D2 Fine Art (Curating New Media Art, or Photography)
Doctoral Studentship, University of Sunderland
Information for Applicants
The successful candidate will join an Art and Design research area judged to have World-Leading and Internationally Significant research outputs in the recent RAE exercise, and with particular experience of Practice-Led research. Research students benefit from the University’s generic research support and specialist research skills training in Art and Design (led by Prof Beryl Graham), see http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/faculties/adm/research/artanddesign/students/
Art and Design is particularly able to support, and welcomes PhD studentship proposals in the following two areas. (N.B. There is one studentship, and proposals should be for research in either of these two areas):
Curating New Media Art
New media art works often employ networks, interactivity, participation, internationalism, online and mobile systems, and generative processes in their creation of a dynamic art experience. Study of the production and presentation of new media art, within the wider field of contemporary art, including live art and socially-engaged art, offers exciting opportunities to rethink the ways in which curators work: If audiences are participating in the work, then how can their roles be rethought? If audiences are invited into a distributed curatorial process, via tagging or voting, then what is the role of the curator? If the work of art employs the internet to work across locations, then how do we understand the local and the global, the centre and the diaspora?
Research proposals are welcome on any of a range of current issues for curating art – including the work’s production, exhibition, and reception – and are welcomed whether they address contemporary art or new media art.
Enquiries: Prospective students can informally discuss curating new media art research proposals in advance of application with: Professor Beryl Graham, Tel: 0191 515 2896, email beryl.graham@sunderland.ac.uk.
Photography
We welcome research proposals that seek to develop high quality, critically-engaged photography within a range of photographic practices and subject-areas, including documentary, landscape/place and family/autobiography. We also encourage applications for theory-based and interdisciplinary projects.
Enquiries: Prospective students can informally discuss photography research proposals in advance of application with: Professor John Kippin, tel: 0191 515 3041, email john.kippin@sunderland.ac.uk
Applications
Applicants should check eligibility with regards to residency etc., and students who have already started research, at AHRC Guide to Student Eligibility
Applications must be made on Application Form D2 and emailed to applications@northeastbgp.org by 12 midday, Wednesday 24 March 2010. Applications received after this date and time will be kept on file as reserves. If you wish to apply for more than one of the opportunities advertised on this website, please submit each relevant form. Northumbria and Sunderland Universities will take an overview of all applications received for these joint AHRC Block Grant Partnership studentships, when shortlisting. Interviews will be held during the week beginning Tuesday 4 May 2010. Applicants are expected to attend interview in person.
Information about the Curating research area
Building on research into curating new media art since 1993 at the University of Sunderland, CRUMB was founded by Beryl Graham and Sarah Cook in 2000. CRUMB's activities cover a range of practices, but are predominantly based around research, networking, and professional development for curators of new media art.
CRUMB members run a lively discussion list on curating new media art with 800 international subscribers, publish interviews with curators, and lecture and publish widely, contributing to academic books as well as artists' exhibition catalogues. Articles written by CRUMB team members on the subject of curating new media art are to be found in books published by Routledge, Arts Council of England, University of California Press and The Banff Centre Press and in periodicals such as Leonardo, Art Monthly and Mute Magazine. Cook and Graham have written a book on curating new media art, to be published by MIT Press. Since 2001, the CRUMB team have successfully realised projects through research partnerships with: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, UK (2004-2006); The Banff Centre - the Walter Phillips Gallery and the Banff New Media Institute, Canada (2004-2007); The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2002); Caitlin Jones – Archivist and Curator (2008) Arts Council England funded visiting 'Inspiring Internationalist'. Current research partners are Eyebeam (New York) and The Institute for Cultural Research, Lancaster University (Dr. Charlie Gere). A new post-doctoral curator, Dr. Axel Lapp has joined CRUMB on a year's fellowship from March 2009.
The Curating MA course attracts outstanding international students, and covers all contemporary art, taking a critical view of curatorial roles. It is led by Dr. Tim Brennan.
Completed PhDs include Ele Carpenter’s research on how socially engaged and net artists use new media to take cultural and political risk. Current PhD research includes Dominic Smith’s research on Open Source methods compared to participative art projects.
Information about the Photography research area
Photography is a major subject in the University’s Faculty of Arts and Design. We are committed to the support and development of photography as research practice and we provide a stimulating professional environment for doctoral research through our program of visiting speakers and staff-led research seminars. We also run a range of photographic programs at undergraduate and post-graduate levels and the department has established a considerable reputation for its activities on a regional, national and international arena. Through our research centre, the IPRN (International Photography Research Network), we have worked with a range of partners in the UK and across Europe and Asia. We commission photographers, produce and manage exhibitions, publish books and organise conferences and symposia around issues within photography.
We also coordinate the North East Photography Network which was set up in 2009 in partnership with the Arts Council of England to develop and promote photography in the North East of England through an ongoing programme of seminars, talks and commissions. This initiative builds on the well-established photographic culture in the region, and enhances our research collaborations with other centres of excellence, including Side Gallery, Helix Arts and Locus+. It also provides opportunities for working with other Universities and educational institutions in the region and has led to new research initiatives with different cultural organisations such as the Newcastle-based Lit. and Phil. and Mining Institute.