The British Academy Summer Showcase 2024

A Time-Traveller’s Odyssey: Exploring sacred journeys through archaeology and science

Commutes, pilgrimages, holidays and migrations are journeys that shape our lives. But what about people’s journeys in the past? Step back in time to the ancient world of mobility and religious practice through the captivating lens of archaeology and science. Discover how archaeologists employ scientific techniques to reconstruct these journeys; and use microscopes and geological maps to investigate the origins of the materials they used. Create your own gift for the ancient Greek gods with different clays, each representing a raw material used in antiquity; and embark on a journey to a symbolic sanctuary to display your creation.

Dr Tulsi Parikh and Dr Carlotta Gardner – The British School at Athens (a British International Research Institute)

Showcase assistants: Hannah Page and Cosima Carnegie

Research Award: A.G. Leventis Fellow in Hellenic Studies with funding from the Leventis Foundation

Another Day in Paradise?

Under the weight of rising living costs and the housing crisis, more people find themselves experiencing homelessness and looking for places to rest, eat, find work and spend time with those who understand their situations. Homeless people live in a world of uncertainty and unpredictability, and many are dealing with emotional cycles of sadness, shame, despair, regret and confusion. In this exhibit based on a research collaboration with Sutton Night Watch Homeless Charity, activities will offer insights into the experiences of homelessness.

Melissa Jogie (UKRI Policy Fellow, Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI), University of Roehampton) with Zulfikar Putra (University College London, PhD Scholar)

Research Award: Innovation Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Summer Showcase Assistants: Benjamin Ashbridge, Jessica Crook, Elizabet Kaitell

Armed with Words: Interpreting the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)

“The interpreter is a soldier without a gun on the ground. But our weapon was our language skills.”

The exhibit presents photographic portraits of Afghan interpreters and Afghanistan veterans, taken by award-winning photographer Andy Barnham (himself an Afghanistan veteran, trained military linguist and son of a refugee). Staged alongside visual quotes and audio clips from researcher and advocate Professor Sara de Jong's research interviews, their collective narrative shows two different, yet complementary views on the impact of war and the unequal relationships forged in sites of conflict from an everyday, personal perspective. Listen to audio clips of interpreters and veterans recounting their experiences first hand and meet and speak in person to a resettled Afghan interpreter.

The audio and video commentary in this exhibit contains descriptions of war which some visitors may find distressing – visitor discretion advised.

Professor Sara de Jong – University of York (Politics and International Relations) with photographer Andy Barnham and The Sulha Alliance CIO

Research Award: Mid-Career Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with additional funding from ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts and the University of York

Autocompleted Images: Photography vs. Photorealism

Game engines are revolutionising visual culture. Like photography before it, this technology is overturning how images are made, what images are made of and, crucially, how images shape our understanding of the world around us. With this exhibit, you can see what goes into making photorealistic images, play around with assets built in the Unreal Engine and marvel at the surprising and absurd outcomes with your onscreen creations, while exploring the chasm that lies between photography and photorealism.

Dr Tom Livingstone – University of the West of England (College of Arts, Technology and Environment)

Research Award: Talent Development Award, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Dance Practice in the Cultural Metaverse

This highly visual, immersive space invites you to try out Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s Otmo, a pioneering virtual dance studio that enables you to compose your own movements within 3D digital space. In this exhibit, you can use motion capture and VR to choreograph dance using a uniquely inclusive avatar system. You can change the position, number and orientation of dancers, and experiment with music, set, timing, dynamics and intervals in this playfully interactive, accessible choreographic experience.

Dr Daniel Strutt – Goldsmiths, University of London (Media, Communications and Cultural Studies) in collaboration with Alexander Whitley Dance Company

Research Award: Innovation Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

The Museum of Invented Pasts

In the early 20th century, excavations of prehistoric so-called “goddess statuettes” were taken as evidence that gender roles and social hierarchies were not eternal constants. Occasionally, the line between art and archaeology blurred, as forged artefacts entered museum collections. Alongside artworks and a film by contemporary artist Marisa Müsing, this exhibit features historical and contemporary invented archaeological artefacts and an art table, where you can produce your own ancient-inspired object while reflecting on the role of history for modern identities.

Dr Frederika Tevebring – King's College London (Classics) with Marisa Müsing – Royal College of Art (School of Architecture)

Research Award: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Sensing Sunscreen: The curious history of a familiar product

Today we take for granted that we can pick up some SPF on a sunny day, but when did we start using sunscreen and why? How did sunscreen come to look, feel and smell the way that it does? Through a series of interactive, multi-sensory activities, explore these questions and the medical, commercial, and cultural histories of sun protection from the 18th to 20th centuries: from attitudes towards suntanned and sunburnt skin; the creams, lotions and oils used to treat it; and the science of sunlight behind it all.

Dr Charlotte Mathieson – University of Surrey (School of Literature and Languages)

Research Award: Mid-Career Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Test Your Digital Sustainability

Digital technologies are an important tool in the move toward net zero. However, they have their own environmental impacts such as water depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, the use of scarce minerals and massive amounts of electronic waste – not to mention the associated social justice issues. Through a series of activities and games, explore questions about how net zero can be reached and reflect on whether moving to a more digital society necessarily means a ‘better’ society for our planet.

Dr Federica Lucivero – University of Oxford (Ethox Centre in the Nuffield Department of Population Health) and Dr Gabrielle Samuel – King's College London (Global Health and Social Medicine)

Research Award: Leverhulme Small Research Grants, with funding from The Leverhulme Trust and additional funding from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Dancing in the Metaverse with Alexander Whitley Dance Company

Two dancers, connected by motion capture streaming technology, will perform a duet despite being miles apart.

To explore the implications of emerging spatial technologies for traditional movement practices, this experimental performance places two dancers in separate locations and brings them together in a shared virtual environment. With one performer in the British Academy building and one in a studio in East London, their 3D movement data will be captured and live streamed into Alexander Whitley Dance Company's Otmo software where digital avatars of the two dancers will meet and interact.

Following the performance, audiences will have the opportunity to try out the Otmo software themselves, using prerecorded movement sequences.

The History of Movement

Ritula Shah and Professor David OIusoga Hon FBA

6.30–7.20pm, Beatrice Webb Room

Join journalist Ritula Shah and historian and BAFTA-winning filmmaker, Professor David Olusoga Hon FBA for a conversation exploring the UK’s history of migration. Our speakers – one a previous recipient of the British Academy’s highest honour, its President’s Medal – will discuss the importance of understanding our past to better understand the present.

Previously, Zeinab Badawi was speaking at this event. Unfortunately, she has had to pull out due to ill health. We're grateful to Ritula Shah for joining us for 'The History of Movement' conversation with David Olusoga.

This event will be live-captioned with MyClearText.

[Cancelled] An African History of Africa

Zeinab Badawi

5.40pm, Library

President of SOAS and former British Academy President’s medal awardee, Zeinab Badawi introduces her new book An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence.

Unfortunately, Zeinab Badawi had to pull out of this event due to ill health. As a result, the 10-minute Talk 'An African History of Africa' has been cancelled. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Confronting the UK’s Kleptocracy Problem

Professor John Heathershaw (University of Exeter, Politics), British Academy-funded researcher

6pm, Library

Explore how kleptocracy – a system of rule where those in power transfer a large part of society’s wealth to themselves – is enabled by the UK’s financial and legal sectors. What can we do to stop those who are complicit?

Eurovision: Where Are the Boundaries Between Music, Culture, And Identity Politics?

Dr Jane Healy (University of Bournemouth, Faculty of Health and Social Science), British Academy-funded researcher

6.20pm, Library

Eurovision’s sequinned reputation as an inclusive, diplomatically neutral music competition is dissected in this talk through an ethnographic lens; exploring where the lines between music, culture and identity converge.

What Does It Take to Change Behaviour?

Professor Susan Michie FBA (UCL, Psychology and Language Sciences)

6.40pm, Library

What is behaviour? Why is it important? How can it be changed and influenced? Health psychologist Susan Michie FBA reflects on these questions, drawing from her experience as Director of UCL’s Centre for Behaviour Change and Co-Director of Behavioural Research UK.

Young Women and Popular Culture: Concepts and change since the mid-1970s

Professor Angela McRobbie FBA (Goldsmiths, Sociology of Culture, Young Women and Mass Media)

7pm, Library

For almost half a century, leading feminist cultural theorist Professor Angela McRobbie has been analysing the frames of gender and sexuality that have accompanied girls' and young women's lives. Sometimes a stranglehold, more recently hinging round vocabularies of 'choice', the talk will track the concepts for understanding change that have proved most durable.

How ‘Good’ is Your Job?

Professor Kirsten Sehnbruch (London School of Economics, International Inequalities), British Academy-funded researcher

7.20pm, Library

Many of us spend most of our time working and the conditions of our job are likely to affect our lives and well-being. This talk will explain how we can measure job quality and the importance of examining working conditions beyond earnings.

‘Botanical Encounters’ Drop-In Arts Workshop: Decolonising our relationship with plants and gardens

Simbah Pilé (artist, Barbados ) and Lúcia Harley (artist and educator)

5.30–7.30pm (drop-in), Gallery

The Western colonial enterprise was fuelled by a botanical rush, which resulted in many of the ‘decorative’, medicinal, and staple food plants used in the United Kingdom today. In this workshop, we engage creatively with this plants-based heritage, reflecting on its impact on our identities and everyday practices through the method of collage and mixed media, utilising plant motifs, some of which will be previously gathered from our neighbouring St James’ Park.

Bookbinding Workshop: Women making books, past and present

Dr Helen Williams (Northumbria University, English Literature) and Dr Ruth Frendo, British Academy-funded researchers, with bookbinder Theresa Easton

6–7pm, No. 11 Lobby

Create your own take-home notepads using needle and thread. Facilitators Dr Helen Williams and Dr Ruth Frendo will provide full instructions with historical context while sharing some of their research findings about women bookbinders before the industrialisation of book production.

Ages 12+

‘Botanical Encounters’ Walking Tour of St James’ Park: Decolonising our relationship with plants and gardens

Dr Christina Horvath (University of Bath), British Academy-funded researcher with Dr Georges Félix (Coventry University; University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez; Cultivate!)

5.15 – 7.30pm

Meeting point: The Waiting Room

Britain’s attractive pleasure gardens have plants designed to provide a wholesome environment and space for social life and entertainment, often using ‘exotic’ plants. But what stories do these plants tell? This botanising guided walk through our neighbouring St James’ Park will visualise the influence of the colonial plant exchange on contemporary gardens, opening up conversations about our relationships with plants, history, and the planet.

Our selection of British Academy-funded films will run continuously in the Library throughout the Summer Showcase.

Rediscovering Home

Olga Sovenko (Researcher at Risk, University of East Anglia), with Sophie North and Madeleine Dutton (University of Sanctuary at UEA), and filmmaker Jay Gearing (Red7Productions)

16 mins

This film depicts the stories of Francis, the British host to producer Olga Sovenko, and two other refugee women from Africa, who have each experienced the forced displacement and now are rediscovering their homes here in Britain. The film conveys the message that, although you may have lost your physical home, home is always inside of you.

The Sociologist’s Wife

21 mins

Professor Rosalind Edwards (University of Southampton, Sociology), Professor Val Gillies (University of Westminster; Social Policy and Criminology)

The Sociologist's Wife uncovers the ways in which three women, married to eminent post-war British sociologists, each contributed to their husband's work and looks at how those contributions have remained largely hidden – until now. Featuring interviews with their adult children, this film is part of the Academic Wives project and is produced by Popping Orange Communications.

Frozen in Bronze: Arctic explorer Captain Scott’s London statue

5 mins

Professor Ian Christie FBA (Birkbeck, University of London; Film and Media History)

The bronze sculpture of Arctic explorer Captain Scott outside the Academy’s home at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace is unique among London’s 1500-plus public monuments. More than a touching memorial by his widow and sculptor Kathleen Scott to her deceased husband, Scott’s statue stands uniquely out of step with the modernist wave that dominated British sculpture at the time while also defying traditional expectations of public monuments to heroic figures. A film by HENI Talks.

Tempo de Guavira

43 minutes

Rede de Apoio e Incentivo Socioambiental (RAIS), Aty Guasu, Conselho Indigenista Missionário (CIMI/MS)

This documentary (translating to ‘Guavira Season’ shows the relationship of the Kaiowá and Guarani with their tekoha, traditional lands threatened by agriculture in Mato Grosso do Sul in central-west Brazil.

Together with Lorenza Mazzetti (with Q&A)

Friday 12 July, 7-8.15pm

55 mins, 2023, UK

Followed by Q&A between British Academy-funded Director Brighid Lowe (Associate Professor of Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London) with Henry K. Miller (Lecturer in Film Studies at Anglia Ruskin University)

Lorenza Mazzetti (1927—2020) was a rare example of a female filmmaker from the 1950s, a co-founder of the influential Free Cinema movement in the UK; and a Cannes Film Festival prize winner. Yet during her lifetime Mazzetti was often overshadowed by her male contemporaries in the Free Cinema movement, and her work was bracketed within the 'kitchen sink' school of British realism. Together with Lorenza Mazzetti intends to rectify this, reconnecting her work with the European modernist tradition. Made through a collaboration between British Academy-funded researchers, artist Brighid Lowe and film historian Henry K. Miller, the film re-evaluates her cultural significance. Based on recorded interviews, it also features extracts of her film The Country Doctor (1953), which was long thought lost.

Tickets £15 Full, £13 Concessions, £5 25 & Under, £7.50 ICA Blue/Green Members, Free to ICA Red Members

Book now

A Time-Traveller’s Odyssey: Exploring sacred journeys through archaeology and science

Commutes, pilgrimages, holidays and migrations are journeys that shape our lives. But what about people’s journeys in the past? Step back in time to the ancient world of mobility and religious practice through the captivating lens of archaeology and science. Discover how archaeologists employ scientific techniques to reconstruct these journeys; and use microscopes and geological maps to investigate the origins of the materials they used. Create your own gift for the ancient Greek gods with different clays, each representing a raw material used in antiquity; and embark on a journey to a symbolic sanctuary to display your creation.

Dr Tulsi Parikh and Dr Carlotta Gardner – The British School at Athens (a British International Research Institute)

Showcase assistants: Hannah Page and Cosima Carnegie

Research Award: A.G. Leventis Fellow in Hellenic Studies with funding from the Leventis Foundation

Another Day in Paradise?

Under the weight of rising living costs and the housing crisis, more people find themselves experiencing homelessness and looking for places to rest, eat, find work and spend time with those who understand their situations. Homeless people live in a world of uncertainty and unpredictability, and many are dealing with emotional cycles of sadness, shame, despair, regret and confusion. In this exhibit based on a research collaboration with Sutton Night Watch Homeless Charity, activities will offer insights into the experiences of homelessness.

Melissa Jogie (UKRI Policy Fellow, Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI), University of Roehampton) with Zulfikar Putra (University College London, PhD Scholar)

Research Award: Innovation Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Summer Showcase Assistants: Benjamin Ashbridge, Jessica Crook, Elizabet Kaitell

Armed with Words: Interpreting the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)

“The interpreter is a soldier without a gun on the ground. But our weapon was our language skills.”

The exhibit presents photographic portraits of Afghan interpreters and Afghanistan veterans, taken by award-winning photographer Andy Barnham (himself an Afghanistan veteran, trained military linguist and son of a refugee). Staged alongside visual quotes and audio clips from researcher and advocate Professor Sara de Jong's research interviews, their collective narrative shows two different, yet complementary views on the impact of war and the unequal relationships forged in sites of conflict from an everyday, personal perspective. Listen to audio clips of interpreters and veterans recounting their experiences first hand and meet and speak in person to a resettled Afghan interpreter.

The audio and video commentary in this exhibit contains descriptions of war which some visitors may find distressing – visitor discretion advised.

Professor Sara de Jong – University of York (Politics and International Relations) with photographer Andy Barnham and The Sulha Alliance CIO

Research Award: Mid-Career Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with additional funding from ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts and the University of York

Autocompleted Images: Photography vs. Photorealism

Game engines are revolutionising visual culture. Like photography before it, this technology is overturning how images are made, what images are made of and, crucially, how images shape our understanding of the world around us. With this exhibit, you can see what goes into making photorealistic images, play around with assets built in the Unreal Engine and marvel at the surprising and absurd outcomes with your onscreen creations, while exploring the chasm that lies between photography and photorealism.

Dr Tom Livingstone – University of the West of England (College of Arts, Technology and Environment)

Research Award: Talent Development Award, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Dance Practice in the Cultural Metaverse

This highly visual, immersive space invites you to try out Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s Otmo, a pioneering virtual dance studio that enables you to compose your own movements within 3D digital space. In this exhibit, you can use motion capture and VR to choreograph dance using a uniquely inclusive avatar system. You can change the position, number and orientation of dancers, and experiment with music, set, timing, dynamics and intervals in this playfully interactive, accessible choreographic experience.

Dr Daniel Strutt – Goldsmiths, University of London (Media, Communications and Cultural Studies) in collaboration with Alexander Whitley Dance Company

Research Award: Innovation Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

The Museum of Invented Pasts

In the early 20th century, excavations of prehistoric so-called “goddess statuettes” were taken as evidence that gender roles and social hierarchies were not eternal constants. Occasionally, the line between art and archaeology blurred, as forged artefacts entered museum collections. Alongside artworks and a film by contemporary artist Marisa Müsing, this exhibit features historical and contemporary invented archaeological artefacts and an art table, where you can produce your own ancient-inspired object while reflecting on the role of history for modern identities.

Dr Frederika Tevebring – King's College London (Classics) with Marisa Müsing – Royal College of Art (School of Architecture)

Research Award: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Sensing Sunscreen: The curious history of a familiar product

Today we take for granted that we can pick up some SPF on a sunny day, but when did we start using sunscreen and why? How did sunscreen come to look, feel and smell the way that it does? Through a series of interactive, multi-sensory activities, explore these questions and the medical, commercial, and cultural histories of sun protection from the 18th to 20th centuries: from attitudes towards suntanned and sunburnt skin; the creams, lotions and oils used to treat it; and the science of sunlight behind it all.

Dr Charlotte Mathieson – University of Surrey (School of Literature and Languages)

Research Award: Mid-Career Fellowship, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Test Your Digital Sustainability

Digital technologies are an important tool in the move toward net zero. However, they have their own environmental impacts such as water depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, the use of scarce minerals and massive amounts of electronic waste – not to mention the associated social justice issues. Through a series of activities and games, explore questions about how net zero can be reached and reflect on whether moving to a more digital society necessarily means a ‘better’ society for our planet.

Dr Federica Lucivero – University of Oxford (Ethox Centre in the Nuffield Department of Population Health) and Dr Gabrielle Samuel – King's College London (Global Health and Social Medicine)

Research Award: Leverhulme Small Research Grants, with funding from The Leverhulme Trust and additional funding from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Ask the Experts: What do we do about the UK housing crisis?

Chair: Professor Susan Smith FBA
Panel: Dr Shani Dhanda (inclusion and accessibility advocate), Kieran Yates (journalist, broadcaster and author)

12.30–1.15pm, Beatrice Webb Room

The UK’s failure to provide affordable housing continues to be a pressing issue affecting individuals and communities across the country, impacting our health, welfare and the political landscape.

Delving into the root causes of the housing crisis – from Britain’s housing history, to escalating property prices – we’ll examine the social and economic implications of the current situation as well as potential solutions to mitigate its effects on society.

The Books that Made Me with Professor Gary Younge Hon FBA

Hosted by Amelia Horgan

1.45–2.30pm, Beatrice Webb Room

For the first edition of our new event series, Guardian journalist, author of Dispatches from the Diaspora and Professor of Sociology Gary Younge Hon FBA will discuss the literature that has influenced his life. From childhood memories to present-day reflections, we’ll delve into both fiction and non-fiction books that have shaped and inspired Gary’s thinking.

Ask the Experts: Is our media broken?

Chair: Hetan Shah (chief executive, The British Academy)
Panel: Professor Des Freedman (British Academy-funded researcher), Genelle Aldred (journalist), Dr Ysabel Gerrard (British Academy-funded researcher)

3–3.45pm

In today's world of polarised politics, sensationalist headlines and social media dominance, finding the truth amidst the noise can be increasingly difficult. Our panel of experts will examine the various factors contributing to this perceived breakdown and how we might address these challenges.

These events will be live-captioned with MyClearText.

Karaoke to Jukeboxes – Why You Should Care About Music in Pubs

Dr Núria Bonet (University of Plymouth), member of the British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network

11.30am, Beatrice Webb Room

An exploration of the varied forms of musical activity that take place in pubs, highlighting vibrant and important examples of everyday music making in working class communities.

Are Our Children More Depressed and Anxious Than Ever?

Dr Jessica Armitage (Cardiff University, Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences), British Academy-funded researcher

11.40pm, Beatrice Webb Room

The recent rise in child and adolescent anxiety issues may say more about society's attitude toward mental health than it seems. Using time-based research, social factors will be used to explore why data says that our children seem to be more anxious than ever before.

Why Children and Young People Should Be the Climate Champions of the Now (As Well as the Future)

Dr Katie Parsons (Loughborough University, Philosophy), member of the British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network

12pm, Beatrice Webb Room

How can we empower and equip children and young people for the future in the context of climate change impacts? Dr Katie Parsons examines the need to recognise the agency of our young people as integral participants in the present, rather than simply the recipients of future challenges.

What’s So Hard About Learning a New Language?

Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta (De Montfort University, Psychology), member of the British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network

1.30pm, Beatrice Webb Room

Language scientist Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta explores the trials and tribulations of learning a new language, explaining how we progress from novice learners to fluent speakers and sharing learners’ insights along the way.

Litter Picking Won’t Save The Planet... But Could It Save Our Lives?

Dr Thomas Roberts (University of Surrey, Environmental Sociology), British Academy-funded researcher

2.45pm, Beatrice Webb Room

Picking up litter used to be seen as an undesirable activity or even a punishment, but in recent years, a movement has emerged with litter picking seen as a recreational activity that positively impacts not only the environment around us, but also our mental health.

What can Newspapers Tell Us About How Autistic People are Treated in Society?

Dr Themis Karaminis (City, University of London, Psychology), British Academy-funded researcher

4pm, Beatrice Webb Room

As sources, newspapers can reveal a lot about social attitudes toward marginalised people. This talk will shed light on how the language used in newspapers can shape the discourse on attitudes toward autistic people.

These events will be live-captioned with MyClearText.

Representing Volume: Loud and soft in the Romantic period

Dr Mina Gorji (University of Cambridge, English Literature), British Academy-funded researcher

11.30–12.15pm, Library

How do we describe the volume of sound? How do we experience volume when we read a poem? Through listening, mark-making, sound and writing exercises, and with demonstrations from Foley artist Rebecca Glover, explore how we can represent volume on paper using the poetry, music and rhetoric of the Romantic period as inspiration.

Bookbinding Workshop: Women making books, past and present

Dr Helen Williams (Northumbria University, English Literature) and Dr Ruth Frendo, British Academy-funded researchers, with bookbinder Theresa Easton

12–1pm, Gallery

Create your own take-home notepads using needle and thread. Facilitators Dr Helen Williams and Dr Ruth Frendo will provide full instructions with historical context whilst sharing some of their research findings about women bookbinders in the period before the industrialisation of book production.

Ages 12+

Objects on the Move: Exploring cultural heritage

Led by the Multaka team from Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum

12–1pm, Reading Room

This interactive session will help you explore objects from around the world, delve into how tangible and intangible cultural heritage can be discovered, appreciated and upheld through the keeping, sharing and making of objects, and encourage you to think about what personal objects and stories represent your own cultural identity.

The Investor Game: How do you price stocks and shares?

Professor Mark Rhodes (Leeds Beckett University, Economics) and Professor Andros Gregoriou (Liverpool John Moores University, Finance), British Academy-funded researchers

12.15–1pm, Library

How do financial markets operate? How is the price of a share determined? Participants of this workshop are invited to take part in a simulation exploring the effects of trading on the price of a share, the returns that investors make and the effect of a change such as Brexit on how well financial markets work.

Human Histories of Clay

Chair: Jennifer Lucy Allan

Panel: Dr Tulsi Parikh, Dr Carlotta Gardner and Dr Frederika Tevebring (exhibiting British Academy-funded researchers), Marisa Müsing (artist)

1.15–2.15pm, Reading Room

Learn to make a simple pinch pot in this interactive talk led by Jennifer Lucy Allan, author of forthcoming book Clay: A Human History. Alongside illuminating readings, she will bring together insights from the teams from our archaeology exhibits to explore the surprising human histories and latest discoveries of this ancient material.

Maximum 35 participants. Ages 3+.

Mobilise Your Waste: Recycling in the Second World War

Dr Henry Irving (Leeds Beckett University, Public History), British Academy-funded researcher

1– 1.45pm, Library

Taking as a starting point a selection of short Second World War propaganda films about recycling, this interactive workshop and screening will look at ways in which policy and people's behaviour relate to motives for recycling at different times.

Seeing and Believing: Common sense disagreements about vision

Dr Eugen Fischer (University of East Anglia, Philosophy) and Dr Keith Allen (University of York, Philosophy), British Academy-funded researchers

1.45–2.30pm, Library

What is seeing? Are we aware of an image in our minds? Do we have to work out that what we are seeing is an apple, or do we just see the apple? For answers, philosophers often appeal to ‘common sense’, but Dr Eugen Fischer and Dr Keith Allen’s research questions this assumption. Take part in a series of hands-on activities designed to question and explore what happens when we see.

The Future of Musical Care from Pregnancy to Infancy

Dr Neta Spiro (Royal College of Music, Performance Science) and Dr Katie-Rose Sanfilippo (City, University of London, Health and Psychological Sciences), British Academy-funded researchers

2.15–3pm, No. 11 Lobby

Musical care – the role of music in supporting people’s developmental or health needs – has been seen to be effective in supporting families from pregnancy to infancy, and yet musical care activities are not equally distributed in the UK. In this workshop you can take part in a musical care activity and reflect on the impact of this important form of care.

A Poem’s Guardian: From an Argentine political prison to present-day Britain

Dr Cornelia Gräbner (Lancaster University, Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature), Dr Daniel Eltringham and Dr Leire Barrera Medrano (Girasol Press), British Academy-funded researchers

2.30–3.15pm, Library

Become the guardian of a poem written by a political prisoner in 1970s Argentina in this workshop co-facilitated by Dr Cornelia Gräbner and the founders of poetry publisher Girasol Press. Accompany your poem from its initial conception, via a secret journey to Mexico, to contextualising it as part of research and its translation into English.

Voice Clones: Performance, perception and potential

Professor Carolyn McGettigan (University College London, Speech and Hearing Sciences), British Academy-funded researcher, with Steven Bloch, Cennydd Bowles, Tanvi Dinkar and Jonathan Reus

3.15–4.15pm, Library

This workshop will explore the fascinating world of voice cloning and its broader impacts. Led by a panel of experts from diverse fields,participants will be invited to consider this rapidly evolving industry from a range of perspectives. How can we make voice technology more accessible? What responsible and productive uses can we find for it? What are key ethical considerations?

Our selection of British Academy-funded films will run continuously in the Library throughout the Summer Showcase.

Rediscovering Home

Olga Sovenko (Researcher at Risk, University of East Anglia), with Sophie North and Madeleine Dutton (University of Sanctuary at UEA), and filmmaker Jay Gearing (Red7Productions)

16 mins

This film depicts the stories of Francis, the British host to producer Olga Sovenko, and two other refugee women from Africa, who have each experienced the forced displacement and now are rediscovering their homes here in Britain. The film conveys the message that, although you may have lost your physical home, home is always inside of you.

The Sociologist’s Wife

21 mins

Professor Rosalind Edwards (University of Southampton, Sociology), Professor Val Gillies (University of Westminster; Social Policy and Criminology)

The Sociologist's Wife uncovers the ways in which three women, married to eminent post-war British sociologists, each contributed to their husband's work and looks at how those contributions have remained largely hidden – until now. Featuring interviews with their adult children, this film is part of the Academic Wives project and is produced by Popping Orange Communications.

Frozen in Bronze: Arctic explorer Captain Scott’s London statue

5 mins

Professor Ian Christie FBA (Birkbeck, University of London; Film and Media History)

The bronze sculpture of Arctic explorer Captain Scott outside the Academy’s home at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace is unique among London’s 1500-plus public monuments. More than a touching memorial by his widow and sculptor Kathleen Scott to her deceased husband, Scott’s statue stands uniquely out of step with the modernist wave that dominated British sculpture at the time while also defying traditional expectations of public monuments to heroic figures. A film by HENI Talks.

Tempo de Guavira

43 minutes

Rede de Apoio e Incentivo Socioambiental (RAIS), Aty Guasu, Conselho Indigenista Missionário (CIMI/MS)

This documentary (translating to ‘Guavira Season’ shows the relationship of the Kaiowá and Guarani with their tekoha, traditional lands threatened by agriculture in Mato Grosso do Sul in central-west Brazil.

‘Botanical Encounters’ Walking Tour of St James’ Park: Decolonising our relationship with plants and gardens

Dr Christina Horvath (University of Bath), British Academy-funded researcher with Dr Georges Félix (Coventry University; University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez; Cultivate!)

2–4pm

Meeting point: The Waiting Room

Britain’s attractive pleasure gardens have plants designed to provide a wholesome environment and space for social life and entertainment, often using ‘exotic’ plants. But what stories do these plants tell? This botanising guided walk through our neighbouring St James’ Park will visualise the influence of the colonial plant exchange on contemporary gardens, opening up conversations about our relationships with plants, history, and the planet.