Abstract

There is a growing phenomenon in development and conservation: its creation of, and alliances with, celebrities. It is not a new thing but its scope and reach have become increasingly visible. Celebrity affects the type of intervention supported and can quite fundamentally affect popular relationships with nature and development work which have been the driving force of so much grass roots work.

In this talk I explore the phenomenon of celebrity in development and conservation. I examine:

- the forces driving the celebrification of development and conservation, - the famous who lend their name to worthy causes, - the work of filmmakers and presenters, and - those who become famous as a result of their conservation and development work.

I will then discuss the consequences of celebrity involvement, considering:

- the sort of world which celebrity endorsement promotes, and - the longer term implications for conservation of relationships with nature and poorer parts of the world which are mediated by celebrities.

I might also show never-before-seen pictures of Angelina Jolie, Sting, Robert Redford, Amitabh Bachchan, Anthony Oliver and Colonel John Blashford-Snell. But you can close your eyes when I do.