Stuart Hall Fellowship at the University of Sussex - open call 2024

The Stuart Hall Foundation and the School of Media, Arts and Humanities at the University of Sussex are delighted to invite applications for the Stuart Hall Fellowship 2024.

Inspired by the life and work of Professor Stuart Hall, the Stuart Hall Foundation seeks to support new generations of creative thinkers and provoke original thinking, debate and research. Its vision is to encourage scholars, artists and researchers to build on Professor Stuart Hall’s legacy to transform the political and cultural landscape. The Foundation’s programme includes fellowships and scholarships, residencies and commissions as well as a series of public talks, events and screenings. 

The School of Media, Arts and Humanities (MAH) at the University of Sussex brings together a wide range of disciplines including English, Cultural Studies, History, Art History, Philosophy, Media, Film, Music, Drama, Journalism and Language Studies. It combines rigorous critical and historical studies of the media, arts and humanities with opportunities for creative practice in a range of forms and media including photography, film, radio, and interactive digital imaging. The School is resourced with a wide range of state of the art equipment for various forms of media practice. 

The Stuart Hall Fellowship at the University of Sussex was established in 2018 to provide an opportunity for a talented, creative individual to develop their practice within an academic context. Previous Stuart Hall Fellows at the University of Sussex include the renowned photographer and Turner prize nominee Ingrid Pollard, journalist Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, and multi-media artist and curator Susuana Amoah, and artist and poet Erin James. This year we continue our focus on creating opportunities for emerging or early-career creative practitioners, particularly those based in or working with communities in Brighton and the wider Sussex area.

Duration and fees

The Fellowship will run during the spring term of the academic year 2023/24 (i.e. between 29 January and 22 March 2024). The School has a £5,000 budget in total, which comprises a £4,000 honorarium and £1,000 for travel and other event-related expenses. Details of the budget and payment will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate on appointment. The Fellow will have the opportunity to undergo technical inductions to access selected equipment and facilities specific to their proposed research and an appropriate academic/practice-based member of staff will act as a point of contact for the duration of their Fellowship.

In return, the Fellow would be expected to participate and help devise a showcase event e.g. panel discussion, screening or symposium (as appropriate to their practice) for the University’s Festival of Ideas programme as part of the annual Brighton Festival taking place in May 2024. The Fellow would also be encouraged to provide a masterclass or participatory workshop for students, staff, and/or local communities in Sussex. We would also like to encourage the Fellow to produce an output such as an article or other written work, short film, art piece, animation, performance, which could provide some legacy of the collaboration and could be disseminated publicly.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this fellowship, you should be a Black emerging or early-career creative or cultural activist with established networks primarily within the Greater Brighton City Region. Preference will be given to applicants from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds who have had limited access to higher education or other research institutions.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the Fellowship, please provide a CV or portfolio, and a one-page proposal (maximum of 1000 words) for how you might use the Fellowship by midnight on Friday 29 September 2023. It would be helpful if your proposal could include the following information:

1. How your practice fits with the work of Stuart Hall and the Stuart Hall Foundation;
2. How the Fellowship will contribute to the development of your creative practice;
3. Ideas for how you might work with academics and students at the University of Sussex and/or local organisations in Brighton and Sussex more widely; 
4. Your availability during the period of the Fellowship and your preferred working days/hours; and
5. What media equipment and facilities you would require access to during your Fellowship.

Please send your application mah-research@sussex.ac.uk.

Please direct any queries regarding eligibility, applications and the Fellowship to Irene Fubara-Manuel and Naaz Rashid at the University of Sussex. Successful applicants will be contacted by 30 October 2023.