Diary for Thursday 10th April to Wednesday 16th April 2008

THURSDAY 10TH APRIL - Easing into anthropology

Tonight I'm going along to an event at the Blackwell's University bookshop in Oxford Brookes University. It's the launch of a new guide to social anthropology called 'An Introduction to Social Anthropology: Sharing our Worlds' which is one of variety of books out there that's useful for newcomers to the subject. Interestingly, sections of the text are written by indigenous people themselves, so we get a first-hand account of their concerns and beliefs. The author and anthropologist, Joy Hendry ( A Japan specialist) will also be on hand to talk about the book. If you want to find out more about her in advance you could listen to an episode of Radio 4's Excess Baggage that she appeared on last year, talking about the experience of conducting fieldwork. The book launch begins at 17.00 and the shop is located on Gipsy Lane in the Headington area of Oxford - to attend you will need to contact jhendry@brookes.ac.uk.




FRIDAY 11TH APRIL - Reading the leaves

I'm winding down the week at the British Museum and settling in for a good ole cuppa...Japanese style. There's the opportunity to experience the whys and wherefores of the historical, but still very culturally important, Japanese tea ceremony at both 13.30 and 15.00. Funnily enough, Joy Hendry (see Thursday's event) has written a little about the role of the tea ceremony in Japanese society. There are also a number of other interesting articles online that analyse the ceremony, so you can be fully clued up before going along. The event is FREE and you can just drop in.





SATURDAY 12TH APRIL - Tuning in to the resistance

Hold me in your arms, don't let me go, I want to stay forever. You might think 'Home and Away' is a film festival celebrating the best ever episodes of the antipodean soap opera. It's not - instead, much more intriguingly, it's a celebration of Romanian film including documentaries that explore issues at the core of anthropology's concerns. Tonight I'm off to watch Cold Waves, about a radio station which acted as a centrepiece of the resistance against Communist state abuse. It was made by an award-winning director who is credited with bringing documentary a new-found respect in Romania - for years it was seen only as a propaganda tool for the government. This tension between the use and abuse of media, and how society is represented on film, is a key consideration in visual anthropology, so the film should be well-worth watching. It begins at 20.30 at the Curzon Mayfair in London and you can book online here; tickets cost £12.


SUNDAY 13TH APRIL - Who will have the last laugh?!

Today sees the punchline session - i.e. the last day's viewing - of an exhibition that's been running at the Hayward Gallery in on the South Bank in London for the last month or so - 'Laughing in a Foreign Language'. The collection includes photography, film and interactive installations that all explore the cross-cultural nature of humour and ask whether jokes can be appreciated by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is a section of anthropology that has received relatively little coverage over the years, although this book was written on the subject, so maybe going along might provide the inspiration to set up your very own sub-field of anthropology. Tickets are priced at £5.50 for students and the exhibition is open between 10.00 and 18.00 - you can book online here.





MONDAY 14TH APRIL - Movie on Mali

On Monday I want to head down to a film that's on at SOAS in Central London called Dolce Vita Africana. It charts the life, times and pictures of Malian photographer Malick Sidibe. From the 1950s through until the 1970s he caught a generation of young Malians on film celebrating their independence from colonial rule, and then falling under a brutal dictatorship. The film claims to be not only about Sidibe's art, but also about how culture is reflected through the lens - a key consideration of visual anthropologists. The showing has been arranged by Friends of Mali in the UK, and is followed by a Q&A with the director. It begins at 19.00 in the Khalili Theatre, and entrance is FREE.


TUESDAY 15TH APRIL - Faces from different places

Studying cross-cultural comparison and communication is something that anthropologists frequently get up to, which is why the new exhibition by campaigning organisation PhotoVoice should be a good one to attend. 'Side by Side' is a collection of photographs produced by young Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members in the conflict. The aim of the project was to create a form of visual 'dialogue' between the two groups so that the teenagers would understand each other's point of view at a greater depth. Projects like these often involve anthropologists because of their experience in putting across alternative points of view. The exhibition is being held at The Economist Plaza in Central London until May 1st (open 10.00 until 18.00) and admission is FREE - you can read more about it in an article here.


WEDNESDAY 16TH APRIL - Expand your Horizons

University Open Days are often the best opportunity to find out about the variety of different courses on offer at a college - you can talk to academics, current students and admissions tutors. Today, I'll be back down at the School of Oriental and African Studies, or SOAS, in London to look into their anthropology options, which include specialisms in the anthropology of food, development, media and migration - you can find out more about ALL the modules available here. The open day runs from 11.00 until 17.00 in the Brunei Gallery and includes a tour of the campus. To book a place, call the admissions office on 020 7898 4034 or email study@soas.ac.uk

Diary for Thursday 3rd April to 9th April 2008

THURSDAY 3RD APRIL - The Legacy of War

On Thursday I'm back down at the London International Documentary Festival that I mentioned on last week's blog for the screening of 'A Story of People in War & Peace', made by an Armenian director who revisits the site of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which he filmed in detail twelve years earlier. The documentary follows his meetings with other soldiers from the battles, and examines the effect the fighting has had on their subsequent lives. It is followed by a discussion about the film with a number of experts on the region, including Ger Duijzings – Reader in the Anthropology of Eastern Europe, at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies. The film begins at 18.30 in the Renoir Cinema and tickets cost £10.


FRIDAY 4TH APRIL - Learning of Lalibela

More films on offer starting today at the British Museum, which for the next month will be hosting a season of Ethiopian films. A number of these are made by or with anthropologists - look out for names such as David Turton, author of Film as Ethnography, Leslie Woodhead and John Bulmer. Today's films there are two for the price of one - focus on Lalibela, a holy site in the north of the country, beginning at 18.30. The season is linked to the ongoing display in Room 3 of the Museum, Church and Emperor: An Ethiopian Crucifixion - which celebrates the first Easter of the new Ethiopian Millennium. Tickets for the films are priced at £3 (£2 for students) and I'll be flagging some of the other films in coming weeks.





SATURDAY 5TH APRIL - Doctors in the field

On Saturday I'm going to investigate the growing 'subfield' that is medical anthropology. Researchers with an interest in the social and cultural impact of medicine and treatments often work in specialist advisory positions, helping policy makers decide how local knowledge should link up with government-level advice and provisions. There's plenty of material on the subject, including this useful online film about a project in Namibia run by an anthropologist. You can also browse a list of medical anthropology books here, and look into specifically tailored degree courses on the subject here.


SUNDAY 6TH APRIL - Visualising the margins

Today is the last chance to see an exhibition at The Photographers' Gallery in Central London of the finalists for the prestigious Deutsche Borse prize. Short listed and on display in the gallery this year are four photographers including Esko Mannikko, from Finland. His work focused on capturing the lives of 'those at the periphery', which is something anthropologists also often seek to understand. There are also short films on show at the gallery about each of the artist's work. The Exhibition is open between 12.00 and 18.00 on Sundays, and admission is FREE.






MONDAY 7TH APRIL - Singing the Marseillaise

You may remember the suburban race riots that have occurred in France over the last few years, and the fairly unsympathetic reactions of the government. Today I'm going to listen to the latest episode of Thinking Allowed, which asked why such problems did not really affect Marseille, the country's second largest - and most ethnically diverse - city. It featured anthropologist Anne Lovell, who is conducting research on the topic, and thinks the existence of many grassroots organisations and Marseille's cosmopolitan integration is responsible for the lack of trouble and tensions. Interestingly, the programme is not - as it is normally - a studio discussion, but features presenter Laurie Taylor on a mini-ethnography of Marseille talking to its residents and learning about their communities.


TUESDAY 8TH APRIL - What's on the interweb?

'The power of the web' is a phrase often chucked around along with many other cliches such as 'youtube generation', so today I want to do a bit of digging and find out what the internet could mean for anthropologists. In the news recently has been a 'Digital Ethnography' project set up at the University of Kansas in America which explores how the ways in which we create, store and distribute information in today's society. The idea behind it is to provide a greater understanding of the power and 'culture' of video technology. For more information on internet anthropology, a good place to look is the work of UCL academic Daniel Miller, who has written widely on new media, for example in The Internet: An Ethnographic Approach.


WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL - Teatime with Tajikstan

I'm off to Oxford on Wednesday, to the Pitt-Rivers Museum, for a lecture entitled 'Tajikstan: From main artery of the silk trade to now forgotten land' by the academic and journalist Shahin Bekhradnia. As you might have guessed by the title, Tajikstan is a place about which comparatively little is known in the west, so this should be an interesting event. It's one of a series of public lectures held at the ethnographic museum from time to time, and also provides a useful excuse to have a look around the collections once more while I'm there. The lecture begins at 18.15, with refreshments from 17.45, and visitors are asked to donate £2 towards running costs.

Thursday 27th March to Wednesday 2nd April 2008

THURSDAY 27TH MARCH - The end is nigh

Whilst 'Viewing the recently dead' might not sound like the ideal way to kick off a week about town, today I'm going to listen again to last week's Thinking Allowed. It featured anthropologist Adam Kuper following up on the previous week's discussion of the cultural differences that exist in how we view our recently departed. As I also mentioned on the blog a couple of weeks ago, anthropology and death are not strangers to one another, since the way a society thinks about and acts towards death can often provide a lot of information about how that society works. Don't forget to look out for modules on the subject if you choose to study anthropology at university.


FRIDAY 28TH MARCH - A view from Tibet

On Friday I'm going to read an anthropologist's view of the recent protests in Tibet. As I'm sure you will have seen, the events there represent a culmination of years of resentment and repression of the indigenous Tibetans. The situation is particularly important because it is the first time the Chinese Government have acknowledged the protests publicly, and also , of course, because this year the Olympics are just around the corner. Anthropologists, with their expert knowledge and friendships with people at a grassroots level are perhaps ideally placed to offer analysis of what is 'really' going on in complex environs such as these. They are also very interested in resistance to power - you can find more information at the Savage Minds specially designated webpage here, and mainstream media articles on Tibet here.


SATURDAY 29TH MARCH - From Gypsy folk to Morris dancers

As I have often said, one of anthropology's frequent applications is the study of people at the fringes of mainstream society, and researching the expression of their cultural differences and identities. Today sees a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the Romany people of Southern England and listen to some of their folk music down at the Southbank Centre in London. Anthropologists have frequently worked with gypsy groups, partly because of the unusual way in which they interact with other sections of society. Today's event is a combination of song and discussion and begins at 14.00 - entrance is £4 for students. For more great performance watch out also for the Morris dancers of Brighton who will be strutting their stuff at 15.30 in the Southbank Centre's Front Room - admission is FREE!



SUNDAY 30TH MARCH - 8 days of documentaries

The London International Film Festival kicked off on Saturday and if you hadn't already made your way to one of the screenings then it's about time. This morning I'm off to watch Obcina at the Curzon Soho, a film about wintertime in a small town in Romania, where only one family stays to brave the elements. Like many films in the festival (you can view the whole programme here), it is followed by a conversation with the director, and this one is chaired by the anthropological film-maker Mike Yorke. There are also free croissants available as a reward for getting up so early! Indeed, many of the films over the course of the festival have anthropologists involved - also look out for Casa Mia at the Barbican on Monday, followed by a discussion chaired by Chris Wright, a tutor on the MA in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths University. Look out for more recommended films next week.


MONDAY 31ST MARCH - The Challenges of Collecting

This afternoon I'm attending a workshop at the British Museum that is the final part of the 'Extreme Collecting' series of talks being put on in collaboration with the anthropology department there. Today a panel of experts will be discussing the role of museums in contemporary society and how and why they should work with the source communities that have provided many of the ethnographic objects on display. Collecting objects has become a more and more controversial subject in museums and anthropology in recent years, as those in the West have come to understand the impact of their curiosity on the societies which they are seeking to highlight. The workshop is in the Sackler room at the British Museum and lasts from 13.00 until 18.00 - entrance is FREE but you need to book ahead on extremecollecting@yahoo.co.uk.


TUESDAY 1ST APRIL - The flowers are in bloom

To mark the beginning of springtime, Radio 3's Night Waves has just broadcast a batch of programmes about spring festivals from around the world. Today I'm going to listen again to the four-part series, which examined Egyptian, Persian, Chinese and Indian celebrations of the season. Like rituals, anthropologists are very interested in festivals for the way in which they can tell us more about a particular aspect of culture or society. How they do this has been the subject of much debate over the years, with some arguing they exist mainly as a tool to manufacture social change or action (for example Emile Durkheim), whilst others think of them as self-contained events with little wider bearing. Make up your own mind as you listen to the programmes.


WEDNESDAY 2ND APRIL - Yemen-upon-Tyne

I'll be floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee right down to the Baltic on Gateshead waterside on Wednesday for the opening of a new exhibition 'Last of the Dictionary Men'. It's a ground-breaking insight into the lives of the local Yemeni community, including film and photographs designed to express some of the experiences of the area's first generation migrants. The complexities of the experience of immigration are of great interest to anthropologists so this should be a fascinating collection, not least because they will also be screening a documentary about the little-known marriage of Muhammad Ali in a Tyne & Wear mosque - The King of South Shields. The Baltic is open every day except Tuesday until 18.00 and entrance is FREE.

Diary for 20th March to 26th March 2008

THURSDAY 20TH MARCH - Dancing with the enemy

Powerful artistic or cultural expression is often most apparent in societies where there is trouble and repression, and the film showing at Pocketvisions this afternoon seems to be a good example of that. 'Belarusian Waltz' tells the story of a performance artist from Belarus, Alexander Pushkin, who uses his art to protest against the political regime in the country, a nation renowned for its questionable approach towards human rights. You can also check out some clips from the film on the website here. It begins at 16.00 in the Stevenson Theatre at the British Museum, is followed by a Q&A with the director, and entrance is FREE.





FRIDAY 21ST MARCH - The Naga are leaving

Next to last chance to see the 'An Image of Nagaland' exhibition at SOAS in London today, so I'm heading down there to look at the impressive collection of photographs on display from the Hornbill Festival of 2000. That year was the first time in many years that the Naga people from Northern India were able to celebrate their identity, so the photographs represent an important cultural document in their own right, as well as providing a fascinating insight into Naga folklore. The exhibition is open until 17.30 in the Brunei Gallery and admission is FREE...but tomorrow is the last day so make sure you don't miss out.



SATURDAY 22ND MARCH - Indigenous music on your doorstep

Saturday night plays host to a great event at The Synergy Centre near London Bridge where there will be a night of indigenous music and film. The evening will feature an incredible array of music - from Ghanaian drummers to Bolivian dancers and West Papuan singers. It's a really rare opportunity to see such a variety of indigenous music live, and also to learn about the often similar struggles of different indigenous peoples around the world - something anthropologists frequently write about. The evening begins at 21.00 and runs all night - entrance is £7 for students and all profits go to charity - you can book tickets online here.





SUNDAY 23RD MARCH - Chinese culture on film

Today I'm going to check out the listings for the latest film festival to come to town, 'Spotlight Beijing'. Running as part of the 'China in London' project, there will over a dozen films about Chinese culture and society showing at the ICA in central London. You can view the whole programme on the ICA webpage here. Highlights include 'The Old Barber', about an eighty year-old man's reflections on the changes to Beijing over his lifetime cutting hair. For another view on an aspect of China in London, you could also watch 'We Keep Quiet' about London's Chinatown. It was made by one of last year's visual anthropology students from Goldsmiths University.



MONDAY 24TH MARCH - What are we?

The statement that has perhaps had British anthropologists up in arms more than any other in recent history was Margaret Thatcher's claim that 'There is no such thing as society'. 'No such thing as society' is also the name of a new exhibition at Aberystwyth Arts Centre in Wales, made up of photographs from around the UK intending to take a light-hearted view of the constraints British culture can place on our behaviour. It ranges in subject matter from Liverpudlian holiday-makers to conflict in northern Ireland, and encourages us as viewers to take a new perspective on our own lives, something anthropology also often tries to do. The collection runs until 27th April, and is open daily in Gallery One.



TUESDAY 25TH MARCH - The makings of a city

Tonight I'm going to try and catch the beginning of a new public lecture series that's running in London for the next couple of months. 'London behind the Scenes' will comprise eight weekly discussions about the East End, at which experts will debate subjects ranging from multiculturalism to tourism and regeneration. This evening's talk is all about how a 19th century 'ghetto' became 21st century 'cool'. 'The Making of the East End' will examine how and why the area has changed in terms of identity and perception of that identity. The talks in the series are all FREE, and held at Vibe Lounge on Brick Lane, between 19.00 and 21.30 - you can book a place online here.


WEDNESDAY 26TH MARCH - The importance of dance

Given that I've never quite mastered the art of dancing I was particularly interested to learn about an ethnographic film that has just been released all about one community's dancing and its importance in their culture. 'Dancing from the Heart', clips of which are viewable on youtube here, is about the Tewa Dancers of San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico and examines the role dance has in expressing and preserving their identity. You can also read an interview with the dancers here, as well as learning more about why dance is an important sub-field in anthropology here.

Diary for 13th March to 19th March 2008

THURSDAY 13TH MARCH - For the love of logic

It is often said that business and pleasure should be kept as far apart as possible, but tonight I'm planning to mix them up a little by attending a public lecture at the London School of Economics entitled 'Logic and emotion in Chinese economic life'. It's being given by Charles Stafford, based on his experiences in Taiwan and China, and should provide an interesting insight into how a look at the emotions can help us understand business decisions that you might normally assume are made from a purely financial point of view. It is a good example of how anthropology tries to take a 'holistic' - or all-encompassing - view of society, not just concentrating on one aspect. The talk lasts from 18.30 until 20.00 in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House and entrance is on a first come, first served basis. For more information you can contact events@lse.ac.uk or call 02079556043.



FRIDAY 14TH MARCH - All white tonight

Come Friday night I'll be resting up my party feet and staying in to watch a documentary that's part of the 'White' season currently on BBC2. The series of films examines how the white, working class community can often feel marginalised in 21st century Britain. This evening's film is 'All white in Barking', directed by Marc Isaacs, and looks at the effect high levels of immigration have had on an area of East London, and the tensions that have arisen between long-standing residents and the new arrivals. Areas of cross-cultural comparison are of particular interest to anthropologists and Isaacs is renowned for his sensitive and balanced handling of such areas. The film begins at 21.00 on BBC2 and you can also listen to a couple of radio discussions on the issue on Nightwaves (Radio 3) and You and Yours (Radio 4).


SATURDAY 15TH MARCH - An excuse to travel

A continental treat this weekend as I'm off to Paris for the start of the Festival International Jean Rouch 2008, which honours the famous anthropological film-maker with over a week of ethnographic films. The first day includes highlights from a recent film festival in Romania, and sees the showing of three films - 'The Last Peasants' from English director Angus Macqueen, about three Romanian families all affected in different ways by migration. Rouch himself was famous for his deeply experimental approach to film-making, for example having his subjects comment reflectively on the film as part of the action, so the festival should be full of many interesting screenings. The festival lasts until 24th March, with sessions beginning at 10.30 and 14.30 most days. It takes place in the Jean Rouch room at the Musee de l'homme - for more information see the contact page here.


SUNDAY 16TH MARCH - The right to roam

Does anything brush out the Sunday morning cobwebs more than a bracing stroll in the English air? Or maybe you'd just rather be lying in bed... Either way you might be interested in the event I'm attending today - it's 'ROAM: A Festival of Walking' at Loughborough University. Held over three days - Saturday until Monday - it is a get-together of artists and anthropologists to examine walking and its role in society. Artists (for example Tim Brennan) and anthropologists (such as Sarah Pink) will follow on from a weekend exhibition of work with a seminar on Monday that attempts to answer questions that you've probably never considered. For instance: "What might walking as art tell us about how walking an be understood as a way of participating in power relationships?" Let's hope they don't just 'ramble' on about nothing. The event is FREE but places are strictly limited to 40 people so make sure you contact radar.info@lboro.ac.uk or 01509 222960 if you're interested in attending.


MONDAY 17TH MARCH - The Aliens are coming

On Monday I'm heading off to the Barbican in London to check out a new exhibition - the 'Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art'. Labelled one of the year's 'zaniest shows', the premise is that a group of anthropologists from outer space have come to earth hoping to understand contemporary art - to do so they use an unusual method of artifact classification. The exhibition is meant to parody the now much-criticised approaches that early anthropologists took to non-western art and how we often presume we understand another culture, not realising that we are only seeing things from our own perspective. The collection is open daily until mid-May and entrance costs £8; you can also listen to audioguides about the exhibits, and read an article about the exhibition here.


TUESDAY 18TH MARCH - Morbid curiosity

Today I'm planning to listen again to an episode of Thinking Allowed from Radio 4 that was broadcast last week. It focused on death rituals in contemporary Britain and the USA, and featured two academics who have recently published books on the subject. One of them, Sheila Harper, is a phD anthropology student in the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, and has undertaken ethnographies of how 'ordinary' people deal with death and mortality. They will be discussing whether we can still deal with the physicality of death, as well as how the way we mourn has altered over the years. You might be interested to know you can also sometimes study the Anthropology of Death on undergraduate courses...whatever floats your boat I guess.



WEDNESDAY 19TH MARCH - Highlighting humanity

On Wednesday I'm heading off to the ICA for a look at some of the films in this year's Human Rights Film Festival. It lasts until the 20th March and aims to highlight the work of film-makers that draws attention to those suffering or combating injustice across the world. One of the films showing today is 'The Greatest Silence' which takes an in-depth look at the difficult subject of rape in the Congo, interviewing women across different strands of the conflict. Nowadays, anthropologists are often involved in campaigns to protect the human rights of people around the globe, and they research issues that are directly related to such campaigns. The film begins at 19.30, costs £7 for students and is followed by a Q&A with the director.

Diary for 6th March to 12th March 2008

THURSDAY MARCH 6TH - South Asian Sussex

On Thursday I'm heading straight down to Sussex to catch some of the Traveling Film South Asia '08 festival that is currently being hosted by the University of Sussex Anthropology department. The festival lasts until 8th March and is showing various new documentary films made in and about the region. These include films about arranged marriage, post-tsunami state corruption and primary school education in Pakistan - read about the full list of films here. For more information on the exact times and venues of the screenings, you need to contact Jamie Cross on 07758 078090 or J.J.Cross@sussex.ac.uk.


FRIDAY MARCH 7TH - Lost and Foundling

Tonight sees the first event in the ESRC Festival of Social Science that I posted on the blog a couple of weeks ago. Hosted at the Foundling Museum, there are three films showing, under the overall theme of 'Street Fictions'. The films, all made by visual anthropologists, are based in India, Malawi and Ethiopia and follow the stories of different sets of abandoned street children. The evening starts at 18.30, and you can also take the chance to check out the rest of the museum, London's first home for abandoned street children. You can also view the website of the director of the film set in Ethiopia - 'Room 11: Ethiopian Hotel', which includes an interesting debate on the film. If all that's not enticing enough, the evening is not only free, but a complimentary glass of wine is thrown in too. To book a place, please contact the Royal Anthropological Institute by calling 0207 387 0455 or emailing education@therai.org.uk.



SATURDAY MARCH 8TH - Power in Pakistan

On Saturday I'm planning a visit to a Green Cardamom exhibition, an arts organisation that exhibits work by Asian artists across the country. One such exhibition at the moment is 'Standing still standing still standing' by Bani Abidi, which examines issues of power and how it impacts upon people. The photos and film are from Pakistan but should be universally relevant, and their themes are ones often studied on anthropology courses - sometimes in relation to the writing of big thinkers such as Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. Abidi's work is on show until the 12th April at the Green Cardomom head office in London, and entrance is FREE.





SUNDAY MARCH 9TH - More fantastic films!

On Sunday I'm continuing with the glut of films this week by going along to the Birds Eye View Festival - an annual showcase of some of the most important work by female directors in recent years. Not only do the films screened explore issues of gender, but also themes that cut across all aspects of society from identity to race to disability. Of particular interest today is Three Times Divorced (showing at the ICA in London at 18.30), which tells the story of a Palestinian woman struggling to retain her right to live in Israel following separation from her abusive husband. Themes of cross-cultural tension as well as the relationship between individuals and 'the system' are very important to anthropologists so this should be a fascinating watch. You can view the whole programme for Birds Eye View here - another film not to miss is observational film-maker Kim Longinotto's acclaimed Hold Me Tight, Let me Go showing on Wednesday 12th March.


MONDAY MARCH 10TH - Perspectives on childhood

Monday sees the continuation of the ESRC Festival of Social Science at the Royal Anthropological Institute. It is the beginning of three evenings of film screenings about childhood experiences, kicking off tonight with Pride of Place - another Longinotto film from early on in her career about a boarding school. It's preceded by the showing of a short documentary made by A-Level students from South East London who took part in an ethnographic film workshop. Check out the details for the other films showing later in the week (and also other events happening around the country) here. ON Tuesday and Wednesday at the RAI there will be more A-level shorts, as well as documentaries by anthropological film-making legend David Macdougall. All the events are free, and start at 18.30 - but you need to book beforehand on 0207 3870455 or at education@therai.org.uk.




TUESDAY MARCH 11TH - What does it mean to be illegal?

There's yet another great looking film festival starting today at the Goldsmiths College Centre for Cultural Studies. Called 'Cinema Division - Todos somos illegales' (We are all illegal) - it is a series of films about the Mexican-US border that explore issues of nationality, legality and labour. Today, the film on show is Touch of Evil, a 1958 Orson Welles film about police corruption in a Mexican border town, which touches on the construction of national and cultural difference. Over the weeks there will be a mixture of fictional films and documentaries (see the flyer here) all beginning at 18.00 in the Small Hall Cinema at Goldsmiths - entrance is FREE.






WEDNESDAY MARCH 12TH - Where there's a woman, there's a way

On Wednesday I'm going to head up to the Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford for a talk entitled 'Extraordinary Journeys - Women Collectors of the Pitt Rivers'. The lecture will encompass some of the impressive trips undertaken by contributors to the museum's ethnographic collections, and is combined with a tour round the galleries to see what kind of objects they have brought back. The talk begins at 11.00, entrance is FREE, but you must book ahead on 01865 613 004 to ensure a place.

Diary for 28th February to 5th March 2008

THURSDAY 28TH FEBRUARY - A pocketful of Papua

This Thursday I'm back down at the British Museum for a Pocketvisions special. Screening this afternoon will be two films made by a film-maker, Wendy Zakiewcz, who graduated from the Goldsmiths MA in Visual Anthropology in 2006. The first film - 'Sam Laguna at the British Museum' - looks at the work of a Papua New Guinea artist who recently produced some pieces for the British Museum. The second is 'Paper and Stone' - in which the film-maker returns to a school she used to teach in. The films, which are followed by a Q&A with the director, are also interesting to compare with Wendy's earlier film, 'Badsickness' - also filmed in Papua New Guinea for her MA. The screenings begin at 16.00 in the Stevenson Theatre and entrance is FREE.


FRIDAY 29TH FEBRUARY - From Abba to Dana International

Is there a finer spectacle on these European shores than the Eurovision song contest? You may argue that the local karaoke isn't too bad in comparison, but that hasn't stopped a group of academics' strong interest in the subject. 'Singing Europe: Spectacle & Politics in the Eurovision Song Contest' is a conference being held in Greece that begins today. Those present will be discussing the performance and representation of imagined national and 'European' identities. Unfortunately the dulcet tones of Terry Wogan won't be on hand to guide you through, but the event does include the contributions of several British ethnomusicologists. I'm not planning to go to Greece though - you can catch the whole event on live internet broadcast here. Should be interesting anyhow, if only for the talk entitled 'Sounds of Monstrosity'...


SATURDAY 1ST MARCH - Olympic anthropology

Today I'm going to read an interview last week with an American anthropologist about the Olympics and China. Sarah Brownell is a sports anthropologist, currently living in Beiing and looking at the ways the Olympic Games have impacted upon the wider society there. For instance, she asks whether sport is in fact seen by the Chinese Government as an example of how they wish the country to be run - in a non-corrupt, fair way! There has been some interesting reaction to her thoughts in the press, and if anthropology and sport interest you as a subject you could look into the BA Sport at Durham University, which includes anthropology modules. There are also a couple of good introductory texts on the subject, looking at how sport impacts upon culture, politics, economics and identity, to name but a few...


SUNDAY 2ND MARCH - Happy birthday to an angel

This year is the tenth anniversary of the Angel of the North sculpture, designed by British artist and former student of anthropology Anthony Gormley. So today I'm going to have more of a read about Gormley and how he brings anthropology into his work. He is especially concerned with the impact of the human body on our social environment and landscape, as shown by the fact much of his work takes on the human form. Often by collaborating with local people he looks to understand how we can understand places through people. See if you can untangle this reasoning behind his work: "the insider is opposite of sense from self, from appearance"(!)
Watch out for more Angel-related events as the year goes on...


MONDAY 3RD MARCH - Hebrew happenings

Today I want to have a look into the Jewish community based in Britain. Last week there was an interesting discussion on Radio 3's Nightwaves programme about the social and cultural issues currently affecting that community. It looked at the ways in which Jewish customs and religion are declining in numbers, whilst their community are often drawn into wider geopolitical arguments related to Israel. After listening to that I'm going to head down to the ICA in Central London for the screening of 'Jellyfish' at 20.45, which tells the story of inter-connecting lives in Tel Aviv. Then there's also the Jewish Book Week happening at the moment to check out. All should be worthwhile opportunities to learn more about the Jewish way of life - right up my anthropological street.


TUESDAY 4TH MARCH - Poking anthropology

It seems high time I mentioned the all-pervading Facebook on the blog. While it may not be everyone's cup of social networking tea, it does lay claim to several hundred anthropology-related groups. Today, I thought I would have a look around and see if there was anything to learn. The groups range quite a bit in content, from one linked to the organisation 'anthropology.net' which aims to create a "cohesive online community of individuals interested in anthropology", via one that claims anthropologists are "Interesting but Unemployable" (nonsense I hear you cry...) to, perhaps most pleasingly, "Anthropology + Good Looks = A Deadly Combination". Couldn't agree more...


WEDNESDAY 5TH MARCH - Solidarity cinema

Tonight I'm heading along to the Roxy Bar & Screen in London Bridge for an evening of film, talk and music, courtesy of Solidarity not Charity - a organisation that partners with groups in the 'Global South' with the aim of giving voice to their causes and projects. Solidarity not Charity hosts several events each year, often screening documentaries made by anthropologists. Their approach seems closely aligned with anthropology in that they try to offer a fresh perspective on well-worn themes. Tonight's event is centred around issues of women's rights and includes a screening of Moolaade, one of the most influential films made in Africa in recent years. The event starts at 18.45 and entrance is FREE.