We have an opportunity for a student to undertake a fascinating research project as part of our MRes in Arts and Cultural Research, studying and archiving 25 years of Gscene magazine for The Keep archive. Interested?

About the project

The chosen student will be given access to around 300 or so issues of Gscene, which charts both the challenges and important steps enabling Brighton LGBT community groups and culture to develop into everything that Brighton as a city stands for today in the national ‘imaginings of this city as the “gay capital’’ (Browne and Bakshi 2016).

This unique resource charts the Brighton LGBT community’s development and culture from 1992 to today, including major battles for HIV prevention and care, the joys and politics of being host to one of Britain main pride festivals, tensions between party politics at council level and local LGBT activism, turbulent relations between the LGBT Community and Sussex Police, as well as the  diverse voices of the LGBT community over the time of 25 years.

The student will use this archive as a primary source for a 20,000 word research project on a topic exploring local media, activism and positive social change for LGBT people. Following the project, the archive will be available for further research via world-class archive The Keep.

Where will it lead?

The MRes postgraduate degree is an ideal step towards undertaking a PhD. You will conduct an independent research project supervised by an experienced academic researcher and supported by the Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP) and a community partner with over 25 years of experience in community media and LGBT advocacy. The student will be trained in research skills via the MRes curriculum as well as through training opportunities offered by the Transforming Sexuality and Gender Research Cluster.

The Transforming Sexuality and Gender Research Cluster at the University of Brighton homes internationally recognised scholars who work in and across a wide range of fields intersecting with the study of genders and sexualities, across the arts and humanities and social sciences.

We are committed to cutting edge research and community engagement. Many of our researchers have a shared commitment to feminist, post-structuralist and queer theoretical approaches and use a variety of methodologies that are participatory, visual and creative.

Who can apply?

Anyone with a passion for this project who meets the criteria of the MRes in Arts and Cultural Research entry requirements. We welcome applicants from all walks of life. Our flexible admissions policy takes relevant non-academic merits into account.

The following scholarships are available:

• The Vice-Chancellor’s postgraduate excellence scholarship – this is open to graduates who have obtained a first-class degree from a UK institution in 2016/17.
• The postgraduate alumni scholarship – this is open to University of Brighton alumni who graduated with a first or 2:1 in 2016/17.

How to apply
Application is via the Arts and Cultural Research MRes course page. Please include the reference GSCENE in the reference field. When applying you will be asked for a personal statement which should consider the following:

– Your reasons for choosing the University of Brighton
– Your motivation for postgraduate study
– Your future plans, including how this could lead to doctoral study
– Any additional experience you wish to highlight
– A research proposal of no more than 750 words, including the following:
– Why you want to work on this archive
– Your central research question
– Your proposed theoretical framework and/or methodology

Deadline

There’s no deadline for applying. If you require a UK visa to study you should ensure you make your application with enough time to arrange your visa afterwards.

Term starts on 25 September 2017, we may be able to accept late applications after this date. If you would like to make a late application you should make sure that your application is completed in full. If you require a visa to study, it may not be possible for you to make a late application.

Apply now via the Arts and Cultural Research MRes course page.