University News Last updated 26 July
Birmingham City University (BCU) doctoral students explored research entanglements in arts, design, and media at the ninth annual PGR Studio Conference.
PhD students from the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media (ADM) shared their work, exchanged ideas, and created connections across disciplines to strengthen their research community.
Opening the conference, Professor Nicholas Gebhardt commented: “The great thing about today is that it brings the PhD community together, moving outside of their discipline areas.”
Research can often be messy, added Professor Gebhardt, but the conference was an opportunity for delegates to embrace this.
“The ethos of the day was getting entangled and caught up in each other’s work and trying to figure out what the connections are – as well as making new connections,” said Professor Gebhardt, Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Enterprise in the Faculty of ADM.
“It’s an opportunity to push the parameters,” said Jaqueline Taylor, Doctoral Education Lead for ADM. “Rather than tidying up entanglements and presenting a linear narrative of research, we’re exposing them, to consider what they can offer, as well as the challenges they pose.
“We want to harness the power of entanglements by embracing them in the research journey.”
Joanna Callaghan is connecting her experience as a land worker and artist in her art research practice PhD, exploring embodied knowledge of land workers.
“I’m running a hands-on weaving workshop,” she said. “We’re going to pull apart the tangle of leaves and branches and weave them into something.
“This is a metaphor for the research experience.
“I’m at the beginning of my PhD and feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the entangled threads of my research ideas. By weaving a structure and a pattern, we will physically create something that will hold those research threads.”
Joanna added: “My PhD experience has been great so far. It’s different to what I expected. You’re not on your own. There’s a lot of networking and connections.
“From research takeovers and groups to the conference, I’ve found that getting involved has been really helpful for reflecting on my research.”
The PGR Studio Conference - ‘Research Entanglements: Exploring complexities and contradictions in Arts, Design and Media’ - included presentations and workshops.
Research topics shared at the conference included:
- identifying barriers to music education,
- using quantum physics to research English,
- recreating traditional Chinese literati garden experiences,
- ‘Murder Song’ work-in-progress film,
- damping the flame of belonging,
- using different forms of visual composition,
- and exploring the traditional Shuliang dyeing process for sustainable fashion.