london’s global university
public events at ucl
TALKS, EXHIBITIONS, WORKSHOPS & MORE APRIL–SEPTEMBER 2012 www.ucl.ac.uk/events
Welcome to UCL’s public events leaflet highlighting a wide range of talks, exhibitions, workshops and film screenings. In this edition, to mark the Olympics, we focus on an exciting programme of events and exhibitions aimed at exercising your brain. Events include an exhibition on athletic bodies, discussions about Ancient Greece, a look at innovations in London transport and an antidote to it all with UCL’s academic stand-up comedy, Bright Club, on the topic of losing. See p.14 for a complete listing or visit www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics Also featured are UCL’s Slade School of Fine Art and Bartlett School of Architecture’s summer shows presenting innovative works by graduating students, and for year 12 students, UCL’s Open Day on 4 July. For a full listing of public events, please visit www.ucl.ac.uk/events where you can sign up for our e-newsletter or follow us on Twitter @UCLEvents. *Please note that no events/exhibitions listed in this leaflet are official London 2012 Olympic events.
Contents 1 Events diary 14 Exercise your brain 23 Chamber music 24 Exhibitions 28 Venue locations 29 Getting to UCL 30 Visitor information
University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT +44 (0)20 7679 2000 www.ucl.ac.uk/events
The majority of UCL events are free, open to everyone and require no booking unless otherwise stated. The events listed in this leaflet are just a small selection of what’s on offer – for a full listing please visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/events If you would like to subscribe to our Brain Food email newsletter, please visit our website and go to ‘subscribe’. Alternatively, please contact: events@ucl.ac.uk; or call +44 (0)20 3108 3841. To join the debate or to read reviews of events, visit our blog: http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/events
events diary Monday 2 April – Tuesday 3 April 11am–3.30pm Workshop Pre-booking essential Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Monday 2 April – Wednesday 4 April and Thursday 12 April – Friday 13 April Drop in 1–5pm
Supergods Comic Book Workshop
Kel Winser +44 (0)20 7679 4138 events.petrie@ucl.ac.uk
Create your own superheroes based on the Ancient Egyptian Gods. Get advice from a comics writer on how to tell your story. Take inspiration from the museum and other comics about Egypt to put your own comic strip together. Suitable for 12 years plus.
Easter Egg-Laying Animals
zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on
For the Easter holidays the Grant Museum is exploring the wonderful world of eggy Grant Museum of Zoology animals. From penguins to platypuses, sharks to snails and bullfrogs to butterflies, our fantastic specimen-based activities will investigate the best shells and spawn. Come and unscramble our games and whip up some ‘eggcitement’ with our amazing animal specimens. Workshop
Tuesday 3 April 6–7.15pm
What Would Leadership in Copyright Policy Look Like?
lisa.penfold@ucl.ac.uk Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 +44 (0)20 7679 1514 www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events Pre-booking essential Lecture/talk
Tickets £30 (Free for academics, students, judiciary and government departments)
The Hargreaves Review bemoaned the prevalence of ‘lobbynomics’ and the tendency of policy-driven evidence-making, instead of evidence-driven policy-making. Professor Hargreaves also noted that these problems were long-standing, dating back to the Banks Review in the 1970s and the Gowers Review in 2006. When politicians talk about being leaders, what does it mean to lead when policy is not based on evidence? Who is leading whom?
All events are free with no need to book unless otherwise stated 1
Saturday 14 April 10.30am Guided walk Kensal Green Cemetery, Harrow Road, London W10 4RA Pre-booking essential Tickets: £7 adult; £5 concession or Friends of the Petrie Museum or Kensal Green Cemetery
Tuesday 24 April 1–2pm Pop-up exhibition UCL Art Museum
Egypt Undead: A Walk Through Kensal Green Cemetery
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
Explore the influence of Ancient Egypt on the architecture and monuments of London, led by Cathie Bryan. The adoption of Egyptian architecture and themes in Victorian England is well illustrated by numerous monuments in London’s first garden cemetery, the Cemetery of All Souls at Kensal Green (1833). We will see a royal mausoleum in the Egyptian style, and tombs commissioned by aristocrats, artists, politicians, military men, engineers and captains of finance and industry. In addition the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery have arranged for us to see the catacombs.
Pop-Up Exhibitions at UCL Art Museum Bank Holiday Special: The Seaside
college.art@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2540 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/exhibitions/popups
Nick Grindle (UCL Centre for the Advancement of Learning & Teaching) looks at the seaside as a liminal space, in his pick of prints and drawings from the museum’s collections. Tuesday 1 May 6.30pm Lecture Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre Pre-booking essential
Inaugural Lecture –Tragedy and Modernity
Professor Miriam Leonard (UCL Greek & Latin) f.stafford@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 1350
This lecture will explore why Greek tragedy has played such a crucial role in the development of philosophy since the late 18th century. Focusing on the works of Hegel, Nietzsche and Freud, this lecture will investigate how the return to antiquity was essential in formulating what we know today as the modern condition. From Hegel’s Antigone to Freud’s Oedipus, the predicament of the tragic protagonist was seen to encapsulate the metaphysical, aesthetic and psychological tensions of modernity.
2 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Tuesday 1 May 6.30–8.30pm Panel game JZ Young Lecture Theatre
Thursday 3 May 6–8pm Workshop Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Tuesday 8 May 6.30pm Lecture Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre Pre-booking essential
Call My Bluffalo
zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on/grant_listings
What’s a thagomizer? It sounds more like a ray gun than the spike on the end of a dinosaur’s tail. Why was a trilobite scientifically named Han Solo? Zoologists and palaeontologists have invented some genuinely ridiculous names for body parts, animal groups and species. Join our collection of friendly scientists for this light-hearted panel game. Which one of them is telling the truth, and who has invented their definition of the bizarre zoological words we’ve given them? Can you call their bluff-alo? The event is followed by a free drinks reception and a private view of the museum. Part of Silly Season at the Grant Museum.
Museum of the Future: Geek Night at the Petrie
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
Get down and digital at the Petrie with our virtual explorations of Egypt, play games from the past and listen to animals from the Nile in Soundscape. Our in-house experts will be on hand to guide you so that you can travel back to antiquity using today’s technology.
Inaugural Lecture – Landscapes with People: From Prehistoric Britain to Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Professor Sue Hamilton (UCL Institute of Archaeology) f.stafford@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 1350
Landscape archaeology concerns the relationship between human beings and geographical space. Professor Hamilton will discuss the methodological and interpretative approaches that relate to a people-centred landscape perspective, drawing on her work in Europe and the Pacific. She will make a case for the central role of the fieldworker in understanding peopled landscapes of the past. Please see page 28 for venue locations 3
Thursday 10 May 6.30–7.30pm Talk Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Saturday 12 May 11am–4pm Family activity Grant Museum of Zoology
Thursday 17 May 6–7.30pm Talk Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
13 Amulets: Inspiration and Making d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
Members of Basketry Plus discuss the objects in the Petrie Museum that inspired them in the creation of the exhibition 13 Amulets, and give a practical demonstration of basketmaking techniques. Find out more about this craft technique that has been used for thousands of years (exhibition runs 8 May–26 May. See p.25).
What on Earth? Family Activity Day
zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on/grant_listings
This summer, let us take you on an epic odyssey of unusual objects. A bounty of bizarre bones and bits of brutish beasties await you in our special Saturday opening of the museum. The specimen-based activities will have you getting your hands on an abundance of enigmatic animal items. Part of Silly Season at the Grant Museum.
Coptic Egypt in the Petrie Museum: Trail Launch d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
The launch of a new trail uncovering the Early Christian period in Egypt through objects in the Petrie Museum, written by Copt scholar Carol Downer. Copies of the trail will be given out, and some of the objects covered will be highlighted in the museum with a short introductory talk at 6.30pm. Sponsored by the British Egyptian Society.
4 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Pop-Up Exhibitions at UCL Art Museum A series of pop-up exhibitions, curated by academics from across UCL, exploring UCL’s Art Museum collections.
Bank Holiday Special: The Seaside Tuesday 24 April – p.2 Crème de la Crème – Van Dyck’s Inner Circle Tuesday 22 May – p.8 Melissa Terras Presents Tuesday 29 May – p.9
Friday 18 May 6–9pm Treasure hunt JZ Young Lecture Theatre
Treasure Hunt: Love and Lust at UCL Museums d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
Hunt out objects related to love and lust in UCL Museums. Follow clues related to seduction in the animal world, look at the work of amorous artists and find romance in the ancient world. Join the chase for love around the incredible collections at UCL. There are prizes to be won by the team that solves all the affairs of the heart and locates every hidden artefact from art, Egyptian archaeology and zoology. This event is followed by a free drinks reception in a private view of the Grant Museum of Zoology. Part of Museums at Night.
All events are free with no need to book unless otherwise stated 5
Inaugural Lectures A series of public lectures by newly appointed and promoted professors giving a flavour of the intellectual activity and research taking place across UCL.
Tragedy and Modernity Tuesday 1 May – p.2 Landscapes with People: From Prehistoric Britain to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Tuesday 8 May – p.3
Friday 18 May 7.30–10pm Performance Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH Pre-booking essential Tickets £8
Bright Club: UK
steve.cross@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7388 8822 Details: www.brightclub.org Tickets: www.thebloomsbury.com
Bright Club, where researchers and lecturers try stand-up comedy for the first time, started here at UCL and has spread across the country. Tonight eight of the funniest brainboxes from UCL and across the UK will try to prove to you that comedy is way better once you escape the smog and smugness of the capital. They’ll be joined by professional comedians including Angela Barnes (Winner of the BBC New Comedy Award 2011) and Paul Sinha (from ITV’s The Chase) and cabaret musicians to bring you a night of laughter and learning. Contains plenty of swearing.
6 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Saturday 19 May 7–9pm Talk/film screening Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Pre-booking essential
Saturday 19 May – Thursday 24 May 10am–8pm, Mon – Fri 10am–5pm, Sat – Sun Exhibition Slade School of Fine Art
Monday 21 May 6–7pm Talk Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Pre-booking essential
Carry On Cleo at the Petrie Museum d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138 Tickets: http://carryonpetrie.eventbrite.com
A talk by UCL’s John J Johnston on Carry on Cleo followed by a screening of an anarchic interpretation of a famous story from Ancient Egyptian history. Two Britons are sold as Roman slaves and end up in Egypt via Rome. They manage, accidentally, to overturn all Julius Caesar’s and Mark Anthony’s plans. It is one of the best examples of the Carry On comedies; illustrating the traditions of British music hall, bawdy humour and panto. Part of Museums at Night.
BA/BFA Fine Art Degree Show
slade.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2313 www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/slade09/degreeShows
An exhibition of work by BA and BFA Fine Art students graduating in 2012.
The Mummy’s Curse: The True Story of an Edwardian Rumour d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138 Tickets: http://mummyscurse.eventbrite.com
Professor Roger Luckhurst (Birkbeck, University of London) explores the cultural history of the curse of the British Museum mummy from the late 19th century until the 1920s. This talk will reconstruct the true story of Thomas Douglas Murray, friend of Wallis Budge and Flinders Petrie, who donated an allegedly haunted mummy case to the British Museum in 1889. A story of Egyptology, spiritualism and sensational journalism.
Please see page 28 for venue locations 7
Tuesday 22 May 6–7.30pm Seminar Council Room Pre-booking essential
Elected Mayors
Lord Adonis & Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe v.spence@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4977 www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/events
With 11 more cities holding referenda on the introduction of elected mayors on 3 May, the debate continues on the relative merits of the mayoral system over the ‘leader and cabinet’ model of local government. Lord Adonis, Former Director of the Institute for Government, will discuss the findings of his elected mayors city tour in 2011. Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, will provide insight into his experience as one of a handful of directly elected mayors in the country. Jules Pipe was also elected Chair of London Councils in June 2010 and continues to occupy that role.
Tuesday 22 May
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–7.30pm
Olimpick, Olympic and Olympian: British Re-imaginings Between Zeus and Coubertin
Lecture Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre
classicsoffice@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 7522 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
This lecture will explore the revival of the Olympics against the background of modern understandings of the ancient games. Tuesday 22 May 1–2pm Pop-up exhibition UCL Art Museum
Pop-Up Exhibitions at UCL Art Museum: Crème de la Crème – Van Dyck’s Inner Circle
college.art@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2540 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/exhibitions
Join artist Liz Rideal (UCL Slade School of Fine Art) in revisiting Van Dyck’s etchings from his project Iconographia, portraits of his distinguished contemporaries. Van Dyck often completed the heads but left the rest to specialist engravers.
8 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Tuesday 29 May 1–2pm Pop-up exhibition UCL Art Museum
Pop-Up Exhibitions at UCL Art Museum: Melissa Terras Presents
college.art@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2540 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/exhibitions
Dr Melissa Terras (UCL Information Studies) joins the ranks of our pop-up curators, and looks at computer art. Tuesday 29 May 6–7.30pm Lecture/talk Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture Theatre Pre-booking essential
Wednesday 6 June – Friday 8 June 1–5pm Family activity
The Science of Happiness
s.chaytor@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 8584 www.ucl.ac.uk/public-policy/events
Happiness, wellbeing and quality of life have climbed up the public policy agenda in recent years. But what lies beneath these warm words about the need to improve quality of life? What makes people happy remains a hotly debated issue. Dr Tali Sharot (UCL Cognitive, Perceptual & Brain Sciences) will be joined by Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve (UCL School of Public Policy), Dr Gemma Harper (Chief Social Researcher, DEFRA) and Dr Stephen Hicks (Assistant Programme Director; Measuring National Well-being, ONS).
Extreme Animals Half-Term Activities
zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on/grant_listings
UCL Grant Museum of Zoology
Come and meet some of the biggest, smallest, heaviest, lightest, strongest, cutest, ugliest, weirdest and wildest animals in the Grant Museum. Through our free hands-on specimen-based activities explore some of the animal record-breakers for half-term.
Wednesday 6 June – Thursday 7 June
Royalty and Power in Ancient Egypt: Half-Term Family Activities
2–4pm
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
Family activity Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Drop-in
There were Diamond Jubilees in Ancient Egypt too – find out about long serving pharaohs in Egypt and emblems of royal power, then make your own Egyptian crown.
All events are free with no need to book unless otherwise stated 9
Thursday 7 June
LUNCH HOUR LECTURES ON TOUR
1.15–1.55pm
At Home with the Neanderthals: Excavations at La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey
Lecture BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Pre-booking recommended
Saturday 9 June – Thursday 14 June 10am–8pm Monday – Friday 10am–5pm Saturday – Sunday Exhibition
Dr Matt Pope (UCL Institute of Archaeology) +44 (0)20 7323 8181 www.ucl.ac.uk/lhlontour
The Neanderthals evolved as a separate human lineage over half a million years before apparently disappearing around 40,000 years ago. They occupied large parts of Europe and Western Asia, developed sophisticated tools, mastered fire and engaged in the hunting of large mammals across a variety of different environments. La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey, is one of the best sites in the world for understanding Neanderthals and their achievement. Dr Pope will report on new work being carried out on this mega-site and will consider the evolution and ultimate fate of our closest evolutionary relative.
MA/MFA Fine Art Degree Show
slade.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2313 www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/slade09/degreeShows
An exhibition of work by MA and MFA Fine Art students graduating in 2012.
Slade School of Fine Art Wednesday 13 June 4.30–6pm Lecture/talk Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture Theatre Pre-booking essential
Beyond Social Exclusion: Emerging Logics of Expulsion
Professor Saskia Sassen (Columbia University) h.hopkins@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7905 2352 www.ucl.ac.uk/global-health www.saskiasassen.com
In the last two decades there has been a sharp growth in the numbers of people ‘expelled’ from their homes, villages and support systems. They include the displaced, the abjectly poor, workers ravaged by their jobs, as well as surplus populations housed in ghettos and slums. Their numbers are far larger than the new middle classes of India and China. Dr Sassen argues that this may be symptomatic of a systemic transformation taking us into a new phase of global capitalism. 10 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Thursday 14 June
LUNCH HOUR LECTURES ON TOUR
1.15–1.55pm
Virtual Visitors: Why Would Anyone Want to Visit the Virtual British Museum Collections Online?
Lecture
Stevenson Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Dr Melissa Terras Great Russell Street, (UCL Centre for Digital Humanities) London WC1B 3DG +44 (0)20 7323 8181 Pre-booking recommended www.ucl.ac.uk/lhlontour
Launched in October 2007, the British Museum’s online database provides virtual access to objects and collections and by the end of 2009 nearly two million records had been made available. However, why would anyone want to view a collection online rather than in person, and what would they use it for? This Lunch Hour Lecture by Dr Terras, Deputy Director of UCL’s Centre for Digital Humanities, will discuss what is known about the use – if any – of this virtual online resource. This talk will also present analysis undertaken by UCL’s Centre for Digital Humanities in conjunction with UCL’s Claire Ross and Vera Motyckova and colleagues at the British Museum.
Bright Club UCL’s own stand-up comedy performed by academics and lecturers accompanied by professional comedians and cabaret musicians. Bright Club: UK Friday 18 May – p.6 Bright Club: Failure Tuesday 17 July – p.19
Thursday 14 June
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–8pm
Olympic Angles
Panel discussion Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1
classicsoffice@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 7522 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
Followed by a drinks reception
A panel discussion on ancient sport and its modern receptions and reincarnations. Speakers include Margaret Mountford (PhD student, UCL Greek & Latin), Professor Edith Hall (Classics & English, Royal Holloway, University of London), Dr Michael Scott (Ancient History, University of Cambridge), Professor Paul Cartledge (Greek History, University of Cambridge), and Bettany Hughes (historian & broadcaster).
Saturday 16 June
Cinematic Necropolis: Egypt in North East London Walk
11–12.30pm Guided walk Essex Road Rail Station, 181 Essex Road, Islington N1 2SU Pre-booking essential
Insights Talks and events across UCL offering insight into public policy and discussions about government. What Would Leadership in Copyright Policy Look Like? Tuesday 3 April – p.1 Elected Mayors Tuesday 22 May – p.8 The Science of Happiness Tuesday 29 May – p.9
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138 Tickets: http://cinematicnecropolis.eventbrite.com
Join us as we explore two ‘Egyptian style’ sites from different epochs in north-east London. Starting with the exterior of the old Carlton Cinema (1930) on the Essex Road before we travel back (30 minutes by public transport) almost 100 years to the gates of Abney Park Cemetery.
Tuesday 19 June
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–7.30pm
Ancient Egyptian or Greek? Fit Bodies Debate
Debate Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
Whose is better – the Ancient Greek or Ancient Egyptian sculpted body? Is there a difference? Why are the Ancient Greeks associated with sports when the Egyptians got there first? Join Chris Naughton (Egypt Exploration Society) and Debbie Challis (UCL Petrie Museum) for a debate on these issues. This is a joint event with the Egypt Exploration Fund. Wednesday 20 June
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6–7.15pm
Training, Cheating, Winning, Praising: Athletes and Shows in Papyri from Roman Egypt
Lecture British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH Pre-booking essential
Wednesday 20 June 6.30–9pm
classicsoffice@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 7522 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
Three short lectures on the Olympic tradition in Roman and Byzantine Egypt as revealed by new and old texts from Oxyrhynchus. Professor Christopher Carey (UCL Greek & Latin), Professor William J. Slater (Emeritus Professor of Classics, McMaster University) and Margaret Mountford (PhD student, UCL Greek & Latin).
The Valley of Gwangi (1969) on the Big Screen
Dr Joe Cain (UCL Science & Technology Studies) JZ Young Lecture Theatre zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on/grant_listings Film screening
Dinosaurs are pitted against cowboys as circus-owners attempt to include prehistoric creatures in their Wild West show. Unsurprisingly, nothing goes to plan. This was special-effects master Ray Harryhausen’s final prehistoric masterpiece; very similar scenes were recreated in Jurassic Park. And the ending…unbelievable. Dr Joe Cain will introduce the film. Part of Silly Season followed by a free drinks reception in a private view of the museum. Please see page 28 for venue locations 13
exercise
your brain
On your marks... for an exciting programme of talks, debates, exhibitions and live screenings to celebrate the Olympics
Watch the Olympics at UCL In the Quad
Friday 27 July – Friday 10 August (weekdays only) An outdoor screen in UCL’s main quadrangle will be showing the Olympics. Refreshments will be available to purchase. In the Union All UCL Union facilities with screens will be broadcasting Olympic and Paralympic events. Friday 27 July – Sunday 12 August (Olympics) Wednesday 29 August – Sunday 9 September (Paralympics) Venues include: Phineas Bar, George Farha Café Bar and Richard Mully Basement Bar. Bar opening times: http://uclu.org/facilities/bars Please note that the events/exhibitions listed in this leaflet are not official London 2012 Olympic events and have been organised independently by UCL.
Olimpick, Olympic and Olympian: British Re-imaginings Between Zeus and Coubertin Tuesday 22 May 6.30–7.30pm Lecture p.8
Olympic Angles
Thursday 14 June 6.30–8pm Panel discussion followed by a drinks reception p.12
Ancient Egyptian or Greek? Fit Bodies Debate Tuesday 19 June 6.30–7.30pm Debate p.13
Training, Cheating, Winning, Praising: Athletes and Shows in Papyri from Roman Egypt Wednesday 20 June 6–7.15pm Lecture p.13
The Pursuit of Olympic Ideals: Physical, Neural and Aesthetic Thursday 28 June 6.30–9pm Lecture & drinks reception p.18
Optimising Performance: Success for our Athletes, Health for our Nation Tuesday 10 July 6.30–9pm Lecture & drinks reception p.18
Olympian Minds: Can we Train our Brain for Success in Sports and Other Fields? Wednesday 18 July 6.30–9pm Lecture & drinks reception p.20
Why do We Hold Separate Paralympic and Olympic Events? Monday 13 August 6.30–9pm Lecture & drinks reception p.21
Transport and the Olympic Legacy: Driving Innovation Tuesday 11 September 6.30–9pm Lecture & drinks reception p.22
The Long Legacy: London 2062
Thursday 13 September 6.30–9pm Lecture & drinks reception p.22
EXHIBITIONS
A Capital City : London Events and Anniversaries in 2012
Monday 2 April – Friday 21 December Exhibition p.24
Fit Bodies: Statues, Athletes and Power Friday 1 June – Saturday 15 September 1–5pm, Tuesday – Saturday Exhibition p.27
Bright Club: Failure Tuesday 17 July Doors open 7.30pm Performance p.19
For up-to-date information: www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
Thursday 21 June
LUNCH HOUR LECTURES ON TOUR
1.15–1.55pm
A Book by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
Lecture BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Pre-booking recommended
Thursday 21 June – Sunday 24 June UCL main campus
Dr Matija Strlic (UCL Centre for Sustainable Heritage) +44 (0)20 7323 8181 www.ucl.ac.uk/lhlontour
Few people would fail to recognise the bittersweet and musty smell of a historic library, yet not many would know that this bouquet also tells us what heritage objects are made of. To the heritage scientist, it is intensity of smells that often reveals how quickly objects decay, and the development of breathalysers for this purpose may help in their conservation. This lecture will discuss how sniffing objects can thus reveal crucial information, and how smell is also part of an object’s history and part of how we enjoy our heritage.
Open City: London Documentary Festival
m.stewart@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4907 www.opencitylondon.com
Following on from last year’s success, UCL will once again open up its campus to provide a live hub in which quality, creative documentary can be seen, discussed and enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible. At this festival, alongside the chance to see the best documentaries in the world and meet artists at the cutting edge of this practice, there will be programmes of retrospective works, music, food, dance and comedy. This festival will also provide you with a sense of the extraordinary impact of UCL research, with academics from across the university participating in panels and engaging with the widest possible public in open debate. There’s something for everyone at Open City – join us for a screening, a discussion, or a day. This festival will culminate in an awards ceremony hosted by Grand Jury Chair, Nicolas Philibert (Director, To be and To Have), with Diane Abbott MP.
16 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Friday 22 June – Saturday 30 June Exhibition UCL main quadrangle and the Slade Galleries
Monday 25 June 6:45pm Lecture Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre
Bartlett School of Architecture Summer Show
n.ohare@ucl.ac.uk www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture/latest/events
The annual celebration of student work at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture. More than 450 students display innovative drawings, models, devices, texts, animations and installations.
Time, Astronomy and Calendars in Jewish Tradition s.benisaac@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 3520 www.ucl.ac.uk/ijs
This conference, jointly hosted by the Institute of Jewish Studies and the AHRC major research project Medieval 9.30–5.30pm Monographs on the Jewish Calendar will Conference cover all aspects of time and the reckoning JZ Young Lecture Theatre of time; astronomy and astrology; and Come to all or part. calendars and chronology in the context of Jewish history, literature, religion and Jewish culture in general. Tuesday 26 June – Wednesday 27 June
Thursday 28 June
LUNCH HOUR LECTURES ON TOUR
1.15–1.55pm
Discoveries and Re-evaluations: Painting Practices under the Microscope
Lecture BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Pre-booking recommended
Libby Sheldon (UCL History of Art) +44 (0)20 7323 8181 www.ucl.ac.uk/lhlontour
Paintings are not always what they seem to be on the surface. Technical investigation, particularly of pigments, has revealed not only surprising differences between the present and the original appearance of works but also the use of unexpected ingredients for certain effects. Recognising the changes to colouring as well as identifying materials can lead to re-evaluation of both the meaning and sometimes the date and attribution of images. This talk uncovers the practices of artists as different as Hilliard and Reynolds, highlighting those of Elizabethan portraitists in the lifetime of Shakespeare.
All events are free with no need to book unless otherwise stated 17
Thursday 28 June
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–9pm
The Pursuit of Olympic Ideals: Physical, Neural and Aesthetic
Lecture & drinks reception
Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 c.dean@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 3838 Pre-booking essential www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
What were the ideals surrounding the ancient Greek Olympic games? Professor Chris Carey (UCL Greek & Latin) will be in dialogue with Professor Semir Zeki (UCL Neuroesthetics) to discuss how these ideals integrated into the more general Greek ideals of beauty, achievement and politics. What can we say today about what constitutes ideals in neural terms and how ideals are formed and transformed in the brain? Wednesday 4 July
UCL Open Day
10am–4pm
www.ucl.ac.uk/openday
Main UCL campus
An opportunity to visit the campus and attend subject talks and general presentations. This event is primarily for year 12 students about to make UCAS decisions. The online booking system will be open from April 2012 for individual and group bookings.
Pre-booking essential
Tuesday 10 July
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–9pm
Optimising Performance: Success for our Athletes, Health for our Nation
Lecture & drinks reception
Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 a.thiara@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 3841 Pre-booking essential www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
UCL’s Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health has been set up through collaboration between UCL, UCH, the British Olympic Association and the English Institute of Sport. This panel discussion with Sir Clive Woodward (Director of Elite Performance, British Olympic Association), Dr Mike Loosemore (Team doctor, Great Britain Olympic boxing) and UCL’s Professor Hugh Montgomery and Professor Mike Grocott will illustrate the breadth of the institute’s research aimed at both the critically ill and those in high level sport, behaviour change and exercise in maintaining wellness and preventing disease, and limiting the impact of chronic conditions. 18 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
UCL Open Day An exciting opportunity for year 12 students to find out more about UCL. Wednesday 4 July – see opposite
www.ucl.ac.uk/openday
Tuesday 17 July
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
Doors open 7.30pm
Bright Club: Failure
Performance The Wilmington Arms 69 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell EC1R 4RL Pre-booking essential Tickets £5
Tuesday 17 July
steve.cross@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7388 8822 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics To book: www.wegottickets.com
Tired of all the talk of winning, medals and success this year? UCL’s academic comedy night Bright Club is here to remind you that we only learn when things don’t work the way we planned. Join six researchers, alongside a professional comedian and a musical act, to discover that failing is what most of us do, most of the time. And that’s just fine.
It Came from the Stores
Mark Carnall (Curator) zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 JZ Young Lecture Theatre www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on/grant_listings 6.30–8.30pm Talk
The backstage areas of any zoology museum are crammed with incredible specimens collected over the centuries. Join Grant Museum Curator Mark Carnall as he performs an interactive show-and-tell with some of the more curious objects that he has uncovered in our storerooms. Please see page 28 for venue locations 19
LUNCH HOUR
LECTURES AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
ON TOUR
A series of public lectures giving everyone the opportunity to find out more about the groundbreaking research taking place at UCL.
At Home with the Neanderthals: Excavations at La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey 7 June 2012 – p.10 Virtual Visitors: Why Would Anyone Want to Visit the Virtual British Museum Collections Online? 14 June 2012 – p.11 A Book by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet 21 June 2012 – p.16 Discoveries and Re-Evaluations: Painting Practices under the Microscope 28 June 2012 – p.17
c.dean@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7323 8181 www.ucl.ac.uk/lhlontour
Wednesday 18 July
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–9pm
Olympian Minds: Can we Train our Brains for Success in Sports and Other Fields?
Lecture & drinks reception
Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 c.dean@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 3838 Pre-booking essential www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
It has long been understood that our brains are able to change as a result of inputs from the environment. But what role does training – in sports and other areas – have in regulating this ability to change? Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg (University of Oxford) and Professor Semir Zeki (UCL Neuroesthetics) will discuss brain plasticity, its importance and its limitations. Thursday 19 July 6.30–8pm Lecture & reading
Archaeological Ghost Stories: M R James
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138 Tickets: http://archaeologicalghosts.eventbrite.com
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Dr Gabriel Moshenska (UCL Institute of Archaeology Pre-booking essential
Archaeology) explores the archaeological uncanny in a talk on M R James’ involvement with archaeology, followed by a reading by Mark Hassall of James’ Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad.
20 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Saturday 21 July 10.30am–1pm Guided Walk Mortlake Train Station Pre-booking essential Tickets: £7 adult; £5 concession or Friends of the Petrie Museum or Kensal Green Cemetery
Friday 27 July – Sunday 12 August (Olympics) Wednesday 29 August – Sunday 9 September (Paralympics)
Egyptian Mausoleum: South-West London Walk
d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138
Find out more about the Egyptian-and Eastern-inspired tombs of two eccentric Victorians in South-West London/Surrey. Join us at Mortlake as we visit the tomb of the explorer Richard Burton and then follow us (on public transport) to Kilmorey Mausoleum for a guided tour of this tomb and natural park. Part of the Festival of British Archaeology 2012. EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
Watch the Olympics at UCL www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics Bar opening times: http://uclu.org/facilities/bars
Venues include: The UCL The Olympics will be broadcast on an main quadrangle, Phineas outdoor screen during the Olympics Bar, George Farha Café (Monday – Friday). Refreshments will Bar and Richard Mully be available to purchase. Basement Bar.
All UCL Union facilities with screens will be broadcasting Olympic and Paralympic events. Monday 13 August
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–9pm
Why do we Hold Separate Paralympic and Olympic Events?
Lecture & drinks reception The Beveridge Hall, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU Pre-booking essential, venue fully accessible
c.dean@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 3838 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
Why should a Paralympian be treated differently from an Olympian? It has been argued that Paralympic sports should be included within the Olympic Games, with some sports open to both Olympian and Paralympian athletes. On the other hand, perhaps the distinctiveness of Paralympian athletes is something to be celebrated and the separation should be maintained. This panel discussion, chaired by Professor Nick Tyler CBE (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering) discusses whether we should incorporate the two events into a single Olympic Games that is open to all.
All events are free with no need to book unless otherwise stated 21
Tuesday 11 September
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–9pm
Transport and the Olympic Legacy: Driving Innovation
Lecture & drinks reception
Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 c.dean@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 3838 Pre-booking essential www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
Extra pressure on London’s transport systems during the Olympics is forcing both the public and private sectors to try innovative ways to spread demand and use the road and rail networks more efficiently, from new delivery patterns to greater use of the web and Twitter. This event will look at some of the successful innovations which ensured that the goods and people moved around successfully during the Olympics, and that can be built upon to improve ways in which transport is delivered in London in the future. Thursday 13 September
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
6.30–9pm
The Long Legacy: London 2062
Lecture & drinks reception
c.dean@ucl.ac.uk Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 +44 (0)20 3108 3838 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics Pre-booking essential
Throughout 2012 UCL academics and students, together with our external partners from various organisations across London, have been considering what London might be like 50 years from now. As we contemplate the repercussions of London 2012, what will London be like in 2062? This event is the public culmination of a series of workshops and symposia addressing different aspects of the future of London. The event will be chaired by Professor David Price, UCL Vice-Provost (Research) and will include three eminent speakers who have contributed to the London 2062 project: Professor CJ Lim (UCL Bartlett School of Architecture), Janice Morphett (UCL Bartlett School of Planning) and Ben Harrison (Future of London).
22 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
UCL CHAMBER MUSIC CLUB CONCERTS Tuesday 1 May 5.30–6.30pm Performance Haldane Room
The club’s 60th birthday concert will commemorate the club’s very first concert in 1952 by including a performance of Mozart’s String Quartet in D Major No.21, K575. Refreshments will be served after the concert.
Thursday 24 May 1.10–1.55pm Performance Haldane Room
The Chamber Music Club Choir will perform mainly a cappella works, including Gabrieli’s O Magnum Mysterium, Taeggio’s Quemadmodum desiderat, Josquin’s Mille Regretz and El Grillo, and Palestrina’s Vestiva i Colli.
Thursday 7 June 5–6.30pm Performance Haldane Room
End-of-year concert preceded by the club’s AGM. The programme will contain music by Brahms: the String Sextet No.2, Op.36, and some of the Liebeslieder Waltzes. Refreshments will be served after the concert. j.house@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4231 www.ucl.ac.uk/chamber-music
exhibitions Monday 2 April – Friday 21 December Exhibition UCL Main Library
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
A Capital City: London Events and Anniversaries in 2012 k.cheney@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 6141 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
UCL Library Services is celebrating 2012 with exhibitions in the Main Library that focus on key anniversaries with a London connection: Charles Dickens at 200, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the main display drawing inspiration from the Olympics, past and present. Exhibits include items from Ancient Greece when unity and physical prowess underlined the first Olympic Games, and papers from the 1914 Olympic Congress held in Paris, at which the symbol of five interlocking rings was adopted for the Olympic flag. The modern-day athletic achievements of UCL’s students are also represented with team photographs and trophies from the 19th century onwards. Monday 23 April – Friday 13 July 1–5pm, Monday–Friday Exhibition
Buried on Campus
zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/whats-on/grant_listings
Grant Museum of Zoology A huge mass of human bones was
discovered at UCL during construction work in 2010. This installation displays the investigations undertaken to discover what they are and why they were buried. Remains of at least 84 individual people and many animals have been identified. Uncover where they came from and what we can learn from them in this unusual exhibition co-curated by UCL forensic anatomists and osteologists.
24 See www.ucl.ac.uk/events for an up-to-date listing
Tuesday 8 May – Saturday 26 May 1–5pm, Tuesday – Saturday Exhibition Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
13 Amulets: Basketry Plus d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138. www.basketryplus.or
Basketry Plus is a group of artists and makers who share a common interest in and a passion for basketry. Our aim is to push the concept of basketmaking forward and to introduce the craft to a wider audience. Taking our inspiration from the many and varied objects in the Petrie’s collection, the 13 members of Basketry Plus will each weave a piece of work that explores and re-interprets the amulet.
Slade School of Fine Art Degree Shows An exhibition by graduating fine art students. BA/BFA Fine Art Degree Show Saturday 19 May – Thursday 24 May p.7 MA/MFA Fine Art Degree Show Saturday 9 June – Thursday 14 June p.10
Tuesday 8 May – Friday 8 June 1–5pm, Monday – Friday Exhibition
Slade/UCL Art Museum 2012
college.art@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2540 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/exhibitions
The 4th annual Slade/UCL Art Museum collaboration began with an invitation to today’s artists to develop their own practices while exploring and responding to art from the past. With the museum’s vastFOR collections of award-winning works by 26 SEE Www.ucl.ac.uk/events AN UP-TO-DATE LISTING Slade alumni, as well as works by revered Old Masters situated only minutes away from the artists’ studios, this collaboration presents a unique opportunity for a dialogue across time through which to explore new ideas. This exhibition features the work of selected finalists.
UCL Art Museum
Please see page 28for venue locations 26
Bartlett School of Architecture Summer Show An annual display of innovative works by over 450 Bartlett students. Friday 22 June – Saturday 30 June p.17
26 SEE Www.ucl.ac.uk/events FOR AN UP-TO-DATE LISTING
Friday 1 June – Saturday 15 September 1–5pm, Tuesday – Saturday Exhibition Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Friday 15 June – Friday 14 December 1–5pm, Monday – Friday Exhibition UCL Art Museum
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
Fit Bodies: Statues, Athletes and Power d.challis@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 4138 www.ucl.ac.uk/london/olympics
What is a fit body? What do we mean by ‘fit’? The idea of a fit body has changed over time – or has it? The Ancient Egyptian pharaohs proved their fitness every 30 years in the Sed festival and today such physical prowess is not expected from our political leaders – though arguably we still prefer tall and slim Prime Ministers/ Presidents in the West. This exhibition explores fit bodies in the ancient and modern world, intercut with competition – winning responses of UCL students to the concept of ‘fit bodies’. A public launch will be held on Monday 11 June in UCL’s South Cloisters.
One Day in the City
college.art@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2540 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/exhibitions www.ucl.ac.uk/onedayinthecity
This exhibition explores the various everyday experiences of life in London over the centuries, as presented to us through architecture, art and literature. It will feature rare items from UCL’s art and book collections, including selections from Hogarth’s series Industry and Idleness (1747). Part of the UCL Festival of London and Literature, the exhibition runs concurrently with a display in the South Cloisters. The exhibition is organised by UCL English with UCL Art Museum, in partnership with the Bartlett School of Architecture, and is generously supported by UCL Grand Challenges: Sustainable Cities.
All events are free with no need to book unless otherwise stated 27
Venue Locations
4 UCL Bloomsbury Theatre 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH +44 (0)20 7388 8822 www.thebloomsbury.com Check online for full Bloomsbury Theatre event listings
1 UCL Main Campus Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT +44 (0)20 7679 2000 www.ucl.ac.uk
5 UCL Chadwick Lecture Theatre UCL Chadwick Building, UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
2 Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture
Theatre Torrington Place, UCL, London, WC1E 7JE Entrance on Malet Place
6 Council Room The Registry, UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
3 UCL Art Museum South Cloisters, UCL Wilkins Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT Monday – Friday, 1–5pm college.art@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2540 www.artmuseum.ucl.ac.uk
7 Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
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Grant Museum
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TORRINGTON PLACE Waterstone's British Museum
SQUARE
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Petrie Museum
Darwin
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Anatomy
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Goodge Street
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Quadrangle
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Rockefeller 8
UCL Art Museum
Wilkins
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Bloomsbury Theatre
Haldane Room
Main
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North Cloisters
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13 GRAFTON
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Lunch Hour Lectures on Tour at the British Museum Z
9 Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre UCL Wilkins Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT 10 JZ Young Lecture Theatre
UCL Anatomy Building Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT 11 UCL Library UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT 12 UCL Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Malet Place, London, WC1E 6BT Tuesday to Saturday 1–5pm petrie.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 2884 www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk 13 UCL Slade School of Fine Art Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT 14 Wilkins Haldane Room
UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Getting to UCL By Tube Underground stations near to UCL’s main campus: Euston Square (Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City Lines) Goodge Street (Northern Line) Warren Street (Northern and Victoria Lines). By Rail Mainline train stations near to UCL’s main campus: Euston, King’s Cross and St Pancras International By Bus Buses serving Gower Street 134, 390, 10, 73, 24, 29, 14 By Car The Bloomsbury area has metered parking and visitors are strongly advised not to travel to UCL by car.
venue locations / getting to UCL
8 UCL Grant Museum of Zoology Rockefeller Building, 21 University Street, London WC1E 6DE Monday–Friday, 1–5pm zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 2052 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/zoology
VIsitor information ADMISSION All events are free and open to everyone with no need to book in advance – unless otherwise stated. WATCHING ONLINE If you are unable to attend any of our lectures, many are now being filmed and are available to download for free from our website, our YouTube channel or on iTunes U www.youtube.com/UCLTV http://itunes.ucl.ac.uk further information For further information please contact individuals named in the listings or visit www.ucl.ac.uk/events
term dates Monday 23 April 2012 – Friday 8 June 2012 ACCESSIBILITY UCL aims to provide accessibility to all its events. If you require any information about any accessibility requirements please contact UCL Disability Services on +44 (0)20 7679 0100; disability@ucl.ac.uk GENERAL ENQUIRIES Main switchboard: +44 (0)20 7679 2000 Main address: University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT For further information about any of our events please visit our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/events
Keeping in Touch If you would like to receive future copies of Brain Food please email your contact details to events@ucl.ac.uk Subscribe to the fortnightly UCL e-newsletter at: www.ucl.ac.uk/events To join the debate or to read reviews of events, visit our blog: http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/events Please note: listings correct at time of going to press. Please check event details online at www.ucl.ac.uk/events
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