PhD Study : Designing the Anthropocene: Ceramics as an archaeology of the contemporary past

Summary

The widespread acceptance of the concept of the Anthropocene reflects a growing concern that human activity since the industrial revolution has affected the planet so much that it will become manifested in geological stratigraphy. While the unprecedented proliferation of mass-produced material culture and the shorter life span of objects contributes to cultural amnesia, the vast scale and synthetic nature of the contemporary built environment may lead to a disengagement with place and the means of production. Current archaeological approaches to the recent or contemporary past can be seen as a response to this communal forgetting and disorientation. Here, archaeology is construed as a socially-engaged and inherently creative enterprise, where the past is constituted, or designed, in the present, both conceptually and materially.

Just as archaeologists deploy creative approaches, artists and ceramicists often look to the past for inspiration, sometimes adopting archaeological methods in what has been described as an ‘archival impulse’. Fired clay, perhaps more than any other creative medium, has the potential to endure into the future and become archaeological evidence. By making new ceramic objects, we are ultimately adding to the archaeological record. If archaeologists make the past in the present, ceramicists design the future past. This invites the question of who will excavate our pots in the future? What inferences will they be able to make about our increasingly digital existence? Can making help to remedy the widely problematized material forgetfulness of modernity? What can ceramicists learn from archaeological techniques and technologies to help them design sustainably for the future? How can archaeological conceptions of materiality and embodiment help us to understand our relationship to matter and things? In turn, what role can creative strategies play in creating, or interpreting, the archaeological past?

This project will explore synergies between archaeological and artistic research methodologies, identifying commonalities and developing cross-disciplinary collaborations. We welcome applications from artists, ceramicists and other creative practitioners, as well as from those with a background in archaeology or anthropology. We expect the research to result in a range of practice-led outputs, including the creation of artefacts, exhibitions, multi-media works, and the development of insights which may inform archaeological approaches to the recent or contemporary past.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement
• Research proposal of 2000 words detailing aims, objectives, milestones and methodology of the project

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Completion of Masters at a level equivalent to commendation or distinction at Ulster
• Practice-based research experience and/or dissemination
• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living

Vice Chancellors Research Scholarships (VCRS)
The scholarships will cover tuition fees and a maintenance award of £14,777 per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance). Applications are invited from UK, European Union and overseas students.
DFE
The scholarship will cover tuition fees studentship (no maintenance award is provided). For Non EU nationals the candidate must be "settled" in the UK.at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £ 14,777 per annum for three years. EU applicants will only be eligible for the fees component of the studentship (no maintenance award is provided). For Non EU nationals the candidate must be "settled" in the UK.