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Fully-funded Collaborative Doctoral Award: University of Leeds and Heritage Open Days/The National Trust

Date

From Engagement to Empowerment: The Future of England’s Heritage Open Days

Applications are invited for a collaborative doctoral award based on a cooperation between the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies (University of Leeds) and Heritage Open Days / The National Trust, funded by the White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH).

Spanning the public, private and voluntary sectors, Heritage Open Days (HOD) are England's largest participatory festival. The annual event offers the public free access and activities to celebrate local heritage, history and community. In 2017, HOD brought together 5,500 sites, 2,100 organisers, 46,400 volunteers and 2.52 million visitors. HOD are run by a specialist team and coordinated nationally by The National Trust. Established in 1994, HOD are part of European Heritage Days, an initiative of the Council of Europe which dates back to 1985 and involves the European Commission and 50 signatories of the European Cultural Convention.

Despite their popularity and success, Heritage Open Days face a number of challenges at the local, national and international level. These relate to participation, citizen-led heritage decisions and responding to post-Brexit circumstances in Europe and beyond.

The studentship will explore, analyse and address these challenges, drawing on new and existing data, additional findings generated through ethnographic enquiry, debates about the politics and policies of participation, cultural theory and scholarship in heritage studies.

We are looking for an applicant who holds a masters degree or similar postgraduate qualification in an arts and humanities discipline and can demonstrate an active interest in public history, heritage, participation and/or cultural policy.

The studentship is also suitable for a professional currently working in the cultural or heritage sector who wishes to return to academic research.

The successful applicant will be based in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds, and will be supervised by Dr Claudia Sternberg and Dr Nick Cass (University of Leeds), and Annie Reilly (Heritage Open Days Manager, London).

The award will comprise UK/EU fees at Research Council rates and, for eligible students, a maintenance grant (£14,777 in 2018/9).

Applicants must apply directly to the University of Leeds in the first instance for a place of study by 2 January 2019 (stage 1), clearly stating the name of the project to which they are applying. The candidate selected in Stage 1 then liaises with the project supervisory team to submit a WRoCAH studentship application* via the WRoCAH online application form by the 5pm on Wednesday 23 January 2019.

See here for full information about The Future of England’s Heritage Open Days project (including how to apply).

Please direct any informal enquiries about this studentship to Dr Claudia Sternberg: C.Sternberg@leeds.ac.uk

The studentship is one of a number of collaborative doctoral awards funded by the White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH), including further opportunities within the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies. More details can be found here.

Before applying for any WRoCAH Studentship, please first ensure that you have read the WRoCAH webpages about Collaborative Doctoral Awards, the WRoCAH training programme and requirements.

*Important note: Upon selection by the CDA project team to be put forward to WRoCAH, the applicant will be considered competitively within the main WRoCAH competition. Being put forward for consideration is not a guarantee of funding.

Image courtesy of Heritage Open Days