Following Charabanc Theatre Company: A Tradition of Women's Theatre-Making in Northern Ireland/the north of Ireland
School of Arts, English and Languages | PHD
Applications are now CLOSED
Funding
Funded
Reference Number
SAEL-2023-06
Application Deadline
27 October 2023
Start Date
8 January 2024
Overview
This project examines female creative labour in the theatre industry in Northern Ireland and a tradition of women's theatre-making since the 1990s.
Comprehensive overviews of women's theatre-making in Northern Ireland are offered by Imelda Foley's The Girls in the Big Picture: Gender in Contemporary Ulster Theatre (Belfast: The Blackstaff Press, 2003) and Fiona Coffey's Women in Northern Irish Theatre, 192102012 (New York: Syracuse Press, 2016). In addition, Lisa Fitzpatrick's scholarship is an important contribution to this field through it's address of theatrical explorations of gender and violence in Northern Ireland. This project will build on that important body of research to further illuminate the threads and connections between different generations of women theatre-makers. In particular, the project will look at Charabanc's influence and legacy as an important line of inquiry in the broader process of assembling a tradition of women's theatre-making in the North.
While there is scholarship that asserts the importance of Charabanc's work and their place in Irish theatre history (including Coffey, Foley, Helen Lojek and Brenda Winter); this now needs to be bolstered through examination of their influence on contemporary women's theatre-making. Foley laid the foundations of a tradition through examination of the work of Christina Reid, Anne Devlin and Marie Jones, and Coffey augments this through analysis of women's theatre in the early decades of the 20th century, as well as women's theatre up to 2012. Now that it is 40 years since the premiere of Charabanc's landmark production Lay Up Your Ends, it is time to explicitly trace the connections between Charabanc and the subsequent contemporary generation of theatre makers.
In Performing Social Change on the Island of Ireland, Ciara Murphy examines the role of second wave feminist strategies in Charabanc's work and suggests that: One of the company's most significant legacies was the framework the company created which served to inspire and sustain collaborative and independent theatre in the north of Ireland'. Charabanc is seminal to a tradition of women's theatre-making: both in terms of the subjects addressed and the processes of developing the work. Moreover, following the company's disbanding, members made varied contributions to theatre-making, north and south of the border. This PhD project takes Charabanc's legacy as a starting point for an examination of the diverse strands of creative practice that women are engaged in, including devising, community theatre-making, directing, popular performance and playwriting. Through its address of women's theatre from the 1990s, the project will consider developments in theatre making against a background of change in Northern Ireland as it transitions into a post-conflict society, as well as the emergence of various feminisms in this period. In light of this altered landscape, a new evaluation of contemporary women's theatre-making through the lens of Charabanc's influence is necessary and timely.
With a focus on women's direct involvement in or significant contribution to the theatrical creative process (eg as writers, performers, directors, designers, facilitators, dramaturgs, and so forth), this project will ask several research questions:
- What contributions have women made to Northern Irish theatre-making since 1990?
- What are the various practices through which women's theatrical creativity has taken shape?
- What alternative models of making and authorship are apparent when we focus on female creativity?
The urgency of documenting women's labour in the theatre has been galvanised by Waking the Feminists Ireland and Northern Ireland. In particular, Margaret Cronin's work (see 'The Headcount', https//pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/the-headcount-a-survey-on-the-gender-breakdown-of-eight-arts-coun) has articulated the ongoing lack of female representation in many areas of theatre-making in the region. This project aims to retell the recent history of women's involvement in Northern Irish theatre through a careful engagement with the various forms of gendered exclusions that remain in the industry. The project will look at what is present in the records, while maintaining a critical eye on the gaps and silences around female creative labour. Such an approach necessitates a wide range of methodologies, underpinned by a queer-feminist framework, including historiographical research into the theatre archive, historical contextualisation and oral histories style interviews with relevant persons. In marking otherwise undocumented histories, this project will make a highly original intervention into the history of theatre in Northern Ireland, complementing and supplementing existing literature.
The Drama Department at QUB has excellent connections with the professional theatre landscape in the region which will extend the research environment for the project. Additionally, there are strong links with the Linen Hall Library whose holdings include Northern Ireland's Theatre and Performing Arts Archive.
Please note that we take the term 'woman' as one that describes, inclusively, cisgender women, female identifying people, and non-binary, gender queer and gender non- conforming persons.
Funding Information
Uk residents and candidates with pre-settled or settled status who also satisfy a three-year residency requirement in the UK are eligible to receive a studentship covering fees and maintenance
Tuition fees will be covered by the award, together with a stipend of £18,622 per annum (2023-24 rates).
Students are eligible for support grants for any fieldwork, conference, study visits or travel costs.
Further details on eligibility may be found at: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/student-finance-postgraduate-studentships-terms-and-conditions
Project Summary
Supervisor
Co-Supervisor: Dr Trish McTighe
Mode of Study
Full-time: 3 years
Funding Body
DfE
Drama overview
Drama at Queen’s offers supervisory expertise in both critical and practice-based methods of research. Proposals are welcome in all areas of current staff expertise, details of which are available on the website of the School of Arts, English and Languages. Drama at Queen’s is well established as a leading centre for research and education in the fields of drama, theatre and performance studies and benefits from a purpose-built £1.6m Drama and Film Centre, which opened in October 2004 and houses the Brian Friel Centre for Theatre Research. As a research student in Drama at Queen’s you will join a vibrant student cohort and benefit from the rich research culture of the School of Arts, English and Languages. Drama at Queen's aims to establish a leading, world-class research and education environment that incorporates access to, and partnerships with, the theatre profession and industry, locally, regionally, and globally. As part of a research-intensive Russell Group University, we are committed to delivering research-led teaching, allowing our research students to benefit from knowledge exchanges and public engagement activities led by our award-winning academic staff. The Brian Friel Centre has been recognised for producing 'world-leading' and 'internationally-excellent' research, which encompasses traditional and practice-based methods. We offer students the opportunity to undertake advanced, original research in one of the department's current areas of specialisation, which include Irish theatre, Shakespeare, post-conflict drama, dance and movement practices, practice-as-research, feminist performance, Beckett studies, drama and health, and applied theatre.
Mode of study/duration - Registration is on a full-time or part-time basis, under the direction of a supervisory team appointed by the University. You will be expected to submit your thesis at the end of three years of full-time registration for PhD, or two years for MPhil (or part-time equivalent). Students can take a writing up year if required.
Drama Highlights
Student Experience
- Each student is allocated a first and second supervisor with access to a wide range of subject expertise. In addition, students participate in a series of research workshops, seminars and colloquia designed to both assist them in writing their dissertations and in acquiring the critical skills needed to develop and deliver practical projects.
Students opting for the practice-as-research route will produce a body of supervised practice-based work, accompanied by a dissertation that critically reflects on their work and contextualises it within the broader field of theatre and performance studies. Our aim is to produce international, cutting-edge research in Drama, Theatre and Performance, and to develop international teaching, research and creative arts partnerships. We welcome applications from a broad range of applicants including graduates, those currently working as teachers/lecturers, and from professionals engaged in the arts and cultural sectors, as these programmes aim to assist professional development as researchers, teachers and practitioners.
Course content
Research Information
Associated Research
Applied Theatre
Career Prospects
Introduction
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People teaching you
Professor Aoife McGrath
Professor
SAEL
Email: aoife.mcgrath@qub.ac.uk
Course structure
-Facilities
Drama Studies at Queen’s University is well established as a leading centre for research and education in the fields of drama, theatre and performance studies. Drama benefits from a purpose-built £1.6m Drama and Film Centre, which opened in October 2004. The Brian Friel Centre for Theatre Research was inaugurated in February 2009. Full time PhD students will have access to a shared office space.
Entrance requirements
The minimum academic requirement for admission to a research degree programme is normally an Upper Second Class Honours degree from a UK or ROI HE provider, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information can be obtained by contacting the School of Arts, English and Languages.
International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Tuition Fees
| Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | TBC |
| Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | TBC |
| England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | TBC |
| EU Other 3 | £20,500 |
| International | £20,500 |
1 EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled or pre-settled status, are expected to be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident, however this is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly Student Fees Regulations. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB are expected to be charged the GB fee, however this is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly student fees Regulations.
2 It is expected that EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI will be eligible for NI tuition fees. The tuition fee set out above is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly student fees Regulations.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted are for the academic year 2021-22, and relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
More information on postgraduate tuition fees.
Drama costs
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
Additional course costs
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may also be other extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies . Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £100 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges. Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen. There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, and library fines. In undertaking a research project students may incur costs associated with transport and/or materials, and there will also be additional costs for printing and binding the thesis. There may also be individually tailored research project expenses and students should consult directly with the School for further information.
Bench fees
Some research programmes incur an additional annual charge on top of the tuition fees, often referred to as a bench fee. Bench fees are charged when a programme (or a specific project) incurs extra costs such as those involved with specialist laboratory or field work. If you are required to pay bench fees they will be detailed on your offer letter. If you have any questions about Bench Fees these should be raised with your School at the application stage. Please note that, if you are being funded you will need to ensure your sponsor is aware of and has agreed to fund these additional costs before accepting your place.
How do I fund my study?
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4.International ScholarshipsInformation on Postgraduate Research scholarships for international students.
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