LUCY SPECIAL: Upcoming RAI Education Outreach Events

The RAI's Education Department is organising some great events in the next few months for A-level students, teachers, career advisers and mature students. Space is limited so it is recommended to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!







Wednesday June 8th 2011: A-level Anthropology Teachers' Day

The RAI´s Education Committee is organising a special teachers' training day for those already involved in teaching the Anthropology A-level or who are planning to teach the A-level in the near future. The event will take place on June 8th at the Royal Anthropological Institute, located at 50 Fitroy St. London W1T-5BT.

The A-level Anthropology Teachers’ Day is intended to bring together teachers with members of the
Royal Anthropological Institute’s Education Committee – professional anthropologists who have
been involved in the development and support of the course. This will be the first meeting of many to come and will provide an opportunity for people to meet, to discuss progress so far and issues arising, and to plan future meetings. There will be ample opportunity for participants to meet informally, over coffee and lunch, as well as more direct inputs on issues such as
resources, the project activity in Unit 4, and a Q&A session with Senior AQA staff.

The day will include sessions on:
- resources for AS and A2
- teaching strategies, methods and ethnographic case studies for Unit 3 and 4
- discussions and experiences of AS
- a Q&A session on the examination procedure with the AQA examination team.
and more!

A detailed programme of the day can be found here


Registration Details:
If you are interested in attending this event, please email the RAI’s Office Manager at:
admin@therai.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Registration costs £50 for the day which includes lunch and refreshments. Payments may be made using our website page: http://www.therai.org.uk/about-the-rai/order-from-us/payment/ 
The RAI accepts payment by cheque, credit card or bank transfer. If your school requires an invoice please contact us.

Thursday 14th July: London Anthropology Day 2011 

The RAI's Education Department has just opened their new online booking system for this year's London Anthropology Day (LAD).The event will be held at the British Museum's Education Clore Centre on 14th July 2011. This year's event will have 19 universities participating from England, Wales and Ireland making it the biggest event to date.


The LAD is a free university taster day for year 12, 13 students, teachers, career advisers. The day consists of an introduction to anthropology, (both biological and social),a range of interactive workshops run by anthropology lecturers, and presentations on applying to university and careers. All participating universities have representatives and information stalls at the day.

Take a look at the wide variety of workshops offered on the day, ranging from forensics and tattoos to anthropology of violence and ethnographic film. Before booking your place at the event, be sure to read the following booking information.

Lucy's Diary May 2011

I’ve been away bodding about another town so a last-minute entry kicks us off, heading up London’s offerings, as the first tantalising delicacy is already going on! As always, it’s all free unless otherwise stated.

School of Oriental and African Studies: http://www.hrelp.org/events/elw2011/index.html 

‘Endangered Languages Week’ (until 14^th May)

This event seeks to navigate the geographies, social places and cultural influences as well as fragilities of the huge number (over half) of global languages currently threatened with extinction. Including opportunities to familiarise yourself with them through lectures, discussion, demonstration and exhibition and display in arts and media materials, this fascinating week promise to leave no aspect of ‘meeting a language’ unturned. The presentation of SOAS MA student’s ‘London Language Landscape’ and the Brunei Gallery’s hosting of a range of materials presented by organisations involved in language preservation sound particularly interesting. I’m certainly going to catch what I can, if nothing else to see if Cornish crops up. I’m not sure if it died already as the last I heard was that only one person spoke it, so it seems pretty likely!

City University London And London Centre For Arts And Cultural Exchange (LCACE): http://music.sas.ac.uk/research-groups/middle-east-and-central-asia-music-forum.html#c1448

‘Festival Of Music In Middle Eastern Cinema’ Saturday 14^th- Friday 20^th May

Umm Khultum (photographer unknown)

A collaboration between the Institute of Musical Research, University of London, Iran Heritage Foundation, Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS and The Royal Anthropological Institute, this ‘mini-festival’ promises to be packed so full of stuff it’d give Glasto a run for it’s money (though more in guise of the annual Fes festival).  Celebrating Middle Eastern music past and present, traditional and emergent, a two-day conference and films featuring the sounds as well as experiences of Middle Eastern music are showing throughout the period at the Tricycle Theatre (http://www.tricycle.co.uk/) and the Khalili Lecture Theatre in the School of Oriental and African Studies (http://middleasternmusicandcinema.wordpress.com).

  
         

         

Geffrye Museum: http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/

Saturday 14^th May and Sunday May 15th

Copyright:Susan Andrews

On the 14^th (paid) there’s an ‘At Home in Japan’ study day exploring modes of living in the Japanese home, its’ influence over Western perceptions (and décor) and the everyday reality. A host of curators and Dr Inge Daniels (whose work informed the exhibition) provide the perspectives. On the following day, check out the free Anthropology of Space ‘taster day’.

Insight, University College of London: www.insighteducation.org.uk

(May-July)

Image from Insight website

Insight are running courses covering aspects of camera use and film-making, development, production, proposal-writing and funding, business, marketing and a 15-day documentary course. So, basically everything you need to know if you want to use camera’s to tell stories for reasonable fees and run by experienced industry professionals.

Radical Anthropology Group: radicalanthropologygroup.org

(Camden,Tues 6.15–9.00 pm May to July)

‘The Moon in Myth, Ritual and History’

Into their summer term already, the Radical Anthropologists are going beyond Pyramidiocy (in the best possible sense) by exploring ‘Lunarchism’ and lunatic influence across time and space on cultural activity by way of UK megalithic construction, Greco-Roman myth, and a contemporary moon-clock amongst the weekly treats. Plus, there’s an outing to Avebury to align with the lunar energies in the company of the ancient stones of Avebury around the summer solstice. All in all, the programme sounds like a healthy reconnection with the linkage between what has been and what is that it is possible to embrace and celebrate through the magnificently diverse and wonderfully idiosyncratic anthropological lens. It also sounds fun-count me in.

Moving out of London:

Mass Observation One Day Diary for Thursday 12th May 2011:

http://www.massobs.org.uk/index.htm

I mentioned last month that there was more going on with the Mass Observation bods and this is it-requiring none of the usual registration, we can submit a diary of our thoughts, activities and reflections on keeping the diary noting whether it’s a typical day and if not, say why. Be part of a fine modern tradition of making the everyday voice heard and kept for posterity; it could be said that things like MO paved the way for the proliferation of social networking phenomena driving contemporary communications within and understandings of social space. As it’s short on time, I thought I’d include the gist of the guidelines which are the diary must be in electronic form (emails or email attachments) and, to background the diary, include a brief self portrait (age, where you live, whether you are married or single, your present job or occupation if working and any other information that you think is important to record). Finally, a statement is needed for the diary to be added into the Archive which is below then submit it to  .Happy history-making!

“I donate my 12th May diary to the Mass Observation Archive. I consent to it being made publically available as part of the Archive and assign my copyright in the diary to the Mass Observation Archive Trustees so that it can be reproduced in full or in part on websites, in publications and in broadcasts as approved by the Trustees”.

Testspace, Leeds: beckye.elliott2@googlemail.com

(Deadline 19^th May)

Help the project to challenge the notion that video could become inaccessible and self-indulgent by providing some fantastic visual anthro ethnographic material and show exactly anthropology in film can disprove these criticisms and what it can achieve! Mail a link to a video online or attach a video to the above address for submission.

National Media Museum, Bradford: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/PlanAVisit/~/media/Files/NMeM/PDF/PlanAVisit/ExhibitionsEvents.ashx

‘Churches’ (until 15^th September)

Copyright: David Spero

David Spero’s photographic view takes in the churches that have colonized the unconsecrated land of buildings never intended for this purpose which, through their change of use, materialize the question of transformation, blurring and subversion of the boundaries and delimitations regarding social and sacred space. Stripped of overt external signs associated with faith spaces related to expressions of power and symbolism, do these buildings still look like their counterparts in industrial estates, houses, pubs, cinema’s and shopping parades or does the addition of the church boards and purpose start to effect some change-at least in perceptions? I’m going to take a good look next time I’m up North as I think it may be a hard one to call...

University of Oxford, Lady Margaret Hall 25th May:

Tel: 01865 271529 or e-mail: igs@qeh.ox.ac.uk

‘Out of the Harem: Arab Revolutions and the end of Patriarchy’

Delivered by Dr May Yamani, this sounds a must for those like myself interested in Arab- and Muslim-influenced cultures. The timely feast of political, cultural and social issues promised in the provocatively-titled lecture comes hot on the heels of recent and ongoing change in the ‘Arab Spring’. I'm looking forward to delivery of some challenging and salient information to current debates, particularly how a relationship between revolution and patriarchy’s end is outlined. While I wait to go and find out, I can wonder what 'Hijabi Barbie' (pictured) take on it will be-after all, is she in or out of 'the Harem'? ;)

UNION, Leeds:  http://eaststreetarts.org.uk/whats-on/dialogue-among-civilisations/?utm_source=East+Street+Arts+e-news+subscribers&utm_campaign=736ad1a933-May_News_Letter5_9_2011&utm_medium=email

‘Dialogue Among Civilisations’ (Opening Thursday 12^th May 6 - 8pm, until 27^th May)

‘Blombos: We Are All South African’
Bruce Rimell, 2009

Returning (whoops, sorry, too many good things happening in Yorkshire-world!) check out the 15 works created in an international collaboration between artists and poets from 35 countries. These form the basis for a new initiative by Art for Humanities in Durban whose aim is to create worldwide dialogue regarding issues of inequalities and prejudice. Through creative dialogues, the organisation intend to renew commitments to tolerance, harmonious co-existence and human rights. It’d be interesting to see how this laudable ambition works (and looks) in the pieces displayed and what kind of a start it has got off to but as I can’t make this one, it’s be good if anyone out there can give the anthropological once-over and report back.

Lucy Special: RAI's Anthro of Sport Photo Contest-take a look at the results!

As you know, toward the end of last year the RAI’s Education Outreach Programme ran a competition to get great anthropology of sport pictures from anyone handy with a camera. The categories included the body, identity, and globalization, and the competition generated 230 wide-ranging, fascinating and dramatic entries from a truly global 24 countries. The great response meant that lots of young people not only engaged with the Programme but in doing so have had the opportunity to share their work, get actively involved with anthropology and be a part of activities to do with the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The body of work produced enables both participants and those looking at the images to be involved in reflecting upon on the anthropology of sport, sharing and communicating ideas between anthropology and sports, media, and the arts. Not bad for a photo competition! Take a look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/raieducation and join the conversation.

Plus, if you get inspired to do something similar, check out the ‘My Street’ competition at the RAI Film Festival site. Instead of still shots, this is a call for film submissions. It’s a great opportunity to ‘have a go’ at some visual anthropology and make your world ours by capturing the activities, conversations, observations, impressions that make up your street or neighbourhood. The premise couldn’t be simpler-or more anthropological as it relates to all sorts of areas of anthropological interest, particularly the Anthropology of Space and Home, Material Cultures, Urban Anthropology, Visual Anthropology to name a few-in fact, the sky’s the limit and the pavement the place! The competition closes at the end of the month and, in addition to films being streamed online, the winning entry will be screened-putting your home well and truly on the map. I’m looking forward to seeing the stories behind the streets and way more than Google Maps could ever reveal!

Lucy Special: RAI 12th International Film Festival Anthropologists on film

Uncredited

There’s a whole strand in this year’s festival concerning anthropologists on film-from those rather famous ones like Levi-Strauss (‘Claude Lévi-Strauss, Return to the Amazon’ Marcelo Fortaleza Flores 2009) and their activities and experiences in the field to those behind the camera considering the nature and reality of the fieldwork endeavor itself. Essential stuff for both budding and fledged anthropologist alike as it’s good to reflect on where the discipline has been to know where it can, and is, going. The radical shifts during disciplinary development can be seen through the leaps forward and mis-steps of pioneers, players and the simply passionate alike.

Films to look out for include the story of the first ethnographic film made (‘The Masks of Mer’ Michael Eaton 2010) plus those concerned with direct interventions and engagements of anthropologists within environments, whether restoring and recreating historic homes in new space (‘Further Lane’ John M. Bishop 2011) or embedded with the US army (‘Human Terrain’ James Der Derian 2010). The ‘experimenter effect’ of the ethnographic venture is explored intimately in films addressing the deep interrelationship and effect of researchers and the communities they work with, both positive and negative. Deep bonds inspiring new forms of ceremony and celebration are found regarding Frembgen in Pakistan (‘The Red Sufi’ Martin Weinhart 2010), Francois and Stern in Motalava, (‘The Poet’s Salary’ Eric Wittersheim 2008), and Rouch in West Africa (‘I Am a White African - Farewell to Jean Rouch’ Bernd Mosblech 2008). In contrast, the perspective from within the Yanomamo tribe of Chagnon’s work illustrates when things go wrong. By exploring the work, perspectives and debate generated by this controversial project, the very nature of the anthropological project itself is considered (‘Secrets of the Tribe’ José Padilha 2010).

Follow the festival preparations and commentary by those involved, including film-makers, in the Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/pages/RAI-International-Festival-of-Ethnographic-Film/139827756089095

Anthropology Taster Days

Hey Everyone, I mentioned the first one of these tasters being run over the weekend. They are being held over consecutive Sundays 15th, 22nd and 29th May and cost £35. All enquiries, including for bookings, should be directed to Yasmin Hales-Henao on Email: yhales @aol.com : Mobile : 07974-389188.

On the 15th May, the multilayered meaning of home is explored using a range of comparative ethnographic examples and looks at the social use of domestic space, decorative style and meaning of the home in Britain from the 19th century to the present day. This is then related to the way spatial practises, rituals, boundaries and cultural identity differ in the traditional and modern Japanese home, taking in a visit to the Geffrye Museum’s current exhibition  "At Home in Japan”, previously described on the blog.

The second, on 22nd May, concerns decoration in societies. Looking at decorative expression on walls, floors, landscape and the body in South and South East Asian indigenous art practises, their cultural meanings and the relationship of these aesthetics to wider society. Also, how indigenous group practices adapt and make the transition from tradition to modernity. This will be considered through theoretical discussion, ethnographic film, photography, and a visit to an art exhibition.

Finally, the third taster, on the 29th May, will consider the role of dirt, gaining insight into the cross cultural attitudes to ideas of purity and pollution and the Anthropology of Dirt itself. This view takes in obsessions with hygiene, food, the body or the practise of everyday life, and consider through discussion why the boundaries between cleanliness, dirt and disgust differ across societies. This session will visit the “Dirt: The Filthy Reality of Everyday Life” exhibition previously described at the Wellcome Trust Collection.

Each of these tasters is followed by an 8-week course run by Yasmin from June, more details of which can be gained from her on the above contact information.

All taster days run from 10-4pm, location be confirmed with Yasmin.


 

Indian pre-Summer :12th RAI International Film Festival India Strand and ‘A Disappearing World’ at The Brunei Gallery, SOAS

I’ve been having another look at the first day of the film fest (23rd June at UCL) and having a nose around the India strand. Two address elements of faith, religious practice and engagement with ‘The Poojari’s Daughter’ (Gillian Goslinga 2010) looking at the initiation of a Hindu priestess and the motions of every day temple life surrounding significant events in the lives of the ordained. Faith healing through possession is looked at in ‘Drugs and Prayers’ (Helene Basu 2010) through the lens of (and as a form of) community care centring on the activity of a Sufi temple. Both present 360 views through the actors drawn together and co-involved in both the places and practices. A different view of grassroots militancy by members of an untouchable caste is presented in ‘Pink Sari’s’ (Kim Longinotto 2010). These indomitable women in the signature sari’s of the title fight for social justice and against oppression in the wider social world by resisting low-class ascription. They also address the microcosm of ‘the in-laws’ family world and resist the oppression of abuses inflicted by family members when moving into the invariably restrictive realm of their husbands’ domestic world.

The India strand continues throughout the festival with a great-looking film on one man’s journey of discovery, spirit and humanity through Tantra in ‘The Lover and the Beloved: A Journey into Tantra’ (Andy Lawrence/Rajive McMullen 2011). Also, there are explorations into contemporary material culture meaning and practice in textile and music production. Regarding the textiles there is ‘The Stitches Speak (Tanko Bole Chhe)’ (Nina Sabnani 2010) and ‘A Looming Past’ (Sashi Sivramkrishna 2010) and the making and use of traditional musical instruments in ‘Two Day Fair (Do Din Ka Mela)’ (Anjali Monteiro, K.P. Jayasankar 2009). Take a look at the Indian part of the map on the ‘Programme’ page on the website at www.raifilmfest.org.uk. Early bird pass can also still be nabbed until 15th May at http://raifilmfest.org.uk/film/festival/2011/home/registrations.

This strand ties-in nicely with another focus on India at The Brunei Gallery at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. ‘A Disappearing World’ (until 25^th June) features photos by Robert Wallis and artwork by the Tribal Women’s Artist Collective illustrating the confrontation and negotiation of ancestral Adivasi ways of being and living on and off the land, as old meets new. The exhibition looks at how Adivasi worship and protection of nature translates and influences land use, artistic traditions, and cultural customs and the effect of current development, modernisation and natural resource exploitation in the Adivasi heartland of Jharkaland. For details check out http://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/.

April 2011 Diary additionals-too good not to include!

Royal Wedding-a-rama:

The RW on 29th April has stimulated a splurge of RW-related activity around the country. Sadly, I didn't find out in time about the school in Liverpool that put on a 'Big Fat Gypsy Wedding'-themed event which dressed up kids in the mad meringues featured in the show to celebrate the forthcoming RW. Sad, as it would have been a bit of culturally-questionable kitsch. However, passions for the social life, history and place of wedding couture and culture in the UK can nonetheless be indulged in various ways and places. 




Snibston Discovery Museum, Leicestershire: www.snibston.com

"Getting Hitched" (until Sunday 15th May)

The exhibition of 21 outfits, the earliest from 1780 and the most recent from 2006, looks at the influence Royal weddings have had on matrimonial fashions. Interesting from a general material cultural point of view but also significant in that it includes in it's wedding costume view recent social/cultural shifts as civil partnerships are covered too.





 
 
   
 
 
Walsall Museum: www.whatsonwalsall.co.uk (until 5th June)

Walsall provides a smaller-scale costume display showing historic wedding dresses from the 1900s through to the 1970s and a window on the changing ideas about wedding wear, custom and activity as styles and expectations change throughout the 20th century.







Rag Factory, Shoreditch : www.rsvphrh.com (no date supplied)In Heneage Street, just off Brick Lane an exhibition created by from an open submission to international artists displays alternative RW invites made from a wide variety of materials and methods from huge illustrated posters to t-shirts. Distinctly non-"traditional" and with a feel of edginess, this response to the pomp and pageantry of a good old-fashionned, flag-waving national event, definately registers as both an antidote and refuge when crowded out from central London by the mayhem.




And finally...

Mass Observation Archive Royal Wedding Directive: http://www.massobs.org.uk/index.htm

If you want to commit your own thoughts on the RW to paper, the Archive is on the lookout for submissions by writers describing their 29th April. What they are looking are  perceptions and activities on that day to provide an broad view, so adding a dimension of everyday sentiment or critique to the record regarding national events. It was also done in 1981 for Charles and Diana's wedding so perceptions gathered regarding monarchy and the event's significance (or otherwise) will be very interesting in comparison. As the Archive is accessible, this will be possible to see once collated so an interesting source of research data for any interested in European cultures. Sign up to become an observer by visiting the site and clicking the ‘Writing For Us’ link.

OK, that's quite enough about the RW, onto other stuff and moving from the fragrant and orderly world of wedding-bells to disorderly dirt:

Wellcome Trust, London:

http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/dirt

"Dirt" (until 31 August)

This interactive and highly media/visual-savvy exhibition was stimulated by anthropologist Mary Douglas' observation of dirt as "matter out of place". Tied-in with the BBC series 'Filthy Cities' (advertised with great retro 'Scratch and Sniff' cards), the exhibition ranges across six different spaces and periods in time providing a view on dirt as captured with, on and through visual arts, objects and media. The exploration takes in different attitudes and practices associated with the disorderly nature of dirt and it's interaction with community in 17th century Holland, Victorian London, mid-19th century Glasgow, early twentieth century Dresden, present-day New Delhi and, projecting grime futures , a New York landfill site in 2030.

The film Q2P by Paromita Vohras (distributed and archived at the RAI www.therai.org.uk/fs/film-sales/) is being screened at the exhibition, addressing issues of urban anthropology as it traces the gendering of public space through the difficulties women have accessing public toilets in New Delhi. As the search for a 'Ladies' unfolds, the restriction of activity and presence for women in public space and resulting social effects is described . I tried and failed to find this film last year so it's well worth catching it at the exhibtion.

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