Apologies for cross-posting

I'm just distributing this post-doctoral position, for further
information, please refer to the relevant contacts.

Many thanks

Mireya Marquez
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Media and Communications
Goldsmiths, University of London
email:
[log in to unmask]


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ROYAL HOLLOWAY

University of London



Post Doctoral Research Associate

(Indigeneity in the Contemporary World: Performance, Politics, Belonging)

Department of Drama and Theatre



Salary is in the range £31,868 per annum inclusive of London Allowance



A unique opportunity exists for an outstanding Post-doctoral Research
Associate to assist in setting up and managing a new transnational
research project that will examine how Indigeneity is expressed and
understood in our complex, globalising world. The project specifically
asks what indigeneity has come to mean in particular places and at key
moments, and what kind of cultural, political, ethical and aesthetic
issues are negotiated within its canvass. Engaging centrally with
performance as a vital mode of cultural representation and a dynamic
social practice, this frontier research will develop along four broad
conceptual themes: ‘Commodity and Spectacle’, ‘Heritage and Material
Culture’, ‘Reconciliation and Social Cohesion’ and ‘Mobility and
Belonging’. While much of the research focuses on indigenous cultures in
regions settled during the great era of European expansionism, notably
Australia, the Pacific Islands, the Americas and South Africa, the project
is also vitally concerned with the transnational circulation of
indigeneity as a highly marketable commodity, particularly in Europe.



Working closely with the Principal Investigator, Professor Helen Gilbert,
the Research Associate will develop his/her own research on one of the
topics specified below while helping to coordinate a dynamic
interdisciplinary team of early-career researchers and short-term visiting
fellows based in London and widely connected to international networks in
postcolonial and indigenous studies. Other key duties include directing
one or more project themes, organising symposia and conference events and
developing project outputs, including an educational DVD and a public
exhibition on transnational Indigeneity.



The successful candidate will have a PhD in a relevant field
(theatre/performance studies, film, cultural geography, anthropology,
history, sociology, politics, dance, ethnomusicology, international
relations or a related discipline); some knowledge of postcolonial theory
and/or transnational indigenous studies; a strong interest in both
performance (broadly conceived) and interdisciplinary research; excellent
analytical skills and a demonstrated ability to publish in leading
international journals. He/she will be highly motivated and a clear
communicator with good organisational and teamwork skills. Fluent English
is required while competency in a second language such as French, Spanish,
Portuguese or an indigenous language spoken in one of the project areas
would be an asset.



Other Allowances: up to £2000 relocation expenses and £2000 p.a. research
travel funding.



Applications close Friday 13 March 2009 and must include:



1)     application form

2)     your curriculum vitae

3)     a brief summary of your PhD and other major research projects (500
words)

4)     a 750-word word statement specifying how you could develop a
project addressing one of the listed topics (1500 words for open topics) –
see detailed descriptions at the end of this page

5)     the names and addresses (including email) of three academic referees


Research Topics for Postdoctoral Research Associate Post


A: Indigenous Performance and Festival Cultures in Europe

This project examines the circulation and reception of indigenous
performance in Europe from the 1980s to the present, particularly at arts
festivals, with a possible focus on Britain, France and/or Germany. The
aim is to trace patterns in the representation of specific indigenous
cultures, paying attention to the ways in which performance makers have
used international platforms to express political as well as aesthetic
concerns. The researcher may choose which indigenous group(s) and sites of
production to analyse in depth, or could opt to do comparative work. The
project will be contextualised by theoretical insights drawn from
transnational/global cultural studies, postcolonial theory and performance
studies, and it will be stimulated by questions concerning commodity
values and sites of production and consumption. The researcher will be
encouraged to think about broader historical contexts for understanding
indigenous imports in specific places/regions and how indigeneity
articulates with debates about cultural diversity in the New Europe.
Ideally, the successful candidate will have a good command of French or
German, as well as fluency in English.



B: Indigeneity, Performance and Social Justice in Latin America

This project will focus on indigenous protest movements in one or more
Latin American regions, possibly in Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile or
Brazil. It may involve case studies of the performance work of particular
communities or a significant theatre/activist group. Alternatively, the
researcher could examine the transnational circulation (particularly in
North America) of a range of indigenous theatre/performance works with a
social protest agenda. The general aim will be to explore the performative
languages and political effects of indigenous social protest and its role
in current constructions of indigeneity. The project will be informed by
research on relevant issues, such as deforestation, oil exploration,
environmental degradation, land reform and free trade. While the precise
topic is negotiable, the researcher will be expected to engage with
insights drawn from cultural geography and other theoretical writings on
globalisation and environmental and social justice. Ideally, the
successful candidate will have first hand knowledge of the relevant Latin
American context and a good command of Spanish, Portuguese or an
appropriate indigenous language, as well as competence in English.



C: Contemporary Indigenous Cinema in National and Global Contexts

This is conceived as a comparative project to examine how the relatively
new field of indigenous cinema has represented aspects of different
indigenous cultures situated in various parts of the world. The aim is to
identify and analyse common concerns, motifs, images and expressive
techniques that show how film projects modern versions of indigeneity to a
global audience. Following an initial mapping of the field, the researcher
might choose to focus, for example, on thematic or political issues or to
examine experimentations with genre and/or cinematography. The project
will be informed by historical research into mainstream cinema’s
representations of indigeneity, particularly in Hollywood films, and the
researcher will be expected to consider how this context effects
contemporary indigenous cinema in political, aesthetic and commercial
terms. The significant cross-over between film and live performance work
among artists engaged in indigenous cinema may also be a productive area
of investigation. The research will be stimulated by engagement with
critical concepts drawn from visual culture, film theory and performance
studies, including debates about performative agency and spectatorship.


D: Indigenous Performance in Francophone Postcolonial Societies

This project may be comparative, involving analysis of common or related
features of indigenous performance in a selection of former/current French
colonies, or it may concentrate on one region, such as Québec or French
Polynesia. In either case, the researcher will consider how the
performances selected connect with wider issues of interest to indigenous
peoples globally. He/she may also want to trace the circulation and
reception of specific indigenous works in France or their export to
regions where French is not spoken. The project will be informed by
research into relevant local histories and geographies and by sustained
study of the particular inflections of postcolonial theory as developed in
relation to Francophone cultures. Depending on the approach chosen, the
researcher may also need to engage with questions about translation,
adaptation and cross-cultural reception. The ideal candidate will have
French language fluency and a grasp of key debates in Francophone
postcolonial studies.



E: Indigeneity in the ‘New’ South Africa

This research will engage with current thinking about indigeneity and
multiculturalism in post-apartheid South Africa, analysing dance as a
prevalent mode for expressing issues of concern to the nation’s indigenous
cultures. The researcher will consider ways in which dance participates in
the transmission of cultural heritage as well as how it responds to
political issues. The project will be informed by research into South
Africa’s relatively recent transition to democratic governance as well as
by the study of transnational debates about reconciliation as an urgent
political issue in a range of postcolonial settler societies. The
researcher should engage with critical insights developed in dance
ethnography and performance studies and may want to consider the role of
dance exports in projecting versions of contemporary South African culture
to European audiences. The ideal candidate will have a background in dance
scholarship and, preferably, first hand knowledge of the South African
context.



F: Indigeneity and Performance: Open Topic

An open project will be considered for exceptional candidates. No
specification is given for this topic, which can be flexibly conceived to
suit the candidate’s areas of interest and expertise as long as the
research contributes significantly to the objectives of the broader
project and has the capacity to animate the work of other team members.
The ideal candidate will be committed to interdisciplinary scholarship and
will have demonstrated an outstanding capacity for self-motivated
research. Those wanting to pursue this option should include in their
application a 1500 word proposal outlining the project under the following
headings: Synopsis of Topic, Research Aims and Significance, Research
Context, Methodology and Workplan (including necessary resources) and
Contribution to Larger Project.



Starting Date: as soon as possible from 1 May 2009 (post funded to 31
March 2014)

Specific queries about the post can be made to Prof. Helen Gilbert
[log in to unmask] or +44 (0)1784443922.

Further details and an application form are available from the Human
Resources Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey
TW20 0EX; tel: 01784 414241; fax: 01784 274900; [log in to unmask] 
Please quote the reference Y0209/5242.



The closing date for applications is Midday Friday 13 March 2009. The
expected interview date will be the 3rd April 2009.



We positively welcome applications from all sections of the community.