Evaluation of Arts Outreach

Overview

Based out of Ipswich, DanceEast is the home of dance in the East of England and have been facilitating dance education and community projects, as well as operating a live theatre venue, for over thirty years. With Paul Hamlyn Foundation funding, DanceEast is undertaking a major project creating new applications of digital technologies for teaching dance and integrating dance education within the primary school curriculum. This PhD studentship, funded by the University of Essex in partnership with DanceEast, will develop innovative evaluation strategies for measuring the social, cultural, and economic impact of this exciting DanceEast project. Through the evaluation of the DanceEast case study, the PhD candidate will develop a new, multimodal framework for the evaluation of arts and cultural programmes more widely. 

The studentship will sit across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the Faculty of Social Science, with joint supervision from Essex Business School and East 15 Acting School. The studentship embodies the aims of the University of Essex’s Digital, Cultural and Creative (DCC) sub-strategy and will be embedded within the pan-University DCC Research Network.

The successful candidate will join the University’s January intake onto the PhD Drama and Performance, based in East 15 Acting School. The term begins 25 April 2022 and registration must commence by 17 March 2022. As part of the studentship, candidates will undertake training through both East 15 and Essex Business School and may be based at either the Colchester or Southend campus. While research and supervision may be partly remote, some site visits and periods of in-person working will be required. 

Funding available

The studentship offers:

• fee waiver equal to home fees (or an equivalent fee discount for overseas students)
• a doctoral stipend of £15,609 per year for three years
• funding for access to the university’s ‘Proficio’ provision, which can be used to ‘buy advanced skills training 

Eligibility criteria

Candidates must have a Masters degree or equivalent professional experience in a discipline relevant to this project. Candidates should demonstrate familiarity with qualitative research methods and capacity to undertake academic writing at PhD standard. Experience of professional working with arts or cultural organisations or within the education sector is desirable.

How to apply

Applicants should apply directly to the PhD Drama and Performance in East 15 Acting School and should include:

• a one-page cover letter articulating their interest in the studentship and demonstrating the applicability of their experience to the required criteria
• your CV
• a sample of academic writing up to six pages

Application deadlines

Deadline to submit studentship application: 17 March 2022

Deadline to apply for PhD place: 17 March 2022

Likely interview date (for shortlisted applicants): 24 March 2022

Deadline to accept or decline an offer: 25 April 2022