Tapa (bark cloth)

A study morning learning about tapa (bark cloth) and items in the Museum for Archaeology and Anthropology's collections led by Professor Nicholas Thomas (MAA, Cambridge). This will include a video and presentation on the subject, and a break mid-morning.

About the facilitator

Nicholas Thomas has been Director of the Museum since 2006. He is author or editor of nearly fifty influential books and exhibition catalogues, which have ranged widely over art in Oceania, European travel, colonial histories, museology and the history of collections. His books have included Entangled Objects (1991), which influentially contributed to a revival of material culture studies, Possessions: Indigenous Art/Colonial Culture (1999), a comparative postcolonial art history of Australia and New Zealand, Islanders: the Pacific in the age of empire (2012), which was awarded the Wolfson History Prize, and Gauguin and Polynesia (2024), which offers a fresh view on the artist. Nicholas Thomas has also written extensively about contemporary art, museums and related issues for the Financial Times, The Art Newspaper, Apollo, Artlink and Art Asia Pacific among other magazines and journals.

Important Information

• Workshops are for adults of 16 years +

• No audio or video recording is permitted of the workshops, without the clear permission of the Workshop leader and other participants

• Arrival and transport information to be shared post-booking

• Access details of the room will be shared, we will ask for information about access requirements.

• Refreshments will be provided midway through the session (tea, coffee, water, biscuits).

• Details about where bags and coats will be left, outside of the workroom.

Terms and Conditions

1. Bookings

1.1 Bookings are valid only for the specific event type, the number of people and the date and time slot (where applicable) on the ticket.

1.2 Details of each event are provided prior to booking and the responsiblity of the person making the booking to check they undetstand any restrictions (e.g. age) and that all details they provide are accurate at the time of booking.

1.3 Bookings are refundable up to 14 days prior to the event, via Eventbrite. No refund is available for a cancellation under two weeks before an event, but the booker may transfer their ticket to another person who will attend and let MAA know the name of the person attending by emailing [email protected].

1.4 Booking is confirmed by the Eventbrite confirmation email, not a physical ticket. Please have your ticket ready to show staff on arrival at MAA.

1.5 Please send an email to [email protected] with any access requirements as early as possible, and a minimum of 1 week prior to the event.

2. Cancellation

2.1 If a event is cancelled for any reason, you will be offered a full refund of the price of the ticket(s) relating to that event.

2.2 Our liability to you in these circumstances is limited to refunding the price you paid for the cancelled ticket(s). We are not responsible to you to any greater extent and in particular is not liable to you for any other loss that you may incur as a consequence of the cancellation or closure (including, without limitation, financial loss such as travel or other expenses or any business-related costs such as loss of profit).

3. During the event

3.1 Whilst on-site please follow follow safety instructions from the staff at all times.

3.2 Recording of workshops is not permitted.

3.3 Food and drink, apart from water, may not be consumed within the galleries of MAA.

3.4 We reserve the right to refuse entry.

4. Accessibility
Please view details about accessibility on our website: https://maa.cam.ac.uk/visit/accessibility

Image: Barkcloth, Somosomo, Fiji. Collector: George Roth.

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