We have an exciting opportunity for a fully funded PhD in the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender at the University of Brighton, on the following Techne Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) studentship: Resourcing Gypsy, Romany, Traveller (GRT) trans young people in the UK: An exploration of gender diversity and GRT intersectionality using the arts, heritage and culture as a vehicle for advocacy and empowerment.

Applications are invited for a fully-funded three-year PhD, funded through the Techne DTP.

The research project will be undertaken in collaboration with Mermaids, one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities, supporting thousands of gender diverse young people, as well as families and professionals involved in their care, since 1995.

The student will be based at University of Brighton with full access to the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender Research Creative Methods Lab, media equipment and other resources. This is a collaborative project with Mermaids UK and the research student will also benefit from being based at the partner organisation for periods of the 3-year project.

Growing resistance to trans human rights, paired with persistent racism towards GRT communities, positions GRT trans youth at interlocking axes of inequality. There is a distinct lack of research which explores the experiences of GRT trans young people, and their voices are rarely heard. This project will produce evidence on the lived experiences of GRT trans youth in the UK via a socially engaged participatory approach; identify patterns of gender representation in museum and heritage collections, displays and interpretation of material associated with GRT communities; and develop new interdisciplinary methods for researching with marginalised youth. Researching with GRT trans youth, the project will explore creative arts and heritage related activities to critically examine their imaginations of liveable lives, everyday resistances to racism and transphobia, and the affordances of community resilience.

We particularly encourage applications from groups that are currently underrepresented in HE: i.e. students from GRT and other minority ethnic groups; and gender and sexuality minority groups (LGBTQ+). We invite applicants with an arts and humanities or interdisciplinary background. Experience from outreach work or creative work with marginalised communities is not a requirement, but desirable.

The studentship start date is October 2022.

Full details and to apply see:

https://www.brighton.ac.uk/research-and-enterprise/postgraduate-research-degrees/funding-opportunities-and-studentships/2022-ahrc-t