Lund University, Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts,

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

The Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts is one of eight faculties within Lund University and includes Malmö Art Academy, Malmö Academy of Music and Malmö Theatre Academy, also Inter Arts Center and Choral Centre South. The Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts offers Bachelor and Master programs in visual art, music and drama, and various courses of different extent. The Faculty also runs third cycle (postgraduate) studies in artistic research and music education.

The focus of the call

Malmö Theatre Academy (THM) opens a position for a doctoral candidate in artistic research in the performing arts (directing, dramaturgy, performing, scenography, light design, sound design, costume design, object theatre, various forms of Live Art) with a focus on sustainability. The PhD studentship is hosted jointly by THM and the Agenda 2030 Graduate School within Lund University.

The term “sustainability” gathers the challenges the ecological, environmental and socio-political state of the planet currently poses to humankind. The performing arts in different cultures have traditionally depicted and criticised the fatal aspects of human behaviour and the relation of humans to the powers and factors they are not (entirely) masters of. However the ongoing planetary crisis poses to the sustainability of the art form completely a new type of challenges. A need for a shift from anthropocentric modes of representation towards more heterogeneous and inclusive forms is pressing, but it often meets with the apparent limitations of the human body, language, cognition, norms, beliefs and institutional practices.

How to stretch, surpass or renegotiate those limits in performing arts and in their education? What kind of new forms, practices, techniques or methods are needed for that? What kind of means can practices in performing arts provide to foster sustainability in societies?

The doctoral studentship is an opportunity for artists whose practice links with the aforementioned issues to pursue their research within the Agenda 2030 Graduate School while being anchored to the artistic research field within THM.

Artistic research at Malmö Theatre Academy

Artistic research is academic research based on the artistic skill and experience of its practitioner. Conducting artistic research implies creative use and critical assessment of one’s artistic medium for approaching topical problem areas within or outside the arts field. The outcomes change our knowledge and understanding regarding those areas and, thereby, contribute to the overall development of arts, research and society. The research activities at THM are hosted by a unit entitled Öresund Collegium for Artistic Research. More information on the Öresund Collegium is available here: https://www.thm.lu.se/en/research-collaborations

About the Agenda 2030 graduate school

The 2030 Agenda is the framework for sustainable development that the world’s nations have signed to end extreme poverty, reduce inequalities, solve the climate crisis, promote peace and equity, and much more. In order to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, research has several important roles: to identify challenges and conflicting objectives, contribute new solutions, generate dialogue and learning between different societal stakeholders and critically analyse the goals. Lund University aspires to be a part of the solution and has therefore started a graduate school focusing on societal challenges, sustainability issues and the 2030 Agenda. The graduate school offers a unique opportunity to gain interdisciplinary perspectives on global challenges and contribute to current research while deepening your subject knowledge. More information on the graduate school is available here: https://www.sustainability.lu.se/education/agenda-2030-graduate-school

About the nature of the position

The candidate will be associated with the research studies programme at THM. Simultaneously they will participate in the interdisciplinary courses, seminars, conferences and study trips organised by the Agenda 2030 Graduate School. Together these activities provide great potential to develop new forms of collaboration and work for change across disciplinary boundaries. The candidate is also expected to be engaged in teaching, developmental tasks and administration (all to a limited extent) within THM, pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 2 of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). 

Qualifications

A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if they

– have been awarded a second-cycle qualification

– have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in a second-cycle study programme, or

– have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other manner in Sweden or abroad

 

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third-cycle studies in theatre if they

– have been awarded a degree of at least 240 credits in the field of theatre or have equivalent experience in the field of artistic work, and

– have produced artistic work of an independent nature sufficient for an assessment of the candidate’s suitability for the programme

The application

In connection with their application, applicants are requested to present:

– An introductory letter (in English, one page, 11 point font size, spacing 1.15)

Briefly describe why you are interested in research studies at Lund University. On the basis of your disciplinary background, describe how your artistic research at THM could contribute to innovative thinking and boundary-crossing research linked to the Agenda 2030. How can your experiences be connected to the Agenda 2030 graduate school?

– A research plan (in English, max. 10 pages, 11 point font size, spacing 1.15)

The plan is to include a project description (aim, methods, planned artistic practice, modes of documentation), an outline of the implementation of the project and references

– A list of qualifications and copies of the qualification documents, which could be certified on request

­– Documented artistic work within the field of theatre (a “portfolio”)

Grounds for assessment

The foremost criteria for selection are 1) the applicant’s suitability for artistic research work and their ability to benefit from the research studies programme at THM, and 2) a clear connection to the Agenda 2030.

According to the first one of these main criteria, the Admission Board assesses in particular

the applicant’s plan and aim for an artistic research project the applicant’s suitability for artistic research the artistic quality of the project and its feasibility in relation to the timeframe (i.e. a period of four years of full-time study) the quality of the project plan in terms of relevance, originality, research issues, links and relevance to the general area of knowledge and proposed methods, and the Department’s desired specialisation and access to academic supervisors/tutors

According to the second main criteria, the Admissions Board assesses in particular the applicant´s holistic approach to Agenda 2030 sustainable goals.

The grounds for selection among the candidates are the applicant’s qualifications at the time of application. The fact that an applicant’s previous studies or professional activities are assessed as transferable credits for the research studies programme is not to give that applicant any precedence over other applicants in the selection process. Provisions for employment as a doctoral student are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100).

Application process

We encourage candidates to apply electronically via the Lund University applications portal. Supplementary documents, in the form of bound publications/equivalent, are to be sent to: Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts, Lund University, Box 8084, 200 41 Malmö. The registration number is to be stated in connection with documents sent by post. The application is to contain a CV and other documents the applicant wishes to highlight for the current appointment. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, 8 October 2021 at 23:59.

After an initial selection, interviews will be conducted with the most qualified applicants. If necessary, the Admission Board may request additional documents. Interviews are planned to take place in October – November 2021.

Conditions of employment

Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment Januari 2022
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100
City Malmö
County Skåne län
Country Sweden
Reference number PA2021/2688
Contact
  • Esa Kirkkopelto, ämnesansvarig professor, +358-400-792594, esa.kirkkopelto@thm.lu.se
  • Ditte Bjerg, prefekt, +4640325595, ditte.bjerg@thm.lu.se
Union representative
  • OFR/ST:Fackförbundet ST:s kansli, 046-222 93 62
  • SACO:Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet, 046-222 93 64
  • SEKO: Seko Civil, 046-222 93 66
Published 30.Aug.2021
Last application date 08.Oct.2021 11:59 PM CEST

Return to job vacancies