Five PhDs win AHRC Funding

FIVE recently completed PhD students in the arts and humanities are being supported to undertake three-month projects under the AHRC’s Cultural Engagement Fund pilot scheme.

The projects support valuable collaboration between universities and cultural organisations and also provide early career researchers with new skills and experience of the wider impact of arts and humanities research.

The projects are:

• Dr Alison Slater (MIRIAD) with Castlefield Gallery, Manchester. To investigate the challenges of creating a census of artists practicing across the ten regional boroughs in Greater Manchester. Its aim is to assist Castlefield Gallery and other public and third sector arts organisations and Local Authorities in their work with local artists and to guide future research projects.
• Graham Foster (IHSSR) with International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester. To explore and interpret the archive of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, with the aim of presenting it to the widest possible audience.
• Dr Gavin Macdonald (MIRIAD) with FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), Liverpool. To report on the ARtSense project and the potential of wearable technologies to promote public engagement with cultural programmes and organizations.
• Dr Langley Brown (MIRIAD) with Brian Chapman, LIME, Central Manchester Foundation NHS Trust. To engage with the Greater Manchester arts and health community, exploring approaches, assessing archives, and exploring the potential to create a global web of archives relating to arts, culture and well-being.
• Dr Melanie Horton (MIRIAD) with the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Exploring post-colonial representations of Britain’s imperial past with colleagues in South Australia, and contributing to public programmes.

The AHRC Cultural Engagement Fund pilot project aims to strengthen capacity in higher education for engagement of its arts and humanities academic staff with local creative SMEs or public and third sector cultural or civic organisations.

The bidding process was led by Professor Jim Aulich and worth up to £40k per project. A total of 45 universities won awards for one or more projects.

- The AHRC funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects: ancient history, modern dance, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, English literature, design, the creative and performing arts, and much more. This financial year the AHRC will spend approximately £98m to fund research and postgraduate training in collaboration with a number of partners. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.