Saturday, December 19, 2009

XMAS AND NEW YEARS BREAK !


Dear readers,

Lucy is taking off to the see the Big Apple, eat the best bagels in the world, and do some crowd surfing.

She hopes that you have an amazing Xmas and New Years (if you celebrate it) and enjoy yourselves as much as possible!

The blog will be back up from January 6th 2010

Bon Voyage and see you in the New Year!

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Diary for 10th December to 16th December 2009

LUCY SPECIAL: Final Results for the RAI's International Anthropology Cartoon Contest!

In July 2009, the Royal Anthropological Institute's Education Outreach Programme launched an International Anthropology Cartoon Contest. The aims of the contest were to promote creative public engagement with the discipline, and to provide an opportunity for people with a passion for anthropology to share their work and take an active involvement in RAI's educational outreach activities and publications.

The contest encouraged cartoons which explored anthropological topics and ideas in a comical, original, and engaging way. Participants were encouraged to 'think outside the box' and be creative in how they explored the subject.

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:






Nafisa Fera, Project Organiser (Education Officer at the RAI)

Susanne Hammacher (Film Officer at the RAI)

Maureen Bloom (Assistant Reviews Editor for the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute)

Melanie Knetsch (Science in Society Communications and Information Directorate, ESRC)

Dr. Stephanie Bunn (Anthropology Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews)

Dr. Ben Burt (Curator for the Department of Africa, Oceania, Americas at the British Museum)

The panel of judges were thoroughly impressed by the high quality, and number of very interesting contributions to the contest. There were so many excellent entries they had difficulty in deciding the finalists!


Here are the results of the contest:

1st Place:

Mark Stanford
for his submission ' A primatologist amongst the anthropologists'





Tied at 2nd Place:

Laura Jane Foldesi for her submission 'Lost in Translation'

Jordan Reck for his submission 'Hard Science'



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.





Britany Babel
for her submission: 'The Greatest Inventors in Human History'

Sheyma Buali for both submissions: 'Humanette: finding the comfort zone' and 'Humanette buying a ghutra'

Peter Eckmann for his submission 'Research Project'

Matteo Farinella for his submission: 'Anthropological Walk'

Rory McGrath for his submission: 'Ethnographic Reflexivity'

Elizabeth Marks for her submission: 'Homework'

Nemer Narchi for his submission: 'Overcoming the Hunter-Gatherer'

John Tillson for both submissions: 'Building Ivory Towers' and 'The Ascension of Man'

Eugenia Tsao
for both submissions: 'Situated Epistemologies' and 'Ours'

Monika Weissensteiner is awarded special recognition for her excellence in graphic art for her two submissions Body Politics and the Human Body.

Unfortunately submissions which are not listed above, were not short-listed to be published.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE CARTOONS ON THE RAI'S FLICKR GALLERY!

A big thank you again to everyone who participated. Hope you enjoy reading them and please feel free to add your comments/feedback!







Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Diary for 3rd December to 9th December 2009

THURSDAY 3rd December- London Film Festivals

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).


FRIDAY 4th December- Transvangarde: Leading Contemporary Artists


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.



SATURDAY 5th December - Fabulous Fibres


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.




SUNDAY 6th December- Horse People


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



MONDAY 7th December- Suomen Anthropologi


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.



TUESDAY 8th December - Christmas Festive Fair


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.



WEDNESDAY 9th December- El Western Patagonico

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.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Diary for 26th November to 2nd December


THURSDAY 26th November -Looking into Mexico


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.


FRIDAY 27th November- Beginning the Celebrations for Christmas

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.





SATURDAY 28th November- Open Call for Ethnographic Films


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.






SUNDAY 29th November- Seeing is Believing


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.




MONDAY 30th November- Archaeological fieldwork opportunities

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.



TUESDAY 1st December- Darwin's work: use and abuse

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.




WEDNESDAY 2nd December- Regenerating Thamesmead

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

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Special Announcement: First Anthropology A-level Launched in Britain



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 development of the A-level: A little bit of history...


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.


Why launch an Anthropology A-level?

" 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



What is special about the A-level?


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.


Who will be teaching the subject?

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


When will teaching start?

The teaching of the A-level will start in September 2010.


What about teaching/learning materials?

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.



For further information:

Visit: www.therai.org.uk or www.aqa.org.uk . Alternatively, contact AQA at: anthropology@aqa.org.uk or the RAI's Education Officer at education@therai.org.uk











Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Diary for 12th November to 18th November 2009


THURSDAY 12th November - Mouthwatering Christmas Surprise


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.


FRIDAY 13th November - Envisioning a Common Ground

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.



SATURDAY 14th November- Wartime Evacuees


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.



SUNDAY 15th November- At home in Georgia

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.





MONDAY 16th November- Mounted but not stuffed

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.




TUESDAY 17th November- Soundscapes

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.






WEDNESDAY 18th November- Let them Eat Junk


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

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Diary for 5th November to 11th November 2009

LUCY IS BACK! thank you everyone for being so patient and I hope you enjoy this week's activities!

THURSDAY 5th November- Redefining Dyslexia


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.



FRIDAY 6th November- Calligraphic Abstraction

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.


SATURDAY 7th November- Turkish Film Festival


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.





SUNDAY 8th November- Social Science for Schools


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!



MONDAY 9th November- Cultures of Fear


'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.




TUESDAY 10th November- Sing about Anthropology!


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!


WEDNESDAY 11th November - A not so natural disaster


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

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Notification: Lucy's on research leave

Dear readers,
Lucy is away on research leave until the end of this month. The blog will be back in full force in the first week of November. Until then, Lucy encourages you to get out and about and experience anthropology in action!

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Diary for 8th October to 14th October 2009


DEADLINE EXTENDED! Less than a month to go to submit your cartoons to the Royal Anthropological Institute's International Anthropology Cartoon Contest

We've received numerous requests to extend the deadline of the cartoon competition. The new deadline is November 10th 2009. The aims of the contest are to promote public engagement and exchange of ideas in anthropology as well as to add outstanding work to the published material for the RAI's upcoming website: Discover Anthropology (to be launched in November).



The cartoon is part of a series of new initiatives to be launched by the Education Outreach Programme. We hope these activities will provide opportunities for people with a passion for anthropology to share their work and take an active involvement in the discipline.


What we are looking for:

The contest is looking for cartoons that explore anthropological topics and ideas in a comical, original and engaging way. The aim is to get participants to 'think outside the box' and be creative in how they explore the subject. Participants will be judged based on the originality of their work and the integration of anthropological concepts, rather than solely on artistic merit. Entries from outside of Britain are welcome, but the cartoons must be in English.

Anthropological topics that could be explored:

There are endless possibilities of subjects that you could be creative with and here are a few suggestions: human evolution, fossil discoveries, forensics, cultural traditions, ceremonies and rituals, beauty and fashion, fieldwork, tourism and facebook.



Who can participate?

The competition is open to high school and sixth form students undergraduate and postgraduate anthropology students, and anyone who is interested in and passionate about Anthropology.

What do contestants win?

All short-listed and winning contestants will ave their work published on the RAI's Discover Anthropology website (upcoming) and some RAI publications.

1st Prize: An iPod shuffle, one year's free membership of the RAI, and a published interview with the RAI's Education Officer

2nd Prize: One year's free membership of the RAI

3rd Prize: An anthropology book and a visual anthropology student film




Examples of existing anthropological cartoons:













































How can I submit my work?

All applicants must fill in a registration form which can be found on the following website: www.therai.org.uk/education/education and send it with their cartoon submission.

  • Each participant can submit a maximum of two cartoon
  • The cartoon can be single panel or 2-4 panels (as you would see in the back of a newspaper such as the The London Paper, or The Guardian)
  • Cartoons may be in black and white or colour and may be drawn using any technique.
  • Cartoons can range from A5 size (5"X8") sheet of paper to maximum of A4 size (8''x11") Cartoons larger than an A4 size sheet of paper will be excluded from the competition.
  • Submissions can be sent by post or email. If you send your cartoons by post please make the package out to: Nafisa Fera, Education Officer, Royal Anthropological Institute, 50 Fitzroy St. London W1T-5BT
  • If you choose to send your submission electronically, please provide a high resolution JPEG of your cartoon. The JPEG will have to be less than 10 MB in order for us to receive it. Please email all submissions to the RAI's Education Officer, Nafisa Fera at education@therai.org.uk
  • Any submissions which are unethical or disrespectful of anyone or any group of people will not be eligible. Any cartoons which have been plagiarised will also not be eligible.

For full details of the competition and an application form visit: www.therai.org.uk/education/education

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Diary for Thursday 24th Septmber to 30th September 2009

Thursday 24th September- The Art of Polish Paper Cuts

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.





Friday 25th September- Bicycle Frenzy

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.


Saturday 26th September- Street Food- with love from Beirut


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!



Sunday 27th September- Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco

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.





Monday 28th September- Cine Lumiere en Espanol

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.


Tuesday 29th September- Riveting Research

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.


Wednesday 30th September - Remembering Trinidad

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.