University of Nottingham and Tate

Circuit: Investigating partnerships between visual arts and youth organisations

Tate (www.tate.org.uk) and The University of Nottingham (www.nottingham.ac.uk) are pleased to offer an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership award to investigate how sustainable partnerships between arts and youth organisations are established within the Circuit programme.

Circuit is a four-year national programme connecting 15–25 year olds to the arts in galleries and museums working in partnership with the youth and cultural sector. Led by Tate and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (www.phf.org.uk), it provides opportunities for young people to steer their own learning and create cultural activity across art disciplines. Circuit involves Tate Modern and Tate Britain; Tate Liverpool; Tate St Ives and partners from the Plus Tate network (www.tate.org.uk/about/our-work/national-partnerships/plus-tate): firstsite Colchester (www.firstsite.uk.net); MOSTYN, Llandudno (www.mostyn.org); Nottingham Contemporary (www.nottinghamcontemporary.org); Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester (www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk); and Wysing Arts Centre (www.wysingartscentre.org) and Kettle’s Yard (www.kettlesyard.co.uk), Cambridgeshire.

For Circuit to achieve its aims partner galleries need to build trust and develop effective, sustainable relationships with local organisations working with the hardest to reach young people in their care. Previous experience and research indicates that this can be challenging. This studentship will investigate the extent to which this has been achieved in the crucial first two years of the programme. This could take the form of case studies. The researcher will be encouraged to consider the innovative use of arts and multimedia approaches to the research and the dissertation.

Research proposals

Applicants should present suggestions for possible PhD research, indicating their approach to the topic, expertise and interests and appropriate academic experience.  Proposals may, but are not required to, touch upon one or more of the following themes:

• How partnerships between galleries and youth organizations are established and different aspirations and agendas negotiated
• How these varied aspirations and agendas translate into a cultural offer for young people (the affordances)
• Who is involved (from the organisations and the young people) and in what ways
• What happens as a result - what impact are the partnerships having on the organisations and young people taking part

The award will start on 1 October 2013.  The successful candidate will be jointly supervised by Professor Pat Thomson (Professor of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences: www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/people/patricia.thomson) and Dr Emily Pringle (Head of Learning Practice and Research, Tate). At Nottingham the student will benefit from Professor Thomson’s expertise in multimedia and ethnographic research in arts and creativity, as well as a Graduate School that provides a full range of basic and advanced training programmes, as well as supporting a wide range of networks, seminars and conferences. At Tate the candidate will work closely with the Circuit Programme team and will have access to and benefit from the expertise of gallery learning professionals and partners in the youth sector from across the Circuit partnership.

For full information and details of what you need to do to apply for this opportunity please click on the ‘Apply’ button below.

Please quote ref. ED/43.

Circuit is led by Tate and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Key information for applicants:

Closing date for applications: 31 July 2013 (noon)

Interview date: 14 August 2013

Interview venue: Tate Britain

Award funding period: October 2013-September 2016

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