British Museum seeks a Curator of African Collection

The British Museum is looking to recruit an experienced, energetic and dedicated individual to undertake research into, and make publicly accessible, the outstanding African collections of the British Museum as a curator in the Museum’s Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas. The Africa collections (numbering around 100,000 objects) incorporate early pictorial material as well as significant ethnographic, historical, archaeological and contemporary art collections. Over the last ten years, the Museum’s Africa Programme has developed collaborative partnerships with museums and heritage institutions on the African continent. The individual appointed to this role should have considerable experience working with partners in Africa and be committed to supporting this important aspect of the role. Key areas of responsibility: • Develop a strategic plan for the Africa collection and oversee its implementation in consultation with senior Museum staff. • Lead major research projects on, and beyond, the African collection including projects involving external partners. • Make the Africa collection publicly accessible for worldwide public benefit via high-profile exhibition, publication, digital, permanent display, and broadcast projects. • Lead, manage and motivate curatorial and research teams working especially on the African collections. This includes managing performance and supporting professional development. • Lead on upgrading the documentation of the Africa collection. Person Specification: The successful candidate will hold at minimum an undergraduate degree, or equivalent, in Anthropology, Art History, Archaeology or another related subject and have experience and be able to demonstrate deep knowledge of African cultures and collections. You will have a strong track record of field experience in Africa, particularly West Africa. You will have experience securing research funding and delivering research projects and publications. We are looking for someone who is an experienced manager of people, projects and budgets and has the ability to lead and manage curatorial and research teams.
Department	Africa Oceania and the Americas
Advertising Status	Advertised internally and externally
WorkingHours	Full time
Contract Terms	Permanent
Grade	C5C
ClosingDate	12 noon; Friday, 25 May 2018
For further information or to apply for this role, please go to www.britishmuseum.org/jobs.

Dr Lissant Bolton | Keeper of Africa, Oceania and the Americas | British Museum 

My Opinion Editorial in The New York Times

After my initial response to the social media criticisms of the National Cathedral, Accra, designed by David Adjaye, I have now written a bit more, now as an Op-ed in the New York Times (Sunday Review) in print on April 15, 2018. If you want to know what more I said about this stuff, here is the link to the online edition. If you disagree, say so!

BBC World News on Brooklyn Museum controversy

If you missed the BBC World News program last week, here's a clip of it.

My Public Lecture at Emory University: "El Anatsui's Metamorphic Objects", on Apr 12

If you are in Atlanta area this Thursday, you are invited!

Doctoral Research Grants at Emory University

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

AFRICAN CRITICAL INQUIRY PROGRAMME

IVAN KARP DOCTORAL RESEARCH AWARDS FOR AFRICAN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN SOUTH AFRICAN Ph.D. PROGRAMS

Closing Date: Tuesday 1 May 2018

The African Critical Inquiry Programme is pleased to announce the 2018 Ivan
Karp Doctoral Research Awards to support African doctoral students in the
humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled at South African universities
and conducting dissertation research on relevant topics. Grant amounts vary
depending on research plans, with a maximum award of ZAR 40,000.

The African Critical Inquiry Programme (ACIP) seeks to advance inquiry and
debate about the roles and practice of public culture, public cultural
institutions and public scholarship in shaping identities and society in
Africa. The Ivan Karp Doctoral Research Awards are open to African
postgraduate students (regardless of citizenship) in the humanities and
humanistic social sciences. Applicants must be currently registered in a
Ph.D. programme in a South African university and be working on topics
related to ACIP's focus. Awards will support doctoral research projects
focused on topics such as institutions of public culture, particular
aspects of museums and exhibitions, forms and practices of public scholarship, culture
and communication, and the theories, histories and systems of thought that
shape and illuminate public culture and public scholarship. Awards are open
to proposals working with a range of methodologies in the humanities and
humanistic social sciences, including research in archives and collections,
fieldwork, interviews, surveys, and quantitative data collection.

For full information about this opportunity and how to apply, see the full
Call for Proposals listed under "ACIP Opportunities" on our website:
http://www.gs.emory.edu/about/special/acip.html.

BBC World TV discussion of the Brooklyn African Curator Hire today at 11:30 EDT

Still on the Brooklyn Museum hire of curator of African Art, BBC World TV will broadcast a discussion I am having with Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham of Museum Hue today at 11:30EDT. The broadcast will be live-streamed at
http://www.giniko.com/watch.php?id=216

And by the way, how come the Brooklyn Museum has not said a word in response to the controversy caused by its hire? It's been nearly a week since their announcement caused the now well-covered matter. Yet, nothing? Are they trying to wait it out? Do they not think that they should state their position? Say something, folks. Whatever. So we know.