Department: Department of Literature
Regime Full-time

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The Department of Literature in the Faculty of Arts is looking for a full-time (100%) doctoral position to do research in the field of Theatre and Intermediality.

This doctoral position will be part of the FWO-funded project Performing Ends: a theoretical-methodological inquiry on posthumous dramaturgy. The project focuses on ‘dramaturgies of ends’, responding to performances by international contemporary theatre makers and choreographers that adopt and engage multiple and ongoing ends. The study will trace how artists deal with planetary collapse and mass extinction alongside infrastructural and political crises in contemporary theatre, choreography and performance dramaturgies. The team will use collaborative methods to inquire into posthuman and posthumous dramaturgies of death, ghosts, unborns, extinction, collapse, and machines fused with more-than-human relationalities.  Using dramaturgy as a method and practice, the PhD candidate will research and develop processes for studying posthuman and posthumous performing arts. The research of the doctoral researcher will thus focus on the field of dramaturgy from a posthuman perspective, and on how dramaturgy can be a research method suitable to analyse and understand those posthuman practices.

Position

• You will work actively on the preparation and defense of a PhD thesis in the field of theatre, dance and performance studies with a focus on posthuman dramaturgies. Your research will be funded as part of the Junior Research Project Grant by the FWO (Research Foundation – Flanders).
• You will be part of an international team of early to mid-career academics. You will be in charge of some operational aspects of the project and will have the opportunity to develop your research with other scholars and artists at conferences, symposia, and through research workshops.
• You will be conducting fieldwork research in multiple countries as part of the project.
• You will publish high-quality peer-reviewed academic articles related to the research project.
• You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Research Centre for Visual Poetics.
• You will be involved in ad-hoc societal activities for the circulation and transmission of the project’s activities and research output. 

Profile

• You hold or are about to graduate with a Masters Degree or equivalent in theatre, dance, performance studies, dramaturgy, intermedial and interdisciplinary arts scholarship, or other adjacent fields.
• You have a track record of academic excellence.
• You have an interest in and scholarly experience with the thematics of the project described above.
• You have experience in conducting research and are familiar with contemporary debates in theatre, dance, and performance studies internationally.
• You have enthusiasm for doing international fieldwork research (remote and in-person) with a focus on dramaturgy, curatorial practice, programming, and other related practices.
• You can work across various digital platforms (video conferencing, Google Docs, etc.) with an international team of researchers.
• You have professional proficiency in academic English, both in speaking and writing.
• Your research qualities align with the faculty and university research policies.

We offer

• We offer a fully-funded doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. The scholarship can be renewed after a positive evaluation for another two years.
• The planned start date is 1 January 2024 or as soon as possible after that date.
• You will receive advice and mentorship from four scholars in the field of theatre and performance studies.
• You will have access to the international network of scholars and artists associated with the network of Ends: Collaborative Performance Research.
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• You will receive ecocheques, an Internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• You will do most of your work at the University of Antwerp’s City Campus in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform. The application deadline is 20 September 2023 (by 23:59 CET). Click on the ‘Apply’ button, complete the online application form and include the following attachments: (1) a motivation letter explaining your scholarly interest and experience with the themes of the project, (2 ) an academic CV, (3) transcripts for your undergraduate and graduate studies, (4) a summary of your MA thesis in 1000 words or any other academic / relevant writing sample of up to 3,000 words, and (5) names and contact details for two academic references.
• The selection committee will review the applications as soon as possible after the deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure. Please make a note of the following dates:
  • Deadline for submissions: 20 September 2023 (CET)
  • Interviews of shortlisted candidates: 2-6 October 2023
  • Results: Mid-October 2023
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact kyoko.iwaki@uantwerpen.be.

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply. 

Apply