ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Cultural Agents Initiative is pleased to invite you to:
The Second Annual Senior Thesis Forum

Friday, April 20th
4:30 to 6:00 pm.
Room S-50, CGIS South Building
1730 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
*Reception will follow*

Please join us to celebrate some of Harvard's most outstanding
undergraduates as they share their research exploring diverse aspects of the
ways in which the arts and creativity act as social resources.  From a pool
of highly-qualified entries, we've selected the three theses (with topics
spanning three continents!) that most clearly illuminate the ways in which arts
and culture can benefit society.

Each student will speak about her work for 15-20 minutes, and then field
questions.  We will open the floor to additional questions and comments
after the panelists' presentations.

Speakers:

Kavita Shah will present her thesis, “Experiments with Transnationalism:
Constructing Diaspora in the bloco-afro Malê Debalê,” which examines
the rhetoric and music of the Afro-Carnival group as it is used to advocate for
local conscientização (consciousness-raising) among the Afro-Brazilian
community in Salvador.

“An Alternative Method of Investment: Targeting Jua Kali Cluster Enterprises,”
the work of Chevelle Dixon, explores investment opportunities aimed at artisan
clusters in Kenya’s Kibera Slum and the impact of these craftsmen on their
community.

Laura Stafford researched the imagery of ancient Roman wall paintings, engraved
gemstones, and decorative pottery to argue for the arts as a vehicle capable of
altering acceptable sexual mores. Her thesis maps varying sexual imagery against
the class and status of its image-makers and provides color on the tension
between artistic freedom and one’s social standing.


--
Catalina Ocampo
Initiative Coordinator
Cultural Agents Initiative
CGIS Building South, Room 222
1730 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617)384-5349
cultagen@fas.harvard.edu
http://www.culturalagents.org


The Cultural Agents Initiative’s mission is to activate art as a social resource
by fostering creative and scholarly practices that make measurable contributions
to the education and development of communities worldwide.  We advance our
mission by identifying creative agents of change, reflecting on best practices,
and inspiring their replication in underserved communities through training,
research, and public forums.  We value creativity as vital to the health of
democracies and are committed to developing moral imagination and
resourcefulness in citizens. For more information, visit our website at:
http://www.culturalagents.org.