AHRC-funded Collaborative PhD Studentship

School of Geography, Streatham Campus (Exeter), University of Exeter

Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site (Arts Programme)

The practices of carnival: communities, culture and place

Following the award of an extended programme of AHRC Collaborative PhD Studentships, the University of Exeter, in partnership with the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site (WHS) Arts Programme, is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified applicant for a doctoral studentship for three years commencing on 1 October 2010.

The overall theme of the extended programme is 'The Jurassic Coast and the arts of community engagement: heritage, science, policy and practice on a dynamic coastline'. Of the three PhD projects identified under this broad theme, the first studentship will address 'The practices of carnival: communities, culture and place'.

The overall aim of the extended programme is to produce an in-depth investigation of the geographies of arts practice and policy through a sustained collaboration with the Jurassic Coast WHS Arts Programme. The Jurassic Coast Team faces the challenge of communicating the nature and value of a 'naturally' changing coastline to visitors and residents. The adoption of a contemporary arts programme by the Jurassic Coast WHS to communicate and engage residents and visitors with the dynamics of this changing coastline offers a strong case study to address the critical role that arts practice can play in the public understanding of science and heritage management.

The practices of carnival: communities, culture and place

Supervisors: Dr Nicola Thomas and Dr David Harvey

With a long history of carnivals in the towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast, the WHS Arts Programme has tapped into this strong carnival heritage as a means through which both local distinction and international connection can be celebrated. The Arts Programme has now identified Carnival as a key strand in its 2012 Cultural Olympiad efforts. Centering on Weymouth (the sailing venue for the London Olympics), the carnival theme has an agenda of connecting communities along the Jurassic Coast with communities sharing strong carnival cultures across the globe, the aim being to forge a globalised carnival community expressed through embodied performance and arts practice. This vision of carnival, therefore, is seen to have a strong social integrative function, serving to celebrate a keen sense of place, based upon deep historical connection, but which is also contexualised within a relational network of global linkage.

Research Questions

• What are the historical geographies of the carnivals close to the Jurassic Coast?
• To what extent have elements of transgression, empowerment and resistance played a role in the movement and experience of the area's carnivals?
• How is 'carnival' being used by the Jurassic Coast WHS Arts Programme as a vehicle for community cohesion and relational celebration, both along the coast and through UNESCO World Heritage Site networks?
• How is the 'local' carnival heritage negotiated within the context of an internationally orientated festival that has a global audience?
• How does the mobilisation of carnival in different policy agendas impact on community engagement and participation within the practice of carnival?
• How does the transgressive nature of carnival and mobilization of arts practices within the event work through governance frameworks?

Methods

The studentship will be driven through an ethnographic analysis of the development of the Jurassic Coast WHS's Cultural Olympiad Carnival for 2012, supported by archival work on the history of the region's carnivals. The student will undertake participant observation with Carnival participants contributing to the Cultural Olympiad Weymouth Festival. There will be a strong element of end-user engagement within this studentship, with policy-maker advice on the role and nature of carnival and its 'culture work'.

Under the terms of the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award Scheme, the successful applicant will benefit from opportunities to work closely with the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site team and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Arts Programme. This will involve gaining first-hand experience of working within a heritage organisation on the delivery of an arts programme and participating with communities on the coastline. The experience of working with this collection will enhance the employment-related skills and training of the doctoral student. A key feature of this collaborative project is that the student will have the opportunity to communicate the outputs of the PhD research to non-academic audiences through, for example, exhibitions, practice, web pages, leaflets and talks.

This project should interest applicants with backgrounds in diverse disciplines and subject areas, including, for example, cultural geography, historical geography, anthropology, cultural studies and sociology. Applicants should hold a First Class or Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant discipline and candidates. It would normally be expected that candidates will hold a Masters degree in a relevant area by October 2010. The successful applicant will further benefit from working within a lively and expanding research environment within the School of Geography (Streatham Campus, Exeter) University of Exeter.

The award will cover University tuition fees and provide a maintenance award of at least £14,790 per year for three years in addition to travel costs for UK based fieldwork and meetings. The terms and conditions of the award will be those of the AHRC's postgraduate studentships. Applicants must therefore have a relevant connection with the United Kingdom, usually through residence.  For further information, or informal discussion about the position, please contact: Dr Nicola Thomas, nicola.j.thomas@exeter.ac.uk, +44 (0)1392 724449.

Applications

In order to apply you will need to complete an online web form where you must submit some personal details and upload a full CV, covering letter, an example of scholarly work up to 4,000 words in length (such as a coursework essay or part of a dissertation; please note that this should be uploaded in the 'research proposal' section of the online web form) and details of two referees.

Your covering letter should outline your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake this project.

If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email Helen Pisarska geog-studentships@exeter.ac.uk or phone +44(0)1392 723310.

The closing date is 12 noon Friday 21st May 2010. Candidates for interview will be notified by Friday 28th May. Interviews are likely to be held over two days on 7th and 8th June 2010.