AHRC Funded PhD Studentship
Project title: The impact of Samuel Beckett’s drama on British & Irish theatre practice
University of Reading – Department of Film, Theatre & Television
Department/School: Department of Film, Theatre & Television
Supervisors: Dr Graham Saunders
Project Overview: The AHRC has awarded £650,000 to Reading University in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum and Chester University, for a three year project on Staging Beckett: The Impact of Productions of Samuel Beckett’s Drama on Theatre Practice and Cultures in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The project is led by Professor Anna McMullan of Film, Theatre and Television (FTT) at Reading, with Dr Graham Saunders (also FTT) and Professor David Pattie (Chester) as co-investigators. The Beckett Collection held in the University of Reading’s Special Collections is the world’s largest collection of resources relating to Samuel Beckett (1906-1989). The Theatre and Performance archives at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London also hold key materials from UK companies and theatre makers and government bodies such as the Arts Council. This project will enable these materials relating to specific performances to be recorded in a database of all professional productions of Samuel Beckett’s drama in the United Kingdom and Ireland since the English language premiere of Waiting for Godot in 1955. Other archival collections across the UK and Ireland will be consulted, and, when launched, the resulting database will be hosted by the Victoria & Albert Museum. This project will enable these materials relating to specific performances to be recorded in a database of all professional productions of Samuel Beckett’s drama in the United Kingdom and Ireland since the English language premiere of Waiting for Godot in 1955. The archival materials will be supplemented by interviews and other research materials which will be accessed through a dedicated website at the University of Reading, linked to the database and other relevant sites.
The successful candidate will be based at the University of Reading. Archival research will be undertaken at of Reading’s Beckett Collection, the V&A’s Blythe House, London, and other relevant archival sources. As well undertaking research, the successful candidate will assist in developing a series of public events at Reading.
Supervision will also include training in research methodologies at the University of Reading.
Start date: 1 October 2012
Eligibility:
- Minimum of an upper second class honours degree in Theatre Studies and an upper merit or distinction at postgraduate Master’s level, or an international equivalent.
- Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is only open to candidates from the UK/EU.
Funding Details:
- Duration 3 years
- Value of award Tuition Fees and annual stipend of £13,790 (2011/12 rate)
How to apply: To apply for this studentship please submit a PhD application to the University – see here. Please use studentship reference number GS12-05 clearly on your application.
Application Deadline: 31st May 2012
Further Enquiries: For further details please contact g.saunders@reading.ac.uk
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