PROJECT OVERVIEW

This practice-led interdisciplinary doctoral project will employ archive and collections research as the basis for developing a substantial body of original film and/or photographic work, supported by a thesis. We are looking for an artist whose practice engages with social history and lived experience and who is keen to develop their archival research skills, knowledge of riverine material culture and to employ object-centred design historical methodologies. This studentship might also appeal to historians with a creative practice in photography, art filmmaking or related lens-based work.
The project will be driven by two core aims: one focused on conducting collections-based research to throw new light on barge design and use; the other on photography and/or filmmaking as a means to generate new critical perspectives on their historical and contemporary significance. The project will pay close attention to the experiences of working-class communities and the diverse individuals engaged in building, sailing, living and trading on these unique vessels, including women and children. It will also engage with contemporary barge owners, heritage partners and estuary communities in London, Kent and Essex.
As a doctoral student you will spend time at the National Maritime Museum researching relevant collections, from ship models and plans, to photographs and oral histories, concerned with Thames barges and the surrounding environment. You will have the opportunity to work closely with NMM’s curatorial staff, benefitting from their expertise in maritime London and maritime technologies.
The RCA’s supervisory team, based in the School of Arts and Humanities (SoAH), will contribute expertise in lens-based art practice, critical design histories of London, and object-led, site-specific methodologies. As a member of the SoAH PhD community you will have access to a studio and Audio-Visual facilities at the RCA. You will be encouraged to engage with a lively research culture across the College which connects art and design practices with research on rivers and oceans.

The supervisory team will support the successful candidate to develop their own lines of enquiry and areas of focus in relation to the broader aims of the studentship. Indicative Research Questions may include (but are not limited to):

• How has the design, construction and use of Thames Sailing Barges changed since the early 19th century, and what were the key factors in these changes?
• What role has design and material culture played in the lived experiences and identities of crew and communities connected with the barges? How has this varied across time and geographical location? How can a visual investigation illuminate/animate these lived experiences?
• How does a lens-based output bring visibility and new audiences to histories of marginalised objects, people and places?
• What does an object-led history of the barge reveal about shifting cultural attitudes to the river, past and present and how can a visually led enquiry foster an affective understanding of their importance?
• How does an interdisciplinary design history/art practice approach to collections research bring new knowledge and methodologies, to the discipline of the history of design?

Please refer the Job description for details