Deptford.TV presentation see slides1 & slides2 (as .pdf files).

AVPhD project

The AVPhD project began October 2005 and we have AHRC funding until September 2008 to consolidate, expand and develop the project UK wide, and develop more national (and potentially international) collaborative connections. Audiovisual practice research PhDs were first accepted little over a decade ago and are now increasingly in demand. Our initiative is the first systematically to address the training needs of this growing community of doctoral students. One of the effects of our work to date has been to reveal the need for students to discuss issues with the (still relatively small) group of experienced supervisors and examiners, and vice-versa.

Our primary objective is to create a sustainable, engaging and lively UK wide training network for all those working towards audiovisual practice research PhDs. We believe this will involve a long term commitment to training, especially as the nature of the PhD is itself long term, and both students and staff will benefit from sustained and continuous networking, both live and online, which of course will help their developing academic careers.

These are our main aims:

1. To sponsor and help organise a series of training events and workshops across the UK, covering the major aspects of embarking on an AVPhD, aimed at current and prospective candidates. The first of these has already happened in Belfast – others are planned for Brighton, Edinburgh, Cardiff, London, Manchester and Bristol. These events will also give doctoral students a chance to see and discuss each other’s work, in a form of a ‘peer review’ process. At least one of them will also afford an opportunity for supervisors and examiners to discuss standards and criteria.
2. To develop an online education pack to compliment the workshops, including (for example) case-studies of universities and their differing approaches to AVPhDs, and methodological publications (perhaps a collection of essays generated by contributions to the training events).
3. Set up and maintain a dynamic, intuitive website that includes a database of examiners, supervisors and students of AVPhDs with their profiles and links, an online forum for ongoing discussions and support, as well as relevant articles and audio-visual works.
4. Collaborate with the Bristol University based ScreenWork initiative – a peer reviewed DVD to be published by Intellect in association with the Journal of Media Practice.
5. To develop a future plan for the website, DVD distribution, and the workshops to ensure long-term sustainability of AVPhD, for example looking into institutional subscription to the scheme.

The AVPhD steering group now comprises:

Ian Christie

Professor of Film and Media History, School of History of Art, Film and Visual Media, Birkbeck

Jon Dovey

Reader in Screen Media, Department of Drama: Theatre, Film, Television, University of Bristol

Tony Dowmunt

Department of Media & Communications, Goldsmiths College (which remains the lead institution) – Senior Lecturer, Media Studies, University of Ulster

Robin Nelson

Professor, Department of Contemporary Arts, Manchester Metropolitan University

Gail Pearce

Lecturer, Media Arts, Royal Holloway, University of London

Al Rees

Research Tutor, Department of Communication, Art and Design, Royal College of Art

Joram Ten Brink

Reader in Film, Head of the PhD programme (practice based), University of Westminster

Rosie Thomas

Reader in Art and Media Practice and Director of Centre for Research and Education in Art and Media (CREAM), University of Westminster

 

The Manchester workshop will focus upon digital media and new media arts and invites current (or recently-completed) PhD students to present their work (see ‘Call for Presentations’) and we ask presenters to foreground issues of methods and methodology. Proposals with other interesting topics and perspectives will, however, be considered.

Though there is considerable interest in ‘practice as research’, the AVPhD project is concerned with all approaches to PhDs in the Audio-Visual media (broadly understood to cover everything from fine art and sonics to social anthropology using sound, video/film as a means of investigation).

AVPhD ‘North’: Regional Workshop

Friday 14th September 9.30am – 6pm, Saturday 15th September 9.45am – 5pm

Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University,

Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6BH

(Organisers – Jim Aulich, Jane Linden, Robin Nelson)

NB There is no charge for this AHRC-funded workshop. Lunch will be provided on both days BUT delegates are asked to register their intention to attend for catering and organisational purposes:

TO:   Cheryl Platt (c.platt@mmu.ac.uk)  BY:    Friday 31 August 2007

Friday 14 September

09.30   Arrival and tea/coffee

10.00  Welcome and Introduction

10.15  Keynote: Charlie Gere, Reader in New Media and Director of Research in the Institute for Cultural Research at Lancaster University.

11.30  Methods/Methodologies (1)

Digital Practices – Applications: Chair – Jane Linden

 (Eunice CHAN, Mike GOLDING, Anne KELLOCK)

13.00  Lunch

14.00  Innovations in publishing PaR (Ric Allsopp)

15.00    a) Examiners workshop – tutors only (Robin Nelson)

b) Introduction and screening: Transfiction

by Johannes Sjöberg + discussion

17.00  Short plenary followed by wine reception

Saturday 15 September

09.45   Arrival

10.00   Keynote: Andrea Zapp, researcher-practitioner and Route Leader for MA Media Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University

11.00   Methods/Methodologies (2)

Lanscapes and Communities: Chair – Jim Aulich

(Veronica VIERIN, Lisa STANSBIE, Adnan HADZI)

 + Summary of issues identified (Jane Linden)

13.00  Lunch

14.00  Workshop: Modes of Writing for PaR PhDs

(Robin Nelson et al)

16.00    Plenary discussion

17.00  Close