One Project Doctoral Focal Award studentship is available in the School of Media and Communication for 2026/27 funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to be part of Creative Bridges – Connecting Diversity and Sustainability for UK Screen Industries, led by the University of Leeds and University of Warwick.
One Project Studentship will be offered for 26/27 entitled:
Blueprint for the Screen Industries: Where are creative workers living, working and playing in the UK today?
Media City Salford, Digbeth Loc. Birmingham, Kings Cross, London and more recently the United Nations Accelerator City (Liverpool) are seen as successful examples of investment and development in creative and screen industries inside and adjacent to major cities. What have we learned and what are we learning from these developments? More widely, each has transformed urban and former industrialised areas into places for media, technology and culture. For the UK film, television, gaming and immersive media sectors how have these regenerations affected creative workers – where do they live, work, travel and thrive? What kinds of lives and creative livelihoods have they built in these places? How does this compare with the screen creatives who live and make a living in towns and coasts? What is and where is the data upon which future developments about successful diverse and creative livelihoods are based? What will be the impact of AI on screen industry workers in the light of these new developments?
This project proposal has been co-designed with a screen industry partner who sits on the Creative Bridges Advisory Board and who invites the successful PhD candidate to undertake a sustained period of research on this key issue for the growth, development and sustainability of the screen industry in the UK. Research that focusses in on creative workers helps the industry partner better understand how they can build sustainable careers. The project will help better understand national, regional and demographic workforce diversity. Critically, it is research that will provide reliable data that may challenge or confirm the assumptions about underrepresentation, freelancers, diversity and sustainability in the UK screen industries.
The project will be based at the University of Leeds and co-supervised at the University of Warwick. You will have access to a leading screen industry partner as an advisor to the project and both university’s PhD training, development and support.
The PhD could be Research-led or Practice-as-Research. If Practice as Research this could take various forms of applied research but not limited to: a critical video essay; a moving image and/or audio documentary or experimental film; curated screenings; an exhibition of creative works or artefacts; a digital installation. The balance between written and practical elements in this PhD will depend on the form that the applied practice takes.
Information about the Award
A maintenance grant (£20,780 in Session 2026/27 for full-time study, part-time will be pro-rata at 50%). This amount increases in line with the Research Council rate.
The award will be provided for 3.5 years, for full time study and pro rata for part time study. The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable subject to satisfactory academic progress.
You can apply for both a Project Studentship and a Themed Studentship in the same round, but they should be two distinct applications.
Conditions of the Award
The following conditions must be adhered to:
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Applicants must not have already been awarded or be currently studying for a doctoral degree.
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Awards must be taken up by 1st October 2026
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All students are expected to take part in our training programme which consists of an annual summer school at Leeds and an annual winter school at Warwick.
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Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this studentship.
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Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award.
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The minimum English language entry requirement for postgraduate research study in the School of Media and Communication is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in each other component (reading, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.