What is graffiti – is it vandalism, ornament or art? Anthropologist, Rafael Schacter proposes that we think of it as a monument – and it is indeed an ancient phenomenon. Originally thought to have come from the Italian archaeological term Graffito, meaning a deliberate mark made by scratching or engraving on a large surface such as a wall - nobody really knows. While the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians may have first coined the term, the definition and origins of modern-day graffiti continue to be debated, and Cambridge Forum is delighted to continue the discussion.

Schacter’s newest tome, Monumental Graffiti is a hefty and heavily researched read. In it, he shows why graffiti demands our urgent attention as a form of expression that challenges power structures by questioning whose voices are included in, or excluded from, the public space.

Schacter is joined by Cambridge graffiti artist, Caleb Neelon, co-author of The History of American Graffiti.

Caleb Neelon is a graffiti artist and co-author of The History of American Graffiti. Back in February 1990, Neelon was a 13 year-old kid, making a family trip to Germany, when he came upon the newly opened Berlin Wall, covered in graffiti and murals. It was a romantic revelation to the teenager who soon became immersed in the global graffiti scene, both as an artist and a commentator on the movement.

Rafael Schacter, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of London, has curated exhibitions at London’s Tate Modern and other galleries, in addition to studying graffiti for the past 20 years.

Gain insight into the life of Ira Gershwin, the man behind some of the most memorable lyrics of the Great American Songbook. Biographer Michael Owen reveals the life of this remarkable American, the son of first-generation immigrants, who has often been in the shadow of his brother George Gershwin.

The first lyricist to win the Pulitzer Prize, Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) has been hailed as one of the masters of the Great American Songbook, a period which covers songs written largely for Broadway and Hollywood from the 1920s to the 1950s. Now, in the first full-length biography devoted to his life, Michael Owen draws on extensive archival sources to craft a rich portrait of the modest man who penned the words to such well-loved songs as “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” Owen’s book celebrates George and Ira Gershwin’s collaboration and Ira’s extensive work with other songwriters. Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words brings the publicity-shy lyricist into the spotlight he deserves.

Michael Owen is a historian, researcher, and archivist. He is the author of 'Go Slow: The Life of Julie London', and the editor of the forthcoming volume 'The Gershwins Abroad'. He currently resides in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

“We are over-protecting children in the real world while under-protecting them online” says Jonathan Haidt, author of THE ANXIOUS GENERATION who maintains that the environment in which kids grow up today is hostile to human development. Haidt traces the current mental health crisis to the mid-2010s when smartphones and social media began to reshape the social landscape for adolescents. Cambridge Forum explores these troubling developments in The Anxious i-Generation.

Furthermore, Haidt argues that smartphone technologies have led to over-parenting e.g. constant notifications and GPS tracking of children’s whereabouts. This in turn, has robbed an entire generation of the resilience, coping skills and independence needed to navigate everyday situations and in turn, created unprecedented levels of societal anxiety. The dramatic decline in mental health in teens has been accompanied by decreases in academic scores for math, reading and science. CF asks what happens when we take phones out of schools and replace screen time with normal extracurricular activities that encourage independence and healthy risk-taking? Well, some forward-thinking teachers and psychologists have been doing exactly that with very promising results.

Our panel consists of Catherine Price, science journalist, founder of Screen/Life Balance and author of How to break up with your phone; Camilo Otiz, Associate Professor of Psychology at Long Island University and licensed psychologist in private practice; Lenore Skenazy, president of the nonprofit, Let Grow and author of Free Range Kids plus Shane Voss, Head of Mountain Middle School in Durango, CO. where he has created a phone-free school environment since 2013.

Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow, a nonprofit promoting childhood independence which she helped co-found. Her 2008 newspaper column “Why I Let my 9 year-old ride the subway alone” landed her in the limelight and lead to her writing Free-Range Kids, a book that started a movement. She claims, “Our kids are safer, smarter, and stronger than our culture gives them credit for.”

Camilo Ortiz, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Long Island University-Post. He is the developer of Independence Therapy, a revolutionary new approach to treating child anxiety through “mega-doses” of child independence. Ortiz received a B.S. from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the U. Mass. Amherst. He also maintains a private practice.

Catherine Price is a health and science journalist, founder of Screen/Life Balance and the author of How to Break Up with Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.

Shane Voss, is Executive Director of Mountain Middle School in Durango, CO. which is featured as a model school in “Anxious Generation” - the NYT bestseller by Jonathan Haidt. Voss was named Colorado's Charter School Leader of the Year in 2024. He earned his B.A. from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. and his M.A. from Northwestern University, Evanston IL.