26th March 2010: Youth Producing Change film screenings 3.30pm at the ICA

Calling all film-lovers and lovers of freedom of expression! Join me in this great opportunity to see 11 short films made by young people from across the globe as part of Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Their rarely-seen perspective encompasses a range of issues affecting the social, cultural, political and physical environments that they both come from and film in.

It is a chance to gain a particular 'view from within', as well as voice, on the personal issues and concerns that face the young film-makers in relation to their locality but which is inevitably linked to the bigger social and cultural pictures in which they are played out. Issues explored include resource scarcity and the impact on Ngarrindjer community values and customs in Australia, toxic waste affecting community health in the U.S, the challenges that curfews and containment pose for Palestinian teenagers, caste system restrictions on an Indian girl's education, a Haitian's experience of non-entity through lack of birth certificate, and an Afghan young man seeking asylum in the U.K. Referencing themes from sex to death, all of human life is here, as seen and presented by young people producing documentary material which could easily double as visual anthropology.

Some of the film-makers are going to be present and talking about their work and the whole 72 minute extravaganza can be had for the bargain price of £5 if the word 'CHANGE' is mentioned when ordering tickets at the ICA box office in person. Tickets can also be ordered over the phone on 0208 7930 3647.

Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH

View the trailer online here.

Listen to a podcast interview with the Youth Producing Change Filmmakers.

Afghanistan's hidden treasures at the British Museum

It's finally here! I've been waiting with eager anticipation to get to see the treasures of Afghanistan in this new exhibition at the British Museum. This amazing folding crown belonged to a nomadic group buried at Tillya Tepe in Afghanistan in the 1st century. Designed to be portable to suit the nomadic lifestyle, it's 21st century travels have brought it to the UK to become a star exhibit in the 'Afghanistan' exhibition, running until 3rd July 2011. Spanning the centuries BC to AD, the material culture exhibited describes both diverse and mingled cultures within a region that historically provided one of the meeting points of East-West travel, trade and conquest. The existence of the exhibition's collection in itself tells a story as objects were secretly stored to save them from destruction in recent histories of civil war and Taliban rule. This risky venture ensured their survival, preserving a cross-section of lives and times descriptive of Afghanistan's cultural, historical and geographical place and space. They also provide a window through which to consider wider, present-day experiences, and their expression in material cultures, of political and economic movements, cultural mixity, ways of living, and forms of belief and power.

For more details go to http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/future_exhibitions/afghanistan.aspx

Lucy's Back!

Hello and welcome back to regular updates from Anthropologist About Town! I am fresh back from my holidays and ready to unearth anthropological happenings all over the country!

As I can't physically be 'about town' throughout the UK, I welcome your input to update me on the many and various events, exhibitions, film-screenings, festivals and celebrations or general occurrences that you feel relate to anthropology. Many ears to the ground are better than one and I want to gain a rich mixture of UK-wide material, reflective of the many areas and aspects of anthropological interest and investigation. Simply by getting involved, you will be actively participating in an area which is of great interest to anthropology-a system of exchange, circulating information through communication.

If you are a student let us all know about the events happening at your school, college or university as well as anything locally you think would be of interest to fellow anthropologists. If you're not a student but connected to the world of anthropology in any way, shape or form or simply interested and intrigued by the subject, please join in the adventure of sharing and exploring all things anthropological. There is so much out there of interest for the anthropologically-minded, it would be great for us to pull together to form our own interactive community. So, whatever it is, if it hits your anthropological 'spot' and provides a useful resource for others, please send in your links and suggestions via the contact info provided, preferably with your thoughts on how they relate to this fascinating and diverse subject. Also, let me know what's working and what's not on the blog and get commenting!

As I am just back, I will just post this one event for the moment with more to follow. However, this one is happening today so is hot off the press-hope those of you in London can join me there! More very soon, Lucy.

Wed 16th March: Jean Rouch screenings at the BFI

As part of the BFI Essential Experiments strand at BFI Southbank, NFT2, two films by Jean Rouch will be shown. The first is 'Les Maître Fous' (1955), depicts a Hauka ceremony in West Africa. The second is his first , influential film 'Moi, un noir' (1958) which blends fiction with documentary devices. Screenings are Introduced by Dr Lucy Reynolds, lecturer, artist and film curator and cost £9.50 (Concs. £6.75, BFI Members pay £1.50 less). For more detail visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/events/essential_experiments/two_by_jean_rouch and if you want more information about Jean Rouch, there is 'The Adventure of the Real: Jean Rouch and the Craft of Ethnographic Cinema', published in 2009 by Professor Paul Henley for University of Chicago Press (http://www.press.uchicago.edu).

December 2010: Lucy's on Holiday

Hello Dear Readers,

Hope you are enjoying good times with friends, food and family coming up to the holidays. Just to let you know, Lucy will be taking this December off but will be back January to welcome you in 2011 .

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
See you in 2011!

Lucy Special: RAI's Anthropology of Sport Photo Contest

The photo contest forms part of the RAI’s Discover Anthropology Outreach Programme www.discoveranthropology.org.uk

The contest aims to:
• promote public engagement with the RAI’s Education Outreach Programme

• provide a platform for people to share their work and become actively involved in anthropology

• initiate activities and events in relation to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics

• develop awareness of the anthropology of sport and facilitate communication between practitioners working in media, arts, sports and social sciences

The deadline for submissions is Friday 10th December 2010


What is Anthropology of Sport?

Anthropology of Sport is the cross-cultural and biological understanding of sport in prehistory, history, and the contemporary world (Blanchard 1995). It analyzes the socioeconomic, political and cultural dimensions of sport and how sport influences the lives of individuals and communities around the world.







The submissions we are looking for:

Engaging photographs that explore cross-cultural and human elements of sport in relation to the following categories:1) Globalisation 2) Identity and 3) The Body

Below are themes that could be visualised under each category. They are meant to be illustrative and not restrictive. Applicants are encouraged to think creatively about how they can communicate these categories and relate their photographs to anthropological themes. Photographs can include aspects related to the world of sport such as spectators, fans, paraphernalia, media, and advertising, in addition to people playing sport.





Category 1: Globalisation

- the commercialisation, commodification and consumption of sport
- sports played out virtually, ‘dream teams’, Second Life
- sports in relation to power, equality and hierarchy
- sports and colonisation
- urban infrastructure and development as a result of grand sport events
- environmental sustainability/degradation in relation to sports upkeep/promotion
- youth programmes, community activities and regeneration projects
- media and technological advances in communicating, promoting and advertising sports
- global sporting events as a means for socio-political mobilization
- sports as a cultural product
- sports in relation to leisure and tourism industries



Category 2: Identity

- the formation of local, regional and national identities in relation to sports
- sports as rites of passage
- sports affiliation passed on through generations
- looking at the ways sports create boundaries of inclusion/exclusion
- how sports are linked to identities based on ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion
- how sports paraphernalia, sports equipment and the type of sports undertaken express aspects of identity
- religion and spirituality (praying before games, talismans, religious symbols or totems used to facilitate performance)
- sports achievement and socio-economic status
- sports as a means of organising social relations
- athletes as icons, ‘Hall of Fame’
- sports which identify themselves with counter-culture and resistance to the mainstream
- fans who recreate themselves in their idol’s image



Category 3: The Body

- pushing the body to its physical extremes, dealing with fear, danger, emotion and pain
- the relationship between mind and body
- the value of players based on performance -who owns their bodies?
- how bodies play interact with time and space
- the psychological and physical attachment to adrenaline
- the physical development of professional athletes
- cultural interpretations of beauty and aesthetics in relation to athletes
- athletes as icons within popular culture, body styling and modification as a part of forming athletes’ identities




Who can participate:
The competition is free to enter and is open to anyone within the UK and abroad who is interested in anthropology, photography and sport. Both professional and amateur photographers are welcome to participate.







Guidelines for submissions:

• All applicants must fill in the registration form which can be found on the following website: www.discoveranthropology.org.uk **Participants must complete a separate form for each of their submissions**

• To be considered for the photo competition, each photograph must be accompanied by a title and text of 50-150 words to be included in the registration form.

• Participants can submit a maximum of two photographs to EACH of the categories:1) Globalisation 2) Identity 3) The Body

• Photographers may not submit the same image to more than one category

• Once a photograph has been submitted, it is final and may not be replaced by another photograph.

• Photographs need to be submitted in high resolution JPEG/ TIFF or PNG format and sized less than 10MB. Please send submissions to Nafisa Fera, the RAI Education Officer at education@therai.org.uk

• Submissions that infringe copyright agreements, are unethical or disrespectful of anyone will disqualify the photographer from the contest.

• The RAI is not responsible for any late, misrouted, lost or damaged entries.

• All decisions made by the judges are final.

• The prize is non-exchangeable

How will the submissions be judged?

The Royal Anthropological Institute has appointed a panel of judges who will assess the photos based on the following criteria: - creativity and originality of the photograph - quality of the written text and its incorporation and exploration of anthropological themes and ideas - technical quality of the photographs






Prizes
All short-listed contestants will be published in RAI educational materials. In addition, the winning photograph from each category will receive a £50 gift voucher.


The deadline for submissions is Friday 10th December 2010

For further enquiries
Please contact the Royal Anthropological Institute’s Education Officer Nafisa Fera at education@therai.org.uk or 020 7387 0455 with any further enquiries.

Diary for October 2010

MONDAY 11th October- Sewing in Wartime

Running until the 16th October is a great exhibition at the Quilt Museum and Art Gallery which looks at the production of material culture amongst Canadian men and women during the Second World War. In collaboration with Canada House, the exhibition features Canadian Red Cross Quilts and other patch worked and quilted pieces. The quilts tell the stories of Canadian needlewomen who made and donated thousands of quilts to the British war relief using their ingenuity and creativity at finding resources and materials that were available at that time. Visit this website for more information about the history and development of the quilts. The exhibition is free. Everyone welcome.



MONDAY 11th October- London Street Photography

The Museum of London is hosting an exhibition bringing together 19th century and contemporary photographs looking at ways in which street life has changed in the city and how photography has influenced how people relate and identify themselves with the city. The exhibition is free and runs until September2011. For more information visit this website.



TUESDAY 12th October- 22nd October- Exhibit yourself through things

If you were asked to choose an object that gave some insight into your life, who you are, your interests, quirks and familiarities what would that be? Would you want to share it with others? The Wellcome Collection has launched a new public engagement exhibition called Things. The aim of the exhibition is to update Henry Wellcome's curious collection but also to find out the meaning of objects that form part of our everyday lives. You can take part in the collection by donating, lending or submitting a photograph of your thing. The objects will form part of the exhibition.The exhibition is free and open to all. Visit this website for more information.

TUESDAY 12th October- 22nd October-The 4th Native Spirit Festival

Today marks the beginning of the 2010 Native Spirit Festival of Indigenous Peoples. Running until the 22nd October the festival includes films, talks and performances celebrating and exploring Indigenous cultures and the protection of their rights. For a full programme of events visit: www.nativespiritfoundation.org







WEDNESDAY 13th October- SOAS Anthropology of Development Seminar

Today from 1:00pm-3:00pm in the Brunei Gallery, Caroline Harper associate director of the Chronic Poverty Research Centre and a research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute, will be giving a presentation entitled Gender, Chronic Poverty and Social Justice. Caroline has over 20 years of experience working with organisations such as Save the Children, UNICEF and ODI on issues regarding childhood poverty, youth exclusion, empowerment and policy processes. You can read more about her work and research background here. The seminar is free and open to the public.




WEDNESDAY 13th OCTOBER- Road to Las Vegas

Insight education in collaboration with Rise films and UCL are hosting a free film screening of Road to Las Vegas directed by Jason Massot. The film documents the journey of an African American couple with five kids from Alaska who take to the road in order to find work in Las Vegas. "Filmed over four years through boom and bust, this is a tale of infidelity, drugs, poverty, infinite promises and new beginnings". The event will take place between 6:30pm-8:30pm in the Archaeology Theatre, Department of Anthropology, entrance 14 Taviton Street. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director. Everyone welcome.







THURSDAY 14th October- Gender Health and Wellbeing

Today from 2pm onwards, Yiu-Tung Seun from the Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford will be giving a lecture entitled: Men on their own: revisiting assumptions on masculinities, singlehood and health. The seminar will take place in Seminar Room 1, ODID, University of Oxford. Entrance is free, all welcome.







THURSDAY 14th October-Agrarian Change Seminar

Today from 5:15pm in Room 4421 (fourth floor main building) in SOAS, Lucia Da Corta from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) will be delivering a talk entitled: Agrarian Change, Gender Transformations and Poverty in Tanzania. The seminar is free and everyone welcome.








FRIDAY 15th October- Assembling Bodies

Today from 4:00pm onwards at the University of Manchester's Place Theatre Dr. Anita Herle Senior Curator of World Anthropology at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, will be giving the first public lecture in Social Anthropology this month. Anita's talk is entitled: Assembling bodies: Art, Science and Imagination Displaying the technologies that make bodies visible. The seminar is free and everyone welcome.









TUESDAY 19th October- Annual Ethnobotany Lecture 2010

Today at 5pm at Kew's Jodrell Laboratory (Jodrell Gate, Kew Road) is a lecture entitled Dynamics of ethnobotanical knowledge in a globalizing world: the Tsimane people of the Bolivian Amazon. The lecture will be given by Victoria Reyes- Garcia, from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Admission is free, everyone welcome.




WEDNESDAY 20th October- SOAS Anthropology of Development Seminar

Today from 1:00pm-3:00pm Scarlett Epstein, director of (Practical Education and Gender Support) and SESAC (Scarlett Epstein Social Assessment Consultancy) presents a talk entitled The need to redress Rural/Urban Development Imbalances. During the 1950s Scarlett was at the forefront of development anthropology, throughout her extensive career, Scarlett has worked as a researcher, consultant and adviser amongst numerous other roles. To find out more about Scarlett's work, you can download this interview conducted in 2004, by Professor Alan MacFarlane's.



FRIDAY 22nd October-24th October- Bloomsbury Festival

Bloomsbury Festival is a chance to celebrate music, cultural events, dance and activities which bring together people who live and work in this wonderful area of London. Bloomsbury hosts many cultural organisations and leading academic institutions such as UCL, British Museum, Welcome Trust, SOAS, Birkbeck and Royal Anthropological Institute as well as important galleries, hospitals and a wealth of other private, public and charity organisations. The festival has over 1000 people working across disciplines to share ideas, experience and expertise with each other and the general public. The majority of events are free and open to all. To find out more about the festival and programme of events visit this website.






FRIDAY 15th October- Christian Freedom and Christian Fixity

Today from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Seligman Library (Old Building) Dr. Jon Bialecki from the University of California San Diego will be discussing his research on the practices and beliefs of Southern Californian Third Wave and Emergent Christians analysing how their constructions of personhood affect their political and economic practices. The title of this seminar is Christian Freedom and Christian Fixity: Evangelical telos and anti-telos in Southern California and beyond. Everyone welcome.

FRIDAY 22nd October- Money-Go-Round

Today from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Seligman Library (Old Building) Professor Deborah James from London School of Economics will be presenting a seminar entitled: Money-go-round: personal economies of wealth, aspiration and indebtedness in South Africa. Deborah is a specialist in anthropology of South and Southern Africa. The majority of her fieldwork has been conducted in Mpumalanga and Northern Provinces. Her research interests include the contestations between state and market driven ideologies in relation to land ownership use and governance and issues relating to reproductive health and HIV-AIDS.


FRIDAY 29th October- Creating Lasting Love

Today from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Seligman Library (Old Building) PhD Candidate Victoria Boydell (LSE) will be presenting a seminar entitled Creating lasting love: a study of contraceptive practice in Central London family planning clinic. Everyone welcome






FRIDAY 29th October- Catching Shadows

As part of their Friday Lates programme the V&A will hold an event from 6:30pm-10pm tonight featuring talks, tours, installations and screenings focusing on the 'Shadow Catchers' exhibition. The Shadow Catchers exhibition presents the work of five artists who create images on photographic paper without the use of a camera, either through casting shadows, using chemical treatment or manipulating light. Find out more about the exhibition through this website. To book your place for this evening call 08445 79190.

FRIDAY 29th October- 30th October- Ethnographic Filmmaking in the Making

The Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations in collaboration with the Royal Anthropological Institute and the International Centre for Contemporary Cultural Research have put together a fantastic film programme exploring topics such as faith-healers, refugee musicians, and diasporic communities. Over the next two days a series of films will be screened from 10:00am- 6:30pm at the Aga Khan University on Euston Road. Full details of the films and filmmakers can be found here. Registration is £10 for a full day. To register your place contact: richard.werbner@manchester.ac.uk