Diary for July 3rd to July 9th 2008

THURSDAY JULY 3RD - An enticing brew

After waking up with a strong cuppa' today, I'll be starting off with a visit to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) in Cambridge to have a look at their collection of Zisha teapots from China. The pots are apparently the finest vessels in all the world for preparing tea, and remain a luxury item in their homeland. This exhibition looks at the notions of 'authenticity' that lie behind them, for whilst the teapots are presented as spontaneous artistic creations by their makers, they are in fact the result of many years of training and careful craft. Tea, as such an important commodity, has been the subject of several anthropologists' studies, such as Alan Macfarlane's 'Green Gold', and Chatterjee's 'A time for Tea'. It was also the subject of Goldsmiths student ethnographic film - which you can watch online. The MAA is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30 and 16.30 and entrance is FREE.






FRIDAY JULY 4th - Lifting horizons

There's an interesting event happening at the moment called the LIFT Festival at the Southbank Centre in London. The idea behind LIFT is that culture can enable people to engage more readily in political and social understanding across perceived boundaries. The events take place in a portable structure that is also visiting various other parts of the country this year - see their homepage for details. At the Southbank this week, events include the Aboriginal group 'The Black Arm Band', as well as many other indigenous groups from around the globe. Tonight, there's also 'The Long Table on Human Rights' which looks at the way performance overlaps with the protection of human rights. The Long Table begins at 18.00 and admission costs £5.


SATURDAY JULY 5TH - Removing rights

On Saturday I'm attending a new play down by London Bridge (which is then going on national tour to Manchester and Liverpool) about the asylum and refugee situation in the UK at the moment. Interestingly, it is an interactive experience, as the audience wander between sections of the 'removal centre' stage. Featuring original testimony from asylum seekers' experiences, including one which you can view online here, the production is being put on by The Red Room - an arts organisation which aims to questions the status quo. This interrogation of stereotypes and perception is crucial in anthropology, so the play should be well-worth getting along to. It runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 12th July at 19.30 and tickets are cheaper the earlier you book!





SUNDAY JULY 6TH - Tibet on screen

This fine Sunday I'm planning to learn more about Tibetan society. Firstly, following up on last week's blog, I'm going to watch 'Youth, Diaspora and the Search for Identity' at the ICA in London. Beginning at 16.30 (and costing £7 for students) it's a compilation of short films about young Tibetans living far from their homeland, and their lives in places such as India and Canada. One of the films, 'One Day with Rinpoche', also tells the story of an incarnate lama living in exile in India. And if that's not enough - or you just can't make it down to the ICA, you might like to take advantage of the BBC's new iplayer service, where you can watch the recently screened 'Wheel of Time' - directed by Werner Herzog, and produced by renowned visual anthropologist Andre Singer. It's all about the Buddhist Kalachakra initiation and includes an interview with the Dalai Lama. For a programme on Herzog himself you could also try and watch again the Imagine episode about him that was on last week.


MONDAY JULY 7TH - A degree of choice

For those of you thinking about where to go to apply to university this autumn, then you might be interested to check out the guide to different institutions that was published last week in Times. Anthropology is picked out in several of the reviews - for example it is "internationally outstanding" as University College London, a "spectacular success" at Goldsmiths College, and a new course in forensic anthropology came highly-rated at Dundee. There are over 400 anthropology courses on offer in the UK - for the full list you can visit the Good University Guide on the website. It's also worth checking out the links from the Royal Anthropological Institute's information page, as well as the homepages of the anthropology departments that will be present at next week's London Anthropology Day.


TUESDAY JULY 8TH - Doing the wife thing?

Today, with slight hesitation, I'm going to watch the latest in the long line of TV anthropology that has arrived on our screens. 'Tribal Wives' follows the experiences of various women as they visit supposedly 'remote' locations to understand what is missing in their busy UK lives. The idea seems to be that by spending time with women from tribal societies they can find some answers. Films such as these are tricky for the anthropologist, since while it is normally a good thing to learn about other cultures on a wider basis, the focus can often be misleading. You can read an interesting article on the series by UCL anthropologist Michael Stewart in which he laments the lack of a native point of view. If you want to watch the films themselves, they are on the BBC iplayer site, and also broadcast at 21.00 on BBC2 on Wednesdays.


WEDNESDAY JULY 9TH - Workers of the world unite

I'm down at a new exhibition in East London in the Whitechapel Gallery today featuring a Chinese artist, Wang Jianwei, who uses film to investigate issues of power and history in China's rapidly changing social and economic climate. His work is being shown together with that of Ali Kamza, whose films are studies of the work and lives of skilled workers, from artisans to doctors. Ethnographic films have often represented issues of labour and economics, since they are both widely studied by anthropologists. You can view examples of the work on the website.
The Gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 11.00 and 18.00 and entrance is FREE.

Diary for 26th June to 2nd July 2008

THURSDAY 26TH JUNE - More than a bookworm

Tonight my plan is to head over to West London for a night called Book Slam. It's a heady combination of literature, music, performance and all things cultural, and it's run by author and ex-anthropology student Patrick Neate. Every month Book Slam plays host to a variety of authors and other artistic types who give their insights on the world. This week, the main attraction is author Patience Agbabi, who will be reading extracts from 'Bloodshot Monochrome', her new book of poetry that looks at cross-cultural issues in East London. To learn more about Pat Neate's own writing, and perhaps gain an indication of how anthropology links into his own work, have a look at his website here. Book Slam start at 20.00 at Neighbourhood Bar, and tickets cost £6 for students, £8 full price.






FRIDAY 27TH JUNE -Look to the heavens in Wales

The long-awaited Wales Anthropology Day is upon us today, as flagged on the blog in the last few weeks. The day is an enticing blend of workshops about the many different options of study for the budding anthropologist, and is being held at the University of Wales in Lampeter. It's still not too late to sign up for the day, which runs from 9.30 until 16.30 and is FREE to attend. Highlights include workshops on the impact of body-paint, costume, and 'bling' attire on our identity, as well as a rare session on 'cultural astronomy', which looks at magic and astrology in contemporary society. The University of Wales actually has a specialist unit, the Sophia Centre, set up to study cosmology, and how humans have, and still do use the sky to tell stories about their existence. Spell-binding stuff..





SATURDAY 28TH JUNE - Ted is the new black

If it's mental stimulation you're looking for, then you can't go far wrong with the video website TED (standing for Tecnology, Entertainment, Design). It has a huge range of talks by inspiring intellectual and public figures on a wide array of subjects, including some directly related to anthropology. For example, there's a couple of talks on there by Wade Davis, an activist for indigenous communities who trained as an 'ethnobotanist', as well as one by paleoanthropologist Zerensey Alemseged on the discovery of the ancient skeleton Selam (related to Lucy by the by...) and what she can tell us about humanity. Almost all the talks are limited to under 20 minutes so you can even get your brain stimulation in the time it takes to eat breakfast...



SUNDAY 29TH JUNE - Leaving a mark(er)

There's another Pocketvisions Encore selection of intriguing ethnographic documentaries screening today at the Roxy Bar & Screen near London Bridge. As usual, the showings are divided into two sessions, with films this week about attempts to suppress the coca trade in South America, ice harvesting in the Andes and also a re-working of an old, classic documentary. The latter film in question is Chris Marker's 1960 'Description of a Struggle' about the young state of Israel - which has been reworked into Description of a Memory, interweaving present-day footage of Israel with archive from Marker's film. Chris Marker's work is often studied on visual anthropology because his poetic approach to subjects is similar to the way some ethnographic film-makers have attempted to use film as a more expressive way of representing other societies than through words. The films are showing from 15.00 until 18.30 and one £3 ticket gets you into as much of that period as you like. Tickets can even be purchased online here.


MONDAY 30TH JUNE - Religion & Iraq in Glasgow

On Monday I'm off to a final Refugee Week exhibition (several were mentioned on the blog last week) up in Glasgow at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. 'Life after Iraq' is a collection of photographs and writing by two Scottish journalists, Angela Caitlin and Billy Bragg, and contains images of Iraqi exiles in both Syria and Scotland. It's another chance to understand better what life is like for those living at the margins of society. Whilst at the museum I'm also going to check out the rest of the collections which contain information on all the world's major religions - the cross-cultural comparison of religion and ritual is often studied by anthropologists. The exhibition is open from 10.00 until 17.00 daily, and runs until the end of October - admission to the museum is FREE.





TUESDAY 1ST JULY - Tibet and the diaspora

I'll be down at the ICA in central London today for the start of a mini-season of films called 'Through an Exile Lens: Thoughts & Imaginings of Tibet'. The week-long collection of films includes pieces about young people growing up in Tibet, as well as various perspectives from those living in exile in India. It's interesting to the anthropologist because the subject matter revolves around people trying to create, or retain, a cultural identity in the face of state repression or ignorance, and therefore touches on all sorts of relevant issues from ethnicity to nationalism to religion. Particularly look out for 'Youth, Disapora and the Search for Identity' on later in the week, about several different young Tibetans living in India. If you're interested in the area, then you might also like to check out anthropologists Alan Macfarlane's website 'Digital Himalaya' - an online ethnographic record of the region.


WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY - Violence on the radio

Today I'll be listening again to Thinking Allowed which this week concentrated on the rituals and 'micro-dynamics' of violence. Speaking on the programme will be American sociologist Randall Collins who argues that humans are biologically predisposed away from violence and that it is in fact brought on by the situations they are caught up in. Since violence occurs in almost every society, anthropology has a strong interest in the whys and wherefores of the subject. Indeed, you can study it as a specialist degree, for example on the MA in Anthropology of Conflict,Violence and Conciliation at the University of Sussex. There are also several other web resources out there, for example this brief youtube discussion and this selection of writing. Peace out.

Diary for 19th June to 25th June 2008

THURSDAY 19TH JUNE - Painting Hull

We're half way through the annual Refugee Week at the moment, and since anthropology is often concerned with issues of migration, identity and cross-cultural difference there are a few events I'm going to highlight that should be worth attending. Starting today in Hull is 'The Land of Green Ginger', a participatory art project that aims to link refugees in the area with their 'host communities'. Over the course of three days, participants will collaborate to produce an artwork for the city, with the aim of also increasing their mutual understanding, and making plans for the future. As well as being an interesting exercise from the cross-cultural point of view, it is also notable for anthropologists because art is being used as a 'tool' for this communication. The event begins at 9.00 at the Paragon Station and the Central Library. You can find out more about Refugee Week and all the events taking place nationwide on their website.


FRIDAY 20TH JUNE - Imagining Iran

I'm afraid I'm a bit late on this one, but I thought the event worth mentioning anyway as there's still some related resources available online. The event in question was put on by the Iran Heritage Foundation at the University of St Andrews last week and comprised a conference, series of film screenings and a photographic exhibition looking at the Visual Representations of Iran. Although unfortunately the exhibition finished on the 18th June, several of the films are still available to view on the website, where you can also find out about upcoming events being organised by the IHF. Additionally, the photography exhibition that was on at the conference also exists as a book, and is a collection of images by Kaveh Golestan entitled 'Recording the Truth in Iran'. You can also read interesting academic abstracts on the website looking at issues of Persian identity. So whilst it's a shame I did not spot this event earlier, hopefully there is plenty of interesting stuff still online anyway.


SATURDAY 21ST JUNE - Refuge in film

Another Refugee Week installment today as I'll be checking out what this year's Refuge in Film film festival in London has to offer. A selection of films exploring issues of migration and refugees will be showing until Sunday, selected and presented by young people interested in and affected by those issues, in collaboration with the grassroots organisation Nueva Generacion. According to the current events page, on Saturday at the BFI there will be a combination of films and visual workshops, as well as a 16.30 screening of 'The Sahara is not for sale' at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn (tickets are £5), about the repression of the Saharawi people in Morocco.






SUNDAY 22ND JUNE - A day in Wales

Another reminder for the Wales Anthropology Day, which is now just under a week away. Places are still available for the day, being held at the University of Wales in Lampeter, which is made up of a series of workshops, talks and film screenings all designed to give an introduction to anthropology. Whether it's facial reconstruction, life in the army or Jamie's School Dinners - the topics covered are many and varied and should provide a great overview of the breadth of subject matter studied by anthropologists. The event is free to attend - for more information you need to email s.hurn@lamp.ac.uk, or otherwise just fill in the booking form online.





MONDAY 23RD JUNE - Getting in touch

As I mentioned on the blog a couple of week's ago, the relationship indigenous people have with the world at large has been in the news a lot recently, with an at times heated exchange raging between anthropologists, non-governmental organisations and just about everybody else about how these encounters should be viewed and represented. I came across an interesting article the other day which suggested that instead of emphasising the fact that these communities are 'uncontacted', we should rather try to understand their frequent struggles to retain control of their land and way of living from outside influences. At first such specific arguments may come across as a bit pedantic, but they are in fact vital to consider, especially given the current wave of questionable reality programmes in the media about indigenous peoples. It's an important debate, and a difficult one.



TUESDAY 24TH JUNE - Sharing out sameness

This evening I'll be heading down to the ICA in Central London for a talk by the French philosopher Luce Irigaray. She will be discussing some of the topics raised in her latest book, Sharing the World, many of which are highly relevant to anthropology. For example, she examines the idea of 'sameness' in western culture, and suggests that learning to co-exist with 'the other' as 'another' might be a more helpful way forward. The 'Other' is a concept commonly referred to in anthropology, and is a catch-all term used to describe how we represent those outside our society or direct community. The talk begins at 18.45 and tickets cost £9 for students. You may have trouble getting tickets, in which case returns are normally available - otherwise look out for another talk by Irigaray in September.





WEDNESDAY 25TH JUNE - No Man is an Island

I'm off to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology today to look at a new exhibition of photographs by Australian artist Brook Andrew. 'The Island' is a collection of ethnographic photographs taken by early anthropologists, which Andrew has reinterpreted in the light of contemporary political and social concerns about the exploitation of indigenous peoples. The collection is made up of portraits and landscapes from the archives of several anthropological institutions. Moving away from discussions of how the images sterotype indigenous peoples, this collection aims to understand them at a different level, in terms of cultural identity, history and racial discrimination that lies therein. You can read an introduction to the photographs by anthropologist Nick Thomas as well as the artist here. The exhibition runs until 27th September, and entrance to the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology is FREE.

Diary for 12th June to 18th June 2008

THURSDAY 12TH JUNE - Alluring talk

There's an introductory talk to 'The Lure of The East' exhibition (mentioned on last week's blog) that I'll be attending today at Tate Britain. It's being given by curator Christine Riding and will focus on issues of cultural 'cross-dressing' in portraits of the Ottoman Empire, which sounds like it will offer some interesting perspectives on the difficulties of representation, and the problems inherent in any outside perspective on another society. The talk begins at 13.00 in the Auditorium and tickets cost £4 -you can book online here.


FRIDAY 13TH JUNE - A taste of anthropology

Today I want to tell you about an event that's going on at Goldsmiths University which is, unusually, perhaps not something I would recommend attending (unless you have some experience of anthropology), but is still interesting to know about as it's a great reflection of the diversity of work that anthropologists do. The event in question is an 'exhibition' of current research occurring amongst anthropologists in London, ranging from tattoos to bookmakers, and from Bulgarian Muslims to Ghanaian chainsaw operators. For a small reflection of some of the work London anthropologists get up to you could also look at the written and visual resources available on the Goldsmiths anthropology webpage, or consider subscribing to the magazine Anthropology Today - although be warned some prior knowledge is useful for all of them!


SATURDAY 14TH JUNE - Anthropology in the news and on the news

There was a good example this week of how the work of anthropologists is being used more and more widely to understand the way the world works. Associated Press, who are responsible for a huge amount of the information we read in the press, have just announced the results of a study they commissioned on the consumption of news by young people aged between 10 and 18. They employed a team of anthropologists around the world to investigate the subject and the research was discussed at the Gothenburg World Editors' Forum no less. You can read about the experiences of one the anthropologists on her blog, as well as about the project more generally on its website.





SUNDAY 15TH JUNE - Lebanon to Bucharest

Pocketvisions returns today with more highlights from the documentary film festival held in London a couple of months ago. This week the selection of films showing at the Roxy Bar & Screen centre around the theme of solitude, whether that loneliness is brought on by economic, political, family or personal circumstances. Session One - beginning at 15.00 comprises Casa Mia (My House) and Por Mis Hijos (For my Children), about two Bucharest youngsters and a Barcelona mother respectively trying to find a better life for themselves. Session 2, from 16.30, is made up of 'Beirut: All flights cancelled' abuout the 2006 conflict in Lebanon and Cyanosis, which depicts an Iranian street artist's struggle to work against a backdrop of interference from officials. Tickets for the whole afternoon cost £3 and can be purchased online or on the door.


MONDAY 16TH JUNE - Horses and things

Today I'll be listening again to the latest episode of Thinking Allowed, in which anthropologist Daniel Miller from University College London was talking about his book 'The Comfort of Things'. Miller is an expert on 'consumption' and the meanings objects have for human beings, and his recent research has focused especially on the meaning behind the items people decorate their homes with, and how their relationship with their wider community is affected by these possessions. He did the research by investigating 30 different peoples' homes on just one London street. Also on the programme is a discussion about how humans relate to horses - for more information on this topic see Goldsmiths anthropologist Rebecca Cassidy's work. Interestingly, Thinking Allowed is also now expanding its links with The Open University - with extended interviews and greater resources than the BBC microsite.



TUESDAY 17TH JUNE - Polynesian Paris

Following my adventures in Holland last week, this time around I'll be catching the train over to Paris for a new exhibition at the Musee du Quai Branly. The collection is a recreation of an exhibition held in England at the Sainsburys Centre for Visual Arts a couple of years ago, called 'Art & Divinity in Polynesia, 1760-1860' and it includes many fascinating artefacts from when the first encounters occurred between European travelers and indigenous Polynesians. Objects on display include functional items such as fish hooks and tools, to canoes and massive temple images, and there is also an examination of the motivations that lay behind the Europeans desire to build up these collections. The exhibition runs until mid-September and the admission prices ranges from 10 to 20 Euros depending on how much of the museum's other intriguing exhibitions you want to see.




WEDNESDAY 18TH JUNE - The badge of an icon

Particularly interesting if you listened to the radio programme I mentioned on Monday will be the 'Icons of Revolution' exhibition currently running at the British Musuem. It's an assortment of badges, posters, books and other material and memorabilia from the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960s. The Cultural Revolution was an attempt by Chairman Mao to bring a new ideology of respect for the Communist regime, and citizens were 'encouraged' to wear badges depicting their leader as part of an everyday dress code. It's one of history's most striking examples of when objects were invested with enormous significance, but also of how such imposition of meaning can easily be reinterpreted throughout the object's life..

Diary for 5th June to 11th June 2008

THURSDAY 5TH JUNE - East meets West

Anthropologists often investigate the construction of stereotypes, and perhaps no stereotype has been more widely discussed than the concept of orientalism. Orientalism, since it was famously written about in 1978 by the sociologist Edward Said, has been understood as the stereotypical representation of the east by western artists and academics. It's now the subject of a new exhibition at the Tate Britain - 'The Lure of the East' - in which a collection of paintings produced between 1780 and 1930 will be on show, as a way of understanding how western artists responded to the landscapes, peoples and cultures of the Near and Middle East. Tickets are £10, or £8 for students and there are a series of associated events - look out for pointers on the blog in coming weeks.






FRIDAY 6TH JUNE - Going Dutch

I'm going out on a limb this weekend and heading over to Amsterdam for the Beeld voor Beeld documentary film festival that's currently being held there. An annual event, the festival claims to stand at the crossroads between visual anthropology, politics and documentary and believes that film represents a powerful means to question and challenge our preconceptions and prejudices. Quoting an eminent Belgian anthropologist, Luc de Heusch, the organisers hope that “Anthropology is a game for the brain that could be developed towards a better understanding of human societies”. You can see for yourself over four days of films which range in subject matter from the 'fringes of Europe' to 'rituals surrounding death'. It is one of a number of visual anthropology festivals held around the world each year - for more information and to get planning see here.




SATURDAY 7TH JUNE - Monkeying around at the library

Recently on the blog I've been mentioning events that relate to storytelling and how it can give a telling insight into a particular community or aspect of society. Currently showing at the British Library is the opportunity to discover one of the most elaborate and well-known stories in existence - the Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of Hinduism's central texts and has had a profound influence on the art, culture and philosophy of the regions it has reached. Over 120 paintings from the Library's archives will be on show, depicting Prince Rama's attempts to rescue his wife with the help of an army of monkeys. You can view a selection of images from the collection online, which include exhibits borrowed from other institutions such as the anthropological Horniman Museum. The exhibition runs until mid-September and admission is FREE.



SUNDAY 8TH JUNE - Cries from the margins

Today I'm heading along to a special event hosted by Human Rights Watch at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London. 'Cries from the Heart' is an opportunity to learn about the experience of people who have lived under dictatorial regimes - it's an event that has been going for a few years now and seeks to highlight the voices of those who, because of political oppression, have lived at the margins of society or been displaced. There are also performances from the likes of Ian Mckellen and Colin Firth. Tickets can be obtained from the Human Rights Watch website and the seats in the Gallery are cheapest at £20 - you can also reserve a place by emailing erin.ratazzi@hrw.org. Anthropology often studies the areas at the margins of the 'state' as a way of understanding how societies work, so it should be an evening well worth attending.


MONDAY 9TH JUNE - The world in Liverpool

I'm branching out today and going along to a museum I've heard about over in Liverpool - the World Museum. It has one of the most impressive collections of ethnographic objects in the UK. The 'Human World' section of the museum is divided geographically into four areas - Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania and the curators have tried to ensure that the relationship between the objects on display and their origins is clearly explained. There's also an interactive section of their website to test your knowledge of the objects, and world cultures more generally. The museum is open daily between 10.00 and 17.00 and entrance is FREE.





TUESDAY 10TH JUNE - Plan the future of anthropology

A unique chance to conribute to the future of anthropology is on offer today at the Royal Anthropological Institute. The Education Officer there is holding a half-day workshop to discuss new ways in which the RAI could engage young people in anthropology, with the opportunity for attendees to suggest ideas for future projects, events and workshops. The event is primarily aimed at current undergraduate or postgraduate students of anthropology, or at least those who have some prior experience of the subject. It begins at 11.00 and lasts until mid-afternoon, comprising a combination of interactive exercises (along the lines of De Bono's thinking hats method), film screenings, a Q&A as well as an optional tour of the Institute. Refreshments and an anthropological goodie bag are also on offer - to book a FREE place contact Nafisa Fera, the Education Officer on education@therai.org.uk or 0207 387 0455.




WEDNESDAY 11TH JUNE - First contact

You may have noticed last week the news that a previously uncontacted tribe had been photographed in the midst of the Amazon Jungle in Brazil. Many anthropologists spend their careers working with and for indigenous peoples, as evidenced by their involvement with last years' Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the UN. They are also very concerned with the way indigenous people are portrayed and represented since often this leaves a lot to be desired, with the widespread use of terms such as 'primitive' and 'stoneage' by the mainstream media. Indeed, the organisation Survival International (which has a number of ex-anthropology students on its staff) runs a campaign against the use of these terms, and has also recently made a film on the issue which you can watch online.

Diary for May 29th to June 4th 2008

THURSDAY MAY 29TH - Consuming consumer society

This evening I'm heading down to East London's HOST Gallery for an exhibition and talk with artist Adam Hinton. His latest collection of photographs looks at the impact of consumer society on China, and the way in which the lives of those in a rapidly changing '21st century metropolis' have changed as a result. At 18.30, there is also an opportunity to hear Adam in discussion with Chris Wright, a lecturer on the MA in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths University. They will be talking about the common anthropological topic of 'commodity fetishism' (essentially the desire for consumable goods) by comparing the photographs with some films made by visual anthropologist Martin Hampton - entitled 'Possessed' - about obsessive hoarders. Admission for the evening is £5 and you can reserve your place by emailing rsvp@hostgallery.co.uk - the exhibition as a whole runs until 7th June.


FRIDAY MAY 30TH - Telling tales

Tonight I'm off to another installment of the Storytelling event that I mentioned on last week's blog. At the Barbican, Dovie Thomason will be narrating Native American tales which explore the relationships between men and women, and women and their selves. Dovie has won awards for her storytelling and the manner in which she manages to "speak to listeners of today in the voices of the past". You can read more about her here. The event - 'Tales of Lakota Women' - begins at 19.30 in The Pit - tickets are £9, or £6 for students. For another example of what myths and stories can tell you about a culture, you might be interested to read more about the work of Professor Chris Knight, an anthropologist from the University of East London, who has written extensively about the importance of fairytales in society.





SATURDAY 31ST MAY - Webnography and the firelight

Following on from yesterday's storytelling spectacular, today I'll be pondering a new piece of research that suggests the recent explosion of social networking sites is a return to the hearth places of our ancestors. Just as, back in the old days, people gathered around the campfire to tell each other about their lives, today's communities increasingly use the internet to communicate similar messages - through facebook, myspace and the like. You can read the full text of anthropologist Jenny Ryan's research on her 'Virtual Campfire' website in which she discusses the interaction of these 'digital natives', and also look out for regular updates to her thinking on her blog, or as she calls it her 'webnography'. Interesting stuff...just don't burn your marshmallows.


SUNDAY 1ST JUNE - Feast of films

Another batch of films on today as part of the LIDF encore at Roxy Bar & Screen near London Bridge. First up is 'Beautiful Country' all about the toxic waste that's being illegally dumped in Italy’s beautiful Campania region. The film follows one man's quest to cut through the infamous Italian bureaucracy and change things around.
After that, in Session 2, is La Americana which follows a Bolivian woman who travels illegally to the USA to try and earn enough money to pay for her daughter's medical treatment. It's followed by Tehran Backyard - a look at the other end of life - as an elderly cleaning lady works to raise enough money to feed her large family. The screenings run from 15.00pm to 18.30 and a single ticket gets you into both sessions. Tickets are only £3, available in advance online at www.lidf.co.uk or on the door.


MONDAY 2ND JUNE - Anthropology in Wales

It's a while away but I thought I'd give a heads up for the Wales Anthropology Day 2008 that's being held later this month at the University of Wales, since you might like to get planning if you're interested in attending. It's a chance for those who might like to study anthropology at university to learn about the many different branches of the subject, and go along to workshops where anthropologists will talk about their work, ranging from 'bling culture', to life as a army marine and shamanism in indigenous society. There is also a film screening at the end of the day, going behind the scenes to discuss the merits of the recent, and very popular, TV series 'Tribe'. The event is free to attend - for more information you can Email s.hurn@lamp.ac.uk, otherwise just fill in the booking form online and you're ready to head for the valleys!



TUESDAY 3RD JUNE - Boxing clever

Today I'm going to listen again to last week's Thinking Allowed on Radio 4 that continued its series of looks at urban environments. In discussion with ethnographer Loic Waquant, the programme examined the renowned Harlem district of New York City, and whether the way it is commonly described as a 'ghetto' stands up to closer scrutiny. Professor Waquant will also be talking about his research into boxing - for several years he was an amateur fighter - initially as a way of conducting ethnographic research in certain areas of Chicago. His lengthy (ten year!) study in and around the sport was an attempt to understand why so many young men loved the sport - ultimately he concluded it was "the sheer sensuous, aesthetic and moral experience of being embedded in that universe". You can read more about him here, as well as have a look at his book on boxing online here.


WEDNESDAY 4TH JUNE - Migrating to the Tate

Today I'll be popping along to an interesting looking exhibition of photography and film that's opening at Tate Britain in London. 'This is that Place' is a selection of work from Mitra Tabrizian, an Iranian-British artist who focuses on themes of nomadism, migration and homeland...both areas of study common to anthropology. Such spheres of society - where people are living on margins or 'faultlines', are often crucial for understanding the wider functioning of a community so it should be fascinating to see some of these works, many of which come from Tehran - a place more sterotyped than most in the mainstream media. The exhibition runs from today until mid-August, and is open daily. You might also be interested in this book of Tabrizian's work, and it's well worth checking out her website which has a fair amount of her work uploaded.

Diary for May 22nd to May 28th 2008

THURSDAY MAY 22ND MAY – Fiesta Quest

Rumour has it Thursday is the new Friday so today I’m heading over to a talk at Canning House - the cultural centre based in East London – being given by writer Simon Pritchard all about fiestas... For several months he toured Spain attending local cultural festivities as part light-hearted anthropological investigation, part mid-life crisis. His experiences included vertigo-inducing pole climbing, and more masochistically being beaten with burning torches. Although the extent of his cultural analysis in his appreciation of the Spanish ‘genius for celebration’ remains to be seen, the endeavour does at the very least seem to have been done with a fair degree of participant-observation! And celebrations or rituals are frequently a way in for anthropologists to understand another culture, so it should be an intreseting and fresh perspective on the subject. The talk begins at 18.30 in Canning Town and entrance costs £7.

FRIDAY MAY 23RD MAY - Getting street for the camera

In an effort to boost Lucy’s street cred, today I’m off to a show of urban photography at the Tate Modern offering a pictorial history of both the street and studio, aiming to expose the differences in imagery that arise from using these two locations. Context and representation are of huge importance to anthropologists so anything that gets you thinking about those issues can’t help but be useful. Moreover, the collection includes work by photographers often studied on Visual Anthropology courses thanks to their sensitive approaches to the human subject, including Robert Mapplethorpe and Diane Arbus. Arbus has been labelled a producer of ‘contemporary anthropology’ because of her attempts to engage her subjects more closely and consciously in the photographic dialogue – you can read more in this article. Street & Studio is on until the end of August and entrance costs £8 for students.

SATURDAY MAY 24^TH - Silk & Sculpture

Come Saturday I’ll be down at the Horniman Museum in South London for the start of two new, linked exhibitions. ‘China: Symbols in Silk’ does what it says on the tin – it’s a collection of historic silk textiles from the region, including clothing and religious items. It’s hosted in the Balcony Gallery, in combination with ‘A Mirrored Community’ in the Gallery Square - an art installation by artist ‘Hale Man’ in collaboration with the Chinese communities of South London. The works in this latter exhibition are inspired by the former, and also includes objects and photographs. Both run until the beginning of September – for more thoughts on the anthropology of clothes, also have a look at Monday’s entry.

SUNDAY MAY 25^TH - Community with Chomsky

On Sunday I’m off to see a new exhibition at the Tate St. Ives by community artist Adam Chodsko. Over the past 17 years, he has put together an assortment of video, performance, posters, sculpture, sound, photography and other media, all created in collaboration with peripheral communities who “define themselves through their own rituals and folklore. He combines traditional inspiration with his own creative bent to tell stories about the communities’ lives, as well a fictional Carnival ritual imagined at some point in the future. The exhibition runs until 21^st September and entrance is £5.75 or FREE if you’re under 18.

MONDAY MAY 26^TH – Not just a hand-me-down

Back down at the Horniman today for another new exhibition – ‘India Recycled’ which looks at how cast-off clothes, as well as old saris (for those of you who don’t wear them already!), are recycled in northern India. The journey of the clothes is told through photographs and is based on some recent anthropological fieldwork, which looked at how clothing is passed between different social and economic groups, and how in doing so how its ‘value’ alters depending on the owner. You might also want to have a read of ‘Old Clothes, New Looks’ which examines the history of trading in second hand clothes throughout the ages, including examples from places as diverse as Ireland, Zambia and Hong Kong, and movements from ‘vintage’ in the USA to ‘neo-mod retro-sixties German subculture’. Sounds funky. The exhibition runs until 25^th January next year, and entrance is FREE – make sure you look out for associated events on the blog in the coming months.

TUESDAY MAY 27^TH - Doing the Gormley-Sutra

Anthony Gormley, the famous British artist who draws a lot of his inspiration from his studies and interest in anthropology, returns tonight with a performance piece in which he has collaborated with other well-renowned composers and choreographers. ‘Sutra’ is showing at Sadler’s Wells in London, showcasing the agility and abilities of Buddhist Shaolin Monks. Gormley was instrumental in providing the environment for the show, which runs until Saturday at 19.30, with tickets on sale from £10 upwards. You can watch clips of the show here and also on youtube, as well as reading an article about the subject here.

Also, a reminder today that places for the London Anthropology Day 2008 are almost full up. The day is a fantastic opportunity to learn why Gormley and others (see above) were so inspired and fascinated by anthropology with a series of introductory workshops and talks. To book your place, and also learn more about other valuable resources on the subject, check out the website for lots of information.

WEDNESDAY MAY 28^TH - Eternal stories

As I mentioned on last week’s blog, stories and storytelling are crucial to many societies since they act as a way for the members to understand themselves and each other. For outsiders they also provide a really useful way of learning how those communities work. Today, there’s a fantastic opportunity to hear two Native American storytellers from Lakota in the USA, Robert Owens-Greygrass and Dovie Thomason, narrating their traditional tales. Their stories explore the whole spectrum of existence, from the differences between men and women, to those between earth and sky – acting as an “essential place where dreams, magic, stories and reality meet.” Tonight in The Barbican at 19.30, Owens-Greygrass will be singing ‘An Evening of Gifts’ - songs about balancing an unbalanced world – which is also preceded by a talk with two other experts about the impact of Native American literature on oral & written traditions across the globe. Attendance for the evening costs £9 for adults and £6 for students.