian Allsop and Paul Wayne Gregory perform their culinary magic. There have been many anthropologists who have written fantastic books about the history of Chocolate production and the cultural significance of this global commodity. The Centre for Anthropology at the British Museum, has a collection of anthropological books on chocolate. 
The Aurora Film Festival Weekend takes place in Norwich running from today until the 15th of November. The festival weekend aims to create a 'temporary community' of artists, filmmakers, curators and activists. The theme for this year's festival is 'Common Ground', a theme which explores the interconnections between ecology and social history, myth, anthropology and direct action. Highlights of the Festival Weekend include programmes of work by artists and film makers Jem Cohen (New York) , Milena Gierke (Berlin), as well as rarely seen films, live music and performance. Click here to find out more about the festival programme and price listings.
The University of Reading's Museum of Rural Life (MERL) currently has an exhibition on call 'The children's war: evacuees in the countryside 1939-45'. In September 1939, 1.5million children were evacuated from major cities in Britain and moved to the rural countryside in order to be protected from any future air attacks. They were presented with a new way of life where they had to become acculturate to living and working on farms, helping out in the community, and going to the local school. This exhibition looks at the legacy of this children and their impact on the countryside, 'how much the rural life affected their own lives, both at the time and in the future'. The exhibition was curated by Dr. Martin Parsons, Director of The Research Centre for Evacuee and War Child Studies (ResCEW). The exhibition runs until the 22nd December. Admission is free.
I've recently stumbled upon a fantastic little restaurant in Hackney called 'Little Georgia Cafe' (87 Goldsmiths Row), London. If you want to try authentic, inexpensive home-style Georgian cooking this is the place to go. They have wonderful pelmeni (little dumplings) and kababi (pastry wraps). If you go, try their famous cheese bread! Approximately £10 per person, byob accepted.
Starting on the 19th November running until the 5th December is an exhibition at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, looking at David Farrer's work called 'Africa Revisited'. David Farrer might best be described as a papermache zoologist. His expertise is making lifelike sculptures out of papermache of animals from all over the world. Over the years as an artist he travelled extensively in South Africa, and was amazed at the contradictions on the one hand, with the country's wildlife protection policies and on the other with the profitable business of animal trophy gathering. He decided to 'bridge the gap' by producing a 'recycled trophy' that would 'satisfy the urge to hang an animal head on the wall but provoke pro-ecological thought'. His animals are made primarily from old magazines, and 'recycled extras' such as horse hair, etc.. for added realism. Take a look here for a full listing of his animal art. 
Today I am heading to the SOAS Music Department for their public seminar series held in Room G3 from 17:15-19:00pm. Today's speaker is Dr. Peter Cusak(Senior Lecturer, Sound Arts & Design, London College of Communication). Dr. Cusak is a 'sound artist, musician and environmental recordist with a special interest in environmental sound and acoustic ecology'. He's worked on projects such as 'Your favourite London Sounds' which aimed to discover the sounds that Londoners found positive about their city's landscape, as well as projects which documented the way in which sounds contribute to peoples' sense of place all over the world. His current project is called 'Sounds from dangerous places' and examines the soundscapes of sites of major environmental damage, such as Chernobyl, the Azerbaijan oil field and controversial dams on the Tigris and Euphrates river systems. The seminar is open to all.
On 24th November, Dr. Robert Albritton will be speaking at SOAS Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre about his new book Let Them Eat Junk: How capitalism creates hunger and obesity. Dr. Albritton is an Emeritus Professor from York University, who has written extensively on political economic structures. Let them Eat Junk, looks at how the flow of capital, and the economics of our industrial food system has produced a world where obesity and starvation can coexist within and across populations. The talk will start at 6:30pm. Open admission, for more information about the event contact Alex Colas: A.Colas@bbk.ac.uk
Today marks the fourth day of the DysFest, a free film festival about Dyslexia held at UCL. Thursday's evening programme focuses on hands on learning activities illustrating a task oriented approach to integrating technology with study skills and variety of learning styles. There will be demonstrations carried out by a panel of educators on time management, note taking in lectures, digital active reading and note making and essay writing. There will also be more than 10 apple mac computers for people to try out and freebies given out on the day. To reserve your place visit the dysfest website.
Today I am heading to the Green Cardamom art gallery to take a look at the exhibition exploring the work of the late Pakistani artist Anwar Jalal Shemza (1929-1985). Shemza was a modernist who used a variety of artistic mediums: such as novel writing and graphic design to express life experiences, such as belonging to a diaspora community in England during 1950s-1980s. The exhibition traces the artist's development specifically looking at Shemza's work which incorporates Arabic calligraphy and oriental carpet designs. This is the first of a series of exhibitions which the Green Cardamom will present over the next two years exploring Shemza's work. Each exhibition will be curated by a group of art historians, curators and artists. Calligraphic Abstraction has been curated by Cornell based art historian and artist Iftikhar Dadi.
The 15th London Turkish Film Festival is in full swing. Running until the 19th of November, the festival features a programme of short documentaries, directorial debuts, UK premiers as well as panels and discussions. The festival aims to provide a platform in the UK for aspiring film makers of Turkish origin who live and work in Western Europe. One of the festival partners is Balik Arts, a charity who works with Turkish Kurdish and Turkish Cypriot communities in London to advance arts education amongst young people. Click here, to find out more about festival screenings, venues and ticket prices.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), have just launched a new website called Social Science for schools. The aim of the website is to provide teachers with accessible information bringing together ESRC funded research on issues such as migration, citizenship, youth crime and other topics, so that they have reliable quantitative and qualitative data to use in their classrooms. This is an excellent resource for any social science teacher! 
'Freedom from fear is a universal right and fundamental for human well-being'. But what does freedom from fear really mean? and who is responsible for providing communities with a sense of security? Dr. Uli Linke, Professor of Anthropoogy at the Rochester Institute of Technology, has edited a new book with her colleague Danielle Taana Smith, called Cultures of Fear. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, examining the ways in which organisations such as governments and humanitarian agencies use 'cultures of fear' to control, monitor, and contain human beings in zones of violence. Noam Chomsky, Slavoj Zizek, and other world class scholars have contributed to this book which take a critical approach at what is seen as the production and normalisation of fear in the context of war and terrorism. The book will be released on November 16th 2009. 
Imagine you were going to be a contestant on a social sciences musical talent show and you had to create a song about Anthropology. What lyrics would you choose to represent such as diverse discipline? What about the genre? Is anthropology more attune to a ballad? pop? or heavy metal acoustics?There are several songs about anthropology on YouTube, but one which has recently acquired some fame inside anthropology circles, has been produced by a TA at the University of Toronto. The song is called: The Anthropology Song: A little bit anthropologist. Have a listen and become inspired! 
Today I am going to reserve a place for a book launch held at the British Medical Association on Thursday 12th November from 5:30-7:30pm. The book edited by Xavier Crombe and Jean-Herre Jezequel is called Niger 2005-A not-So Natural Disaster, and examines various perspectives and interpretations of the causes and nature of the 2005 Niger famine crisis. One of the book's main focus is the work of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and their treatment of over 40,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition in Niger. Both editors will speak at the launch, in addition to Samuel Hauenstein-Swan (Huger Watch Adviser) and Stephanie Doyon (Nutrition Team Leader) for the MSF Access Campaign. To reserve your place email: odile.mendel@london.msf.org
All short-listed and winning contestants will ave their work published on the RAI's Discover Anthropology website (upcoming) and some RAI publications. 
There are only a few more days before the Wycinanki temporary exhibition leaves the Horniman Museum. The exhibition looks at the traditional Polish folk art of cutting paper. This art form is still popular and widely practiced in Kurpie and Lowicz. Artists use their skills in cutting, mounting and layering coloured paper to create intricate designs depicting various elements such as landscape, and culturally symbolic patterns. Admission is free. 
Today I am heading to the Barbican to see two films which are part of this year's Bicycle Film Festival. The festival runs until the 26th September and is a chance for all cycling enthusiasts to get together and enjoy films, talks, experimental performance and everything to do with bicycles. The films tonight include Where are you go: a film about the Tour D'Afrique, the longest bicycle race and expedition in the world; and a shorter film called Made in Queens, about a group of trinketers from Trinidad who create a portable dance party with bicycles. Tickets and showing times can be found here.
The other day I was wondering down one of the many tiny alleyways in Soho and came across this wonderful small restaurant called Yala Yala which literally translates in Arabic to 'come, come' or 'come on'. The restaurant serves excellent authentic Lebanese food and has an ambiance which inspires you to travel to Lebanon and explore more of the country's culinary delights. I recommend popping in for a bite when you are next in Soho!
Those of you who are currently doing an undergraduate degree in anthropology degree may have come across Paul Rabinow's ethnography: Reflections on fieldwork in Morocco. Paul Rabinow is currently Professor of Anthropology at University of California (Berkley). His ethnography was published 30 years ago and yet still remains an accessible, interesting book which is pivotal to the discipline. The book cleverly explores the role of the anthropologists, and his informants and the process and relationships involved with undertaking fieldwork. To find out more about his work, take a look at this interview with Dr. Rabinow, filmed by Professor Alan MacFarlane at the University of Cambridge.
London's Spanish film festival is now in full swing at the Cine Lumiere. In association with the festival, tonight's film entitled 'Una Palabra Tuya' will be held at 7pm at the Shortwave cinema cafe. Directed by Angeles Gonzales Sinde, the film is the story of two friends who after experiencing a series of disappointments have come to suspect that happiness is something they may not deserve in this life. As their lives progress, their paths become entwined, and new directions lead to a hopeful future for one of them and cruel emptiness for the other. Tickets are £3 or £2 concession. 
For all of you who are near Brunel, or a student at the university there are some great research seminars taking place this autumn term. The series starts off on Thursday October 1st with anthropologist Nicolas Argenti (Brunel) talking about his research on folktales, fosterage and memories of slavery in the Cameroon Grassfields. The seminars are free and everyone regardless of previous background in anthropology are welcome. The seminar will take place from 1pm-2:30pm in Gaskell Building 239 at the Uxbridge campus.
In celebration of Black History Month, Lewisham Council has put together an excellent calendar or events, exhibitions, poetry readings aimed at honoring the culture, history and achievements of black and ethnic minorities in Britain. Tomorrow October 1st at the Lewisham Library, acclaimed writer Roger Robinson will be introducing and reading from his new book 'Suckle' an exploratory book about his childhood experiences in Trinidad and Tobago. The event is free and will take place from 8-9:30pm.
