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.

Diary for 21st February to 27th February 2008

THURSDAY 21ST FEBRUARY - Stories from the streets

This afternoon I'm back down at Pocketvisions at the British Museum for the screening of 'Flowers don't grow here anymore' which tells the stories of a few of the one million children that live on the streets of Kiev, Ukraine. The film uses their experiences to examine the transformation from communism to capitalism in the country after the fall of the Soviet Union. Filmed over 4 months, it is a good example of a film-maker taking time to form a relationship with the contributors, and presenting a society from a bottom-up perspective. The director waited a long time before filming anything, and in that sense her approach borrowed from anthropology. The film is followed by a Q&A and you can view a trailer of the film here. It begins at 16.00 in the Stevenson Theatre and entrance is FREE.


FRIDAY 22ND FEBRUARY - Women on screen

On Friday I'm going along to another film showing, this time part of a new mini festival - 'Women's Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran', which runs until 2nd March. This evening Sama - The Trace, tells the story of a young Tunisian woman's attempts to escape the male-dominated society that she has been brought up in, despite her love for the country and her culture. The film begins at 18.15 at the Cine Lumiere, or it is showing again at the Cambridge Picturehouse on 1st March at 14.30. The festival is showing a mixture of fictional films and documentaries in London and Cambridge, all exploring the role and representation of women from Morocco to Iran - you can see the full programme here.


SATURDAY 23RD FEBRUARY - Urban anthropology

Today I'm going to have a look at at a magazine that's relatively new to the (online) shelves - it's called Stimulus Respond, and aims to look at everyday life from a fresh, unusual perspective. Anthropology has always been central to the magazine's ethos, and indeed it's strapline is "for the urban anthropologist". It contains written and photographic features on a different theme each issue, normally really broad topics such as 'man/woman' or 'animals', but approached in lots of interesting, very specific ways. The magazine is published online every two months, and occasionally in the shops - all the back issues are viewable on the website.




SUNDAY 24TH FEBRUARY - Getting down on the dance floor

Something completely random today - I'm planning to make myself feel a bit better about my own dancefloor moves by watching the first ever 'Dance your PhD' contest which was recently held in Vienna. The link to anthropology is that one of the judges was none other than an Austrian anthropologist and expert in the origins of dance, whilst the winning dance, which you can view online here, was about the fieldwork of an Oxford-based archaeologist and was based around the capture of an antelope in hunter-gatherer society. If the displays of academic action get you inspired, then you might be pleased to know you can study for an MA in Dance Anthropology at the University of Roehampton, or try reading an introductory text on the subject, 'Anthropology of Dance'.




MONDAY 25TH FEBRUARY - Uniting against boredom

On Monday I'm down at the Bath Literature Festival for a morning talk and workshop involving Jenna Bailey, author of 'Can Any Mother Help Me?', a book based on an archive of letters written by women from the Cooperative Correspondence Club. The club began in 1935 when a young woman wrote to a popular magazine about her boredom and loneliness and received hundreds of replies - these written relationships endured for several decades, so the event and book should be an interesting insight into women's everyday experiences of society. You can book online here. Interestingly, the book was published in collaboration with Massobs, the 'everyday anthropology' organisation that I have mentioned before on the blog.






TUESDAY 26TH FEBRUARY - Getting the look

This Tuesday I'm planning to check out a funky little website run by an anthropology PhD student in London, Philomena Keet. Her research examines street fashion in Tokyo, and she has just published a book on the subject which is informed by some of her anthropological thinkings - 'The Tokyo Look Book'. Also on the website is a blog about her research and related events - sometimes there are late notice seminars she will be talking at for those of you who are interested in the subject. Another interview with Philomena is available online here.


WEDNESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY - The buildings of Kazakhstan

On Wednesday I'll be heading down to SOAS in London for a talk being given by Catherine Alexander, an anthropologist based at Goldsmiths University. Dr Alexander's work generally focuses on the relationship between citizens and the state, and today she will be speaking on the 'Changing Urban aesthetics in Almaty, Kazakhstan'. Kazakhstan is particularly interesting from this perspective, because of the enormous changes to its economy since the end of the Soviet Union. Be aware that the talk may not be suitable for absolute newcomers to anthropology, and you should email Dr. Adam Chau beforehand on ac88@soas.ac.uk if you wish to attend.

Lucy Special: Street Fictions and Realities@the Foundling Museum, 7th March

SPECIAL ANTHROPOLOGIST ABOUT TOWN EVENTS IN MARCH!

Hi Everyone,
I'm posting a special one-off message to Anthropologist About Town to let you know about some special Lucy events I'm running in March and give you the chance to book some free tickets before everyone else!!

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2008 (7-16 March) Lucy is running a special Childhood Exeperiences on Film series of FREE anthropology-related events designed for the general public.

The series kicks off with a late night event at London's Foundling Museum on the 7th March (think short films by visual anthropologists, Hogarth and Gainsborough paintings, interesting people and a free glass of wine (or elderflower cordial if you're under 18)) and is followed up a series of more intimate film screenings at the Royal Anthropological Institute (10th-12th March) looking at life in boarding schools. All events are free but you need to book a place by calling 0207 387 0455 or emailing education@therai.org.uk

Full details are below!! Hopefully see some of you there!

MAIN EVENT:
Street Fictions and Realities: Childhood experiences on film @ the Foundling Museum

Friday 7th March: 6.30pm-9.30pm
The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ

An evening of doucumentary short film screenings by visual anthropologists, exploring the experiences of children in India, Ethiopia, and Malawi, separated from their parents and finding imaginative ways to create homes for themselves. Plus: a free glass of wine and the chance to explore the art galleries and collections of the Foundling Museum, Britain's original home for abandoned children (normally £5 entry)

The films will be screened in the picture gallery (left) with plenty of time of explore the museum. Doors open at 6.30 and the first film will be screened at 7pm.


Films to be screened:
Street Fictions (2002)
Malawi, 32 mins, Filmmaker and anthropologist: Dominic Elliot

Through combining their own dramatic reconstructions and real life observation, this film tells the story of the Malawian children who run away from their homes in search of a better life on the streets of Blantyre. As the children act out a fiction based on their own experiences, we also follow the work of Macdonald, a social worker whose hope it is to return them to their homes


Ravi and Bhajay (2002)
India, 26 mins, Filmmaker and anthropologist, Rachel Webster

An intimate and uplifting exploration of the lives of street children Ravi and Bhajay as they survive together on the streets of Mumbai. To get away from it all they visit the holy city of Vijan with the filmmaker. Despite being offered jobs and schooling if they stay in Vijan, the attraction of the streets is too great and they choose to return to Mumbai to be among their friends.


Room 11: Ethiopian Hotel (2007)
Ethiopia, 21 mins, Filmmaker and anthropologist: Itsushi Kawase

This film aims to capture a sense of the life of children living on the sreets of Gondar by witnessing the interaction between 2 children and the filmmaker. Although it is about the children's life on the steets, the entire film was shot in the filmmaker's room in the Ethiopian Hotel.



Upstairs at the RAI Film screenings: 10-12 March

Childhood Experiences on Film continues with a series of intimate (max 20 people) evening film screenings exploring boarding school life. Screenings take place at the Royal Anthropological Institute, 50 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 5BT. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access at this time.

Monday 10th March: 6.30-8.30pm

PRIDE OF PLACE (1976)
Dorothea Gazidis and Kim Longinotto. 59 mins

A rarely seen classic by Kim Longinotto takes a dark look at the boarding school she ran away from as a teenager. Preceed by short film "The Good Ol'Days" by students from Greenwich Community College.



Tuesday 11th March: 6.30-8.30pm

THE NEW BOYS (2003)
David MacDougall, 100 mins

Filmmaker David MacDougall follows a group of new boys during their first term at the "Eton of India," capturing their conflicts and friendships, jokes and loneliness. Preceed by short film "Talk of the Trade" by students from Greenwich Communtiy College.


Wednesday 12th March: 6.30-8.30pm

SCHOOLSCAPES (2007)
David MacDougall, 77 mins

MacDougall continues his exploration of school life at the progressive Rishi Valley School in India founded by the philiosopher Krishammurti. Preceded by short film"Anglesea Road: Mini Somalia" by students from Greenwich Community College.



IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME ALONG TO ANY OF THE ABOVE DON'T FORGET TO BOOK YOURSELF A FREE PLACE (0207 387 0455, education@therai.org.uk).

I'd love to tell as many people outside of "academic" anthropology as possible about these events as they are, like anthropologist about town, especially designed for people new to the subject. I have lots of fliers and posters at the RAI Office (50 Fitzroy Street, W1T 5BT, nearest tube: Warren Street/Great Portland Street) so if anyone would like to volunteer to distribute a bundle in places like coffeshops and galleries I would be very grateful! Just: writetolucy@gmail.com

Diary for 14th February to 20th February 2008

THURSDAY 14TH FEBRUARY - Music to make your heart flutter

There can be few better ways to get Valentines Day evening started than by listening to the romantic sounds of Italian classical music. Which is why today I'll be making an afternoon visit to Pocketvisions at the British Museum, for the screening of 'At the right time' - a documentary that interweaves the musical histories of four talented young Italian musicians. Anthropologists who are interested in music are normally known as 'ethnomusicologists', and are interested in the role that music and dance can play in social contexts. You can study the subject as part of your degree at SOAS and The Open University, but for today watching this film should be enough to get you thinking - it's on at 16.00 in the Stevenson Theatre and entrance is FREE.


FRIDAY 15TH FEBRUARY - Gangland academia

On Friday I want to listen again to a recent NightWaves programme broadcast on Radio 3, in which an American sociologist, Sudhir Venkatesh, was interviewed. He has just released a memoir about his extended fieldwork in which he joined a violent Chicago gang and became close acquaintances with its members. In other interviews, Venkatesh has described how he moved away from traditional 'survey' forms of research - and in fact his methods had more in common with anthropological techniques of 'participant observation' and spending extended periods in the field. Whilst I'm not sure this makes him a 'rogue sociologist', the programme and his book 'Gang Leader for a Day', should provide some great insights into the difficulties, and dangers, that you can come across in fieldwork...

SATURDAY 16TH FEBRUARY - Show me the love

Come Saturday I'll be pondering a question that might have been on many people's lips earlier this week - where have all the men gone? The reason I want to consider this most thorny of topics is that anthropologist Robin Dunbar this week described in an article how the apparent difficulties 30-something women have in finding a life partner is down to the different ways men and women value their 'market appeal' to the opposite sex. His findings were based on research into the qualities and age ranges that people looked for in their lonely hearts adverts. Make up your own mind, but bear in mind you may not have too many people to choose from - Dunbar is also famous for 'Dunbar's Number', which asserts that humans are only capable of holding relationships with 150 people at any one time. A few more fish in the sea then...


SUNDAY 17TH FEBRUARY - Captured at the British Museum

Today I'm going along to a conference called 'Adoption, Captivity & Slavery' which will look at differing cross-cultural understandings of the exchange in human beings, in early colonial America. Many of the contributing speakers at the conference are anthropologists, and they will be talking on a variety of related subjects, ranging from the Indian slave trade, to hostage exchange and missionary evangelism. You can read more about the whole programme on the website here, but be aware that some of the sessions may only be appropriate for those with prior experience of anthropology. The conference is being held in the Sackler Room at the British Museum, and costs just £5 for students to attend both days - you can register on site from 10.00.




MONDAY 18TH FEBRUARY - Anthropology and action

To start the week, I'm going to read more about an eminent anthropologist, David Maybury-Lewis, who recently passed away. He was renowned for his reflexive approach to fieldwork, namely the way in which he sought to understand his own impact on the societies he was studying, as much as the societies and people themselves. For example, in The Savage and the Innocent he described what the Shevante people of Brazil found disgusting about him and his wife as well as vice versa! He also founded an organisation that campaigned for the rights of indigenous peoples, Cultural Survival, and his work is an interesting example of how anthropologists can combine their research with practical action.




TUESDAY 19TH FEBRUARY - Walk on the wild side

On Tuesday I'm going to be at the Royal Geographical Society lecture that I mentioned on last week's blog. Given by the journalist and traveler Jay Griffiths, it's all about her experiences of living amongst indigenous communities across the world, and the book she has just released about those periods. She is particularly concerned to turn misleading representations of 'savage' indigenous people and 'civilised' westerners on their head and provide an alternative version of people's historical roles. The event begins at 19.00 - you can book online here, or over the phone on0207 730 5344. As I said last week, mention Anthropologist About Town and tickets are exclusively £10.





WEDNESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY - Books on Burma

This afternoon I'm attending a book launch down at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, which is accompanied by a talk from the author. The book in question - The Moon Princess - is the memoirs of Sao Sanda, the daughter of the first president of independent Burma, and she will be discussing her family's experiences of political upheavals in the country. Burma's ethnic make-up was the inspiration for one of the most well-known ethnographies from the early 20th century - Edmund Leach's 'Political Systems of Highland Burma', so you may also be interested to compare his study of the Kachin people with that of the Moon Princess. The talk begins at 14.00 and admission is FREE but you need to email the organisers beforehand at helen.mears@brighton-hove.gov.uk to confirm your place.