Diary for 21st May to 27th May

THURSDAY 21st May - Felt expressions

Today marks the beginning of an interesting art exhibit held at the Rose Issa Gallery on 269 Kensington High Street called Felt Memories by Bita Ghezelayagh. Bita has experience as an architect and art director of several Iranian films. She started working with felt in 2004, designing her own display tunics and capes. For Bita, the canvasses express memories of growing up in Iran living through the revolution in 1979 and the war in Iraq (1980-88). Bita has found herself heavily influenced by post-revolutionary visual popular culture and includes elements such as pictures, metal keys, and Persian phrases that reflect this influence in her work. The exhibition runs until 20th June. For more information visit this website. For a preview of Bita and some of her tunics take a look at this article.

FRIDAY 22nd May- Celebrating Aboriginal Art

After 6 years of teaching both at primary and secondary level, Basil Hall, decided to train as a print maker in Canberra. Working with Aboriginal artists across a range of Australia's remote communities, Basil Hall has enabled many artists to establish their visions in print, becoming part of a celebrated contemporary art scene. An exhibition of 25 years of his work collaborating with aboriginal artists is currently on at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery on 2a Conway Street, London. The gallery has gained a reputation for championing Aboriginal and non-Western Art. The exhibit which is called 'Etched in the sun'. It is free and runs until 20th of June. For a preview of some of the art on display take a look here.



SATURDAY 23rd May - Indian Melodies

Indian strings and Dances is a major exhibition currently on at the Museum of Croydon. It features instruments, dance costumes, and video interviews with leading practitioners of classical Indian music and dance traditions. Today from 1-2pm there will be a special guided tour of the exhibition given by the curator and event organisers. Following the tour will be two dance performances at 2:30 and 3:30pm. The first is the Kuchipudi dance, which originated in Andhra Pradesh and is renowned for its grace and elegance. The second is the Manipuri dance which is one of the most 'beautiful classical dances of North East India'. Both the performances and the guided tour are free. For more information about the exhibition and associated events take a look here.

SUNDAY 24th May- Brochures are on their way!

Many of you have emailed asking for copies of Discover Anthropology and Careers in Anthropology brochures produced by the Royal Anthropological Institute's Education Department. For those of you have not yet received your brochures, just to let you know they are on their way! We have recently requested a reprint of the brochures as we ran out of stock. If you have any problems receiving the material, or would like to request additional copies, please email Nafisa Fera at education@therai.org.uk





MONDAY 25th May- Viva la vida

On the 31st of May, Regent street in London will be transformed into a pedestrian friendly Spanish cultural extravaganza. Rather than the usual congested frenzy of cars and people shopping, the street will be traffic free from 12pm-6pm and there will be food, dancing, art, and live performances to celebrate twelve regions in Spain. Some of the programme includes Djs from Ibiza, flamenco dancers, Valencian paella and 30 Royal bagpipers from Galicia! For those of you who still want to shop, stores on Regent street will be taking part in the fiesta by offering promotions and competitions. Anyone interested in continuing their Spanish culinary journey, should visit Borough Market on the 2nd and 3rd of June, for a Spanish Gourmet Festival. To find out more about the programme of events for the 31st as well as see pictures of last year's day, take a look at this website.




TUESDAY 26th May- The Baby and the Buddha

Today I am going to watch a BBC Four documentary called The Baby and the Buddha. The film is produced and directed by Nati Baratz and follows a former Buddhist disciple's search for his reincarnated Tibetan master. The disciple Tenzin, is instructed by the Dalai Lama to search for the reincarnation of this master who is now embodied in a little boy and may be anywhere in the world. Tenzin's spiritual journey takes him through countries, passing mountains and villages, travelling by helicopter, mule and on foot. His journey gives us a rare insight into certain aspects of the Buddhist faith, as well as one man's discovery of himself. You can download and watch the documentary for free here. For an interesting review of the film and discussion of rebirth take a look at this article.


WEDNESDAY 27th May- Rethinking Gender in the 21st Century

A series of seminars exploring the impact of masculinity on health and well-being, are being held at St. Antony's College at the University of Oxford. Today's seminar is called 'Being a Father.. is the Embodiment of Everything I do: African Caribbean Fathers' Accounts of Fatherhood and Health' . The seminar is given by Dr. Robert Williams and Dr. Alistair Hewison from the University of Birmingham, both with extensive experience and background in public health management, organisation and policy. The seminar is free but registration is required. To register email Yiu-tung Suen at yiu.suen@sant.ox.ac.uk. The seminar takes place in the Dahrendorf Room at 5pm. For those of you interested in learning more about men's health and well-being, take a look at the Men's Health Forum, an active charity involved in organising National Men's Health week 2009 which will take place in June.

Lucy Special: Anthropology Outreach Events in July

Hi Everyone,

I am posting a special Anthropologist About Town message to let you know about some fantastic events that the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) is running in July and to give you a chance to book some tickets before they all run out!

For those of you who are budding filmmakers or who really enjoy experiencing the world through visual means, the RAI's International Ethnographic Film Festival is a great event to meet visual anthropologists, watch ethnographic films from around the world, and engage in some topical debates regarding ethics and the use of archival images.

The festival is taking place at Leeds Met University on the 1st-4th of July. The RAI is thankful for the support and collaboration of the Centre for Tourism and Cultural Change, the Northern Film School, National Media Museum and Louis le Prince Centre.

From May 12th and every Tuesday evening until the festival, Leed's Art House Cinema will be showing previous award winning films from 2007 and other festivals. You will have a chance to meet the film-makers and engage in Q & A sessions afterwards. You can find details of programme for these pre-screenings here.

Registration for the festival is now open and if you book by May 20th you will be able to receive an 'early bird' discount. Take a look at this website for more information on bookings and fees.

The week after the festival on July 9th is the London Anthropology Day, an annual event that the RAI's Educational Outreach Programme organises at the British Museum's Clore Centre.

The event is a free university taster day for Year 12,13 and FE students, career advisers and teachers. On the day there will be interactive workshops, films, photo exhibitions, university delegate stands, as well as talks on careers and the university application process.

This year we have 16 universities attending including: University of Bristol, Brunel University, University of Cambridge, Durham University, Goldsmiths, University of Kent, LSE, University of Manchester, Oxford Brookes University, Queen's Belfast University, Roehampton University, UCL, UEL, University of Sussex, and University of Wales, Lampeter.

The day will be a wonderful opportunity for participants to interact with anthropology students, and lecturers and to gain some valuable information about what the various departments have to offer. For photos, films and additional information about the day, please visit: www.londonanthropologyday.co.uk

The event is free, but advanced booking is essential as spaces are limited. To book your place visit www.londonanthropologyday.co.uk

If you are already an undergraduate or postgraduate student of Anthropology and you would like to be a volunteer for the day, we recruit around 20 volunteers each year. The requirements is that you are reliable, trustworthy, able to take direction and work as a team. To be a volunteer, please contact the RAI's Education Officer, Nafisa Fera at: education@therai.org.uk

If you require any paper publicity for either of the events listed, please get in touch with Nafisa at education@therai.org.uk with your postal address and the amount of flyers or posters you need.

I look forward to seeing you in July!

Diary for 7th May to 13th May 2009

Thursday 7th May- A look ahead at this Saturday

There are a lot of great events happening this Saturday 9th May, which unfortunately don't all fit into the date specific slot, so I'm posting them in the alternate week dates on the blog so that you don't miss out on anything! On Saturday 9th May there are two great events that you should check out: One is a free concert that will be held at the Brunei Gallery at 7:00pm in SOAS, Russel Square Campus. The concert is part of SOAS's Centre for African Studies Annual Lecture, and features a combination of performance and storytelling by Paul Berliner and Cosmas Magaya. Their work is "a poignant exposition of the intersection between human rights and music in Zimbabwe". The second event is a free art workshop which will take place at the Foundling Museum from 11-4pm on Saturday. The workshop is mostly suited to A-level students and is a hands-on workshop at exploring how textiles can reflect your personality. The workshop is free but booking is necessary. To book your free place phone:020 7841 3600.


Friday 8th May-Mbira magic

In anticipation of their concert on Saturday, Professor Paul Berliner and his research collaborator Cosmas Magaya, will be giving a seminar in the Khalili Lecture Theatre at SOAS toda. The Lecutre will look at the work of 35 years of trying to document the music, performance contexts and culture surrounding the mbira (a musical instrument that consists of a wooden board with metal keys). The seminar will be taking place from 3-6pm. Entrance is free and all are welcome. Those who play mbira dzaVadzimu are invited to bring along their instruments and play!


Saturday 9th May- The Meaning of Life

Today I am heading to the British Museum to take a look at the complexities of life in Kwikwexwelhp prison. This prison which is in British Columbia, Canada, is unique in that is has a rehabilitation programme which is focused around aboriginal culture, and elders of the native communities. The film is directed by renowned anthropologist Hugh Brody. For a review of the film take a look at this article. There is also a very interesting interview with Hugh Brody about the film which you can access here. The film screening will take place at 14:30pm in the Stevenson Lecture Theatre. Tickets are £3 for adults and £2 for concession. The film will be followed by a Q&A session with Tomo Brody, the director's son and crew member.



Sunday 10th May- Free Anthropology Brochures!

For those of you inters ted in learning more about Anthropology, how to get involved in different organisations, events, and activities and learn about careers the Royal Anthropological Institute's Education Programme is offering free informational brochures called: Discover Anthropology and Careers in Anthropology. To find out more about the brochures please visit this website. If you are interested in receiving the brochures please email Nafisa Fera at education@therai.org.uk with your postal address and she will post you the brochures and other Anthropological goodies!





Monday 11th May- A critical look at Imperial History

At the Institute of Historical Research in the Senate House today, there will be a discussion led by Zoe Laidlaw, entitled: Humanitarian Critics of Empire: the Aborigines Protection Society and India 1837-60. Zoe's work looks at 19th century conceptions of Empire and the use of maps and statistical representations of the British Empire. The seminar will take place at 5pm in the Germany Room. Open to all. For more information contact: 0207 557 7162.




Tuesday 12th May- Wales Anthropology Day

For those of you who live in Wales or nearby this is to let you know about a future event which takes place on JUNE 19th and which should not be missed! This sister event to London Anthropology Day follows a similar format: interactive and hands-on workshops given by lecturers and students to give you an insight into what Anthropology is about and what it is like to study the subject at university. Workshops include a range of different topics, dealing with school lunches and anthropology of food, to Bling and pop culture. For more information and to book your free place, visit this www.walesanthropologyday.co.uk



Wednesday 13th May- Embracing Slow

Living in London it is easy to get consumed by the need for speed. Time becomes a precious commodity that none of us get enough of. Our lunch hours get eaten away by tasks that are yet to be done, we go to one of the myriad of 'food on the go' places to grab something to eat, we rush to get to work and we rush to get home. Commuting by bicycle often becomes a race rather than a leisurely stroll. What if it wasn't like this? what if there was an uprising, a revolution of slowness, where people took the time to enjoy their lives and find moments to go against the grain of speed. The good news is that the revolution has begun. Along with the slow city movement, the slow food movement and other sociopolitical campaigns against our current mode of living, their is one specifically for London called: Slow Down London. Recently there was a festival with events, gatherings, art, meditation and yoga practice to help get Londoners to take it easy. This festival is just the beginning of this movement. Slow Down London has a wonderful website where you can contribute to the growing network of people that would like to see this type of change in the big city.

Diary for 30th April to 6th May 2009

THURSDAY 30th April- Listening for free

The Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) has undergone a podcast development project with the help and support of the University of North Texas' Anthropology department. The project provided an opportunity for student volunteers to undertake professional audio recording and editing of the SFAA's annual meetings. At this year's event there was a total of 16 sessions recorded, 7 of which are available on the SfAA podcasts website. To find out more about the team of students who took part in the project take a look here.


FRIDAY 1st May- Silk Road Music & Dance

Tonight at 7:30pm there will be a celebration of Persian and Uyghur Dance on at 78 Bishopsgate in London. Internationally acclaimed dancer Sahar Dehghan will be comming from Paris, to perform the unique Persian Dance and Sufi Whiling Darvishes. Having performed at over 30 international shows you can see videos of her performances here. Sahar will be accompanied by musicians Yusuf Mahmoud (singer and tabla player) and Peryman Heydarian (santour player) and Gulzie Yasin a Uyghur dancer. For more information about the event, email:worldmusicuk@gmail.com. Tickets are £10 in advance and £12 at the door.



SATURDAY 2nd May- Ghostly Matters

On June 4th from 9:30am-5pm, the University of Manchester will host a symposium called Haunted Futurities. The symposium aims to bring together scholars from the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities to discuss subjects that haunt us. The notion of being 'haunted' that is addressed in this symposium is quite broad. It can include looking at the ways in which past events of terror and violence haunt the present, or horrors that are imagined as 'inevitable' as well as 'hopes and dreams for difference and change'. A keynote speaker is Dr. Avery Gordon author of Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination. Registration is now open, for more information and booking take a look at this website.



SUNDAY 3rd May- The Many Faces of Buddhism

A three-week long festival that explores various forms of Buddhism and its expression through performing arts, paintings, sculpture and research is being held in varous locations in London. Some of the highlights of the festival include the opening of a gallery of Buddhist sculpture at the V&A, a two week international Buddhism film festival at the Barbican, and an international forum on Buddhism and the arts also at the V &A. The festival has been supported by the Robert H.N.Ho Family Foundation. For those of you interested in learning more about Buddhism and other religions you might be interested to take a look at this Anthropology of Religion course outline and its associated readings.



MONDAY 4th May- Cooking and Chimps

What can biological anthropologists learn from studying the actions and behaviours of our furry relatives? For Dr. Wrangham Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard, who has spent the last four decades observing wild chimpanzees in Africa our relatives can tell us a great deal about our evolution, in ways wewould never have assumed. In Professor Wrangham's new book Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human' he argues that it was cooking rather than tool making and meat eating that have set the conditions for human evolution. An interesting converstion with Professor on how and why he supports this theory can be found in this article. For an alternative article on the evolution of cooking take a look here. Those of you who are interested in learning more about biological anthropology and what it's really like to study chimpanzees in the wild, come and try one of the interactive workshops at the London Anthropology Day in July!


TUESDAY 5th May- Oxford Ethnographic Film Society is reborn

Its been several years since the Oxford Ethnographic Film Society has been in operation. With a set of enthusiastic visual anthropology students, and the support of the Oxford Academy of Documentary Film the call to action has been revived. The society which was founded in 2000 by Dr. Alison Kahn, a previous post-graduate Anthropology student at Oxford, aims to provide screenings of a range of ethnographic films which will promote discussions, debates and ideas on anthropological topics. The Film society has set up an excellent lineup this year of esteemed Visual Anthropologists (including Rebecca Savage, Michael Yorke, Andre Singer, and Zemirah Moffat) who will come and speak at the Pauling Centre in Oxford during April and May. For further information on the society, the speakers, and the topics of discussion visit this website.
For those of you who are budding filmmakers wanting to know more about techniques, courses, cameras I recommend you visit the Oxford Academy of Documentary Film website, which has a lot of very useful information.




WEDNESDAY 6th May- An evening of photography, film and debate on sex trafficking

I am going to book ahead for an evening event which will take place on the 13th of May at 7pm at the Human Rights Action Centre in London. Organised by Autograph ABP and Amnesty International the event promises a wide range of activities, discussions and films on the topic of sex trafficking. Photographer Dana Popa, will be presenting her work on Not Natasha, Amnesty International's gender policy adviser Poonam Joshi will discuss recent UK government schemes to protect victims of trafficking, and Frances Brodrick will talk about the Poppy Project's work on trafficking victims in the UK. The discussions will be accompanied by two short films, Emma Thompsons's film on sex trafficking, and Two Little Girls, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. The events is free, but booking is required. To book your place visit this website.

Diary for 23rd April to 29 April 2009

THURSDAY 23rd April- Ownership and Identity in Jewish Music

Today I am heading to City University London's Music Department for another one of their Ethnomusicology Research seminar series. Ethnomusicology explores the social and cultural aspects of music and dance, at a local and internationally level. Today's lecture investigates the characteristics of various kinds of music which are central to Jewish practice and identity. Dr. Nooshin, senior lecturer in Ethnomusicology explores how Jewish communities all over the world have come to absorb (over the period of 2000 years) the influences of their different social and cultural environments, and through intercultural exchange this has shaped their domestic and religious music. The lecture runs from 2-4pm in room AG09 (College Building, with the entrance on St. John's street). Entrance is free and all are welcome.


FRIDAY 24th April- Should Anthropologists work for the Army?

At 11:ooam today I am going to listen to a radio programme entitled Anthropology at War on BBC Radio 4. Mark Whitaker reporting from Washington DC, looks at the recent policy of the United States Army policy to employ Anthropologists and other social scientists to work with soldiers and combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the anthropologists' depths of experience and local knowledge the hope is that they will act as cultural mediators, teaching the troops how to act in more culturally appropriate ways, and thereby reducing 'the need to use lethal force'. A lot of controversy has been generated in Anthropological circles as to whether or not this is an appropriate use of their research and expertise. The American Anthropological Association condemns the initiative as being unethical. The situation is made worse by the fact that during the 18 months the policy has been in operation, 3 young social scientists have died.
Have a listen, and tell us your views. Should anthropologists be working in this capacity?



SATURDAY 25th April- London Anthropology Day 2009

For all of you who might have missed last year's event, this year's London Anthropology Day is going to be held on July 9th 2009 at the British Museum's Clore Centre. This free event is aimed at those new to anthropology who are interested in studying the subject at university. It is an open university taster day for teachers, career advisers, and year 12 &13 and FE students. This year we will have 16 universities from all over the UK come and give interactive workshops on everything from forensic science and primate evolution, to sacred music, dress and performance. Bookings are now open. In order to avoid disappointment, it is advisable to book in advance as there are a limited amount of spaces available. To book your free place visit: www.londonanthropologyday.co.uk



SUNDAY 26th April- RAI's 11th International Ethnographic Film Festival

Sponsored by the Royal Anthropological Institute, this biannual festival of international ethnographic film, moves around the UK to different host universities and associated cultural organisations and communities. This year the festival will take place at Leeds Metropolitan University from the 1st-4th July. This year's festival is jointly hosted by the RAI, the Centre fro Tourism & Cultural Change and the Northern School Film, Television, and Performing Arts at Leeds Met University.The festival includes 60 hours of film screenings, and workshops/talks on ethics of filmmaking, participatory youth filmmaking, and salvaging and archiving ethnographic film. The festival will also be followed by an international conference called Emotion in Motion. To find out more about the festival programme, tickets and booking visit this website.



MONDAY 27th April- Generation Net: Arts and Culture in the 21st Century

On the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of May University of Nottingham will have a series of free interdisciplinary lecture series exploring the production and use of different forms of media and the ways in which they generate cross cultural communication, identities and cohesion between communities. Details of the speakers' presentations, their biographies and work can be found here. The talks will be held in room A18 (the Arts Graduate Centre) of the Trent Building at 6pm and will be followed by wine and snacks. Admission is free, but spaces are limited. To book your free space, email Ian Smith at: iainrobertsmith@gmail.com.


TUESDAY 28th April- London's intricate web of linked lives

Surrounded by the masses of humanity that take London transport everyday it is rare that we would stop to think how each of our lives are connected through random occurrences, thoughts, actions places and time. How have these pockets of London's livelihoods come to existence and what connects them to their past and present communities? Running from April till June at Birkbeck Cinema, is a series of films called Working London which from part of the London Screen Study Collection. The films raise awareness of local lives and tensions in London during the 20th century as well as London screen history. All screenings take start at 2:30pm. Today's viewing is entitled Pool of London (Basil Dearden, 1951) and looks at interracial romance 'against the background of London's docks and sailors caught up in smuggling'.


WEDNESDAY 29th April- ORIGINS Festival of First Nations

UK's first festival of First Nations creative arts, bringing together artists and work of indigenous communities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA will take place from 5- 7th May. The festival includes films, theatre and comedy as well as an extensive education programme with workshops and visits to schools. The opening of the festival will be marked by a spectacular Maori welcome ceremony. Other highlights include the UK debut of four internationally acclaimed plays. The festival is produced by Border Crossings in association with Brontisky Associates. For more information about festival events, ticket prices and bookings visit this website.

Diary for 16th April to 22nd April 2009

THURSDAY 16th April- What's the 'Matter' in Anthropology?

How do we relate to the material world around us? What types of relationships do we create with objects, and do those relationships affect the relationships we have with other human beings? These are some of the questions which will be explored at Oxford University Anthropological Society's Centenary Conference on May 13th. The conference will be held in St. Hugh's College from 9:30am-5:00pm. Anthropologists Timothy Ingold, Dr. Dan Hicks, Professor Daniel Miller and Professor Stephen Woolgar will be presenting, while Professor Penny Harvey from the University of Manchester will be acting as chairperson for the day. Tickets are 10 pounds for students and 20 pounds for non-students. For more information and to book a place email: anthsoc@herald.ox.ac.uk



FRIDAY 17th April- Indigenous Rights and Transitional Justice

Today I am going to book a place in advance for a conference held on 1st May 2009, at the Senate House Room, N336 , University of London. The conference is entitled: Recovering Stolen Generations, Land and Culture: Indigenous Rights and Transitional Justice. Organised by the Human Rights Centre and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the conference explores topics such as the UN declaration of rights for indigenous peoples, language rights and language politics, mobilization, and dealing with historic trauma and reconciliation. The conference runs from 8:30am- 6:00pm. The conference is free and open to all but advance booking is required. For more information or to reserve your place email: troy.rutt@sas.ac.uk



SATURDAY 18th April- Capturing the soul of Shah Abbas on film

Today I am going to the British Museum to see a documentary made about the Shah Abbas exhibition now on at the museum. The film contains footage of religious sites and the buildings of Isfahan, as well as interviews with the curator. The British Museum's Director Neil MacGregor is the film's narrator. The documentary is being shown at 1:15pm at the BP lecture theatre. Admission is free, but booking is required. Take a look here for more information.







SUNDAY 19th April- Art and Atrocity

Today is a study day for adults at the Imperial War Museum London, to examine a current art exhibition called: Unspeakable- The Artist as Witness to the Holocaust. The exhibit explores different ways in which official war artists, contemporary artists, and Holocaust survivors, have used art to try and come to terms with the Holocaust. The study is free, for more information contact: grogers@iwm.org.uk



MONDAY 20th April- Festival of Latino rhythms

Running for its 9th year in a row, La Linea Festival is a Latin music festival which runs just over a month and takes place at various venues in Central London. Celebrating music from a wide variety of Spanish speaking countries and diaspora this year has a special Catalan theme. For more information about the festival and a list of the different concerts take a look at this website.



TUESDAY 21st April- Kanaval exhibition and talk

Tonight at the Photofusion Gallery on 17a Electric Lane, British photographer and filmmaker Leah Gordon will talk about her extensive media work in Haiti with John Curras, Postgraduate Theory Coordinator of Chelsea College of Art and Design. The gallery is hosting an exhibition of black and white photographs of Leah's research on pre-Lenten Mardi Gras festivities in Southern Haiti. The talk explores Leah's new film: Atis Rezistans- The Sculptors of Grand Rue, a documentary about a collective of Hatian artists who use junkyard finds to build their voodoo infected sculptures. John Curras (artist, writer and educator) will also talk about his own work exploring survivals of occult and spiritual belief systems in popular culture and the media. The talk starts at 7:15pm and is 5 pounds for non-members. To book your ticket phone: 020 7738 5774.


WEDNESDAY 22nd April- Chicle- Exploring the world of gum

For those of you who have tried the Chicza and have regained a renewed enthusiasm for chewing gum, you might be interested to explore the subject beyond your taste buds. Jennifer P. Matthews, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Trinity University, is currently publishing a a book called Chicle: The Chewing Gum of the Americas, from the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley. The book explores the history of what we in the West call gum, and the work and culture around chicleros (gum farmers). You can read an excerpt of the book here.

Diary for 8th of April to 15th April 2009

Lucy apologises to all her readers but she will not be able to post a blog this week as she is off scampering about, exploring new lands, meeting new people and tasting different culinary delights! Stay tuned for next week for more anthropological events, books and radio programmes.