Have you ever imagined writing a poem, painting an art work, producing a short story, composing a song, or performing a short theatre play inspired by your fieldwork? Do you aspire to engage with ethnographic research in ways that push academic boundaries, thus breaking with convention? The Creative Anthropologies Network (CAN) carves out new creative spaces for both established and early career anthropologists to encourage experimentation and radical innovation in the production, representation and performance of ethnography. With a strong focus on literary, performative and visual anthropology, CAN seeks to build on existing interactions, and develop new collaborations, between anthropology and the creative arts within and beyond academia. The network is a space for creatively minded anthropologists and culturally sensitive artists of all disciplines to produce work inspired by rigorous fieldwork and deep reflection. We welcome discussion and collaboration with existing EASA networks, other creative ethnography centres, and anthropology journals, magazines and blogs that explore creativity and imagination.
Biennial activities
The Ethnographic Salon, a biennial showcase of creative anthropology projects, will be a regular feature at EASA conferences. First held at EASA2022 in Belfast, (when it was co-organised with Alisse Waterston), the Salon was a popular and fulfilling event of ‘doing anthropology otherwise’, and its success accelerated the establishment of the Creative Anthropologies Network. At EASA 2024, the upcoming Ethnographic Salon will be held on July 24th in a theatre in Barcelona. Additionally, CAN will host biennial network meet-ups in different European cities where participants and performers will have the opportunity to present, share and critically discuss creative work-in-progress.
Creative output
In the summer of 2024, CAN is happy to present its first edited volume, entitled A Collection of Creative Anthropologies. Drowning in Blue Light and Other Stories and published by Palgrave Series of Literary Anthropology. Edited by Eva Van Roekel and Fiona Murphy, the collection showcases creative anthropology through a multi-genre and multi-modal expression.
