Doctoral Scholarship Holder in Media (Arts & Prison Studies – UK)
Check out the role overview below If you are confident you have got the right skills and experience, apply today.
Department:
Department of Communication
Regime:
Full-time
The Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Communication, The Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center is looking for a full‑time PhD‑student within the ERC‑funded project WALLS2BRIDGES‑Media Production of Prison Communities. The project investigates how prison communities produce media and how these practices reshape understandings of justice across France, Türkiye, the UK, and the US. Against the backdrop of expanding incarceration regimes and enduring racial and social inequalities, WALLS2BRIDGES examines how incarcerated people, their families, and anti‑prison activists engage in media production (from letters and newspapers to podcasts, films, and digital platforms) to contest dominant narratives and reimagine justice.
Your role
You will conduct in‑depth research in the UK and Northern Ireland, focusing on NGOs and charities working at the intersection of arts, media, and prison education. You will explore how these actors mobilize media for communication, advocacy, and knowledge production, and how they intervene in public debates on incarceration and justice. You will contribute to the project’s comparative and transnational framework alongside team members working on Türkiye, the UK, and the US.
Research strands
Studying prison media and arts initiatives “from above”: analysing policy frameworks, institutional structures, funding models, and public discourses shaping arts, media, and educational programmes in prison contexts.
Studying prison media and arts initiatives “from below”: examining how these programmes are implemented in everyday practice by NGOs, charities, educators, artists, and institutional actors.
Exploring lived experiences, creative practices, and archiving: investigating how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals engage with arts and media initiatives, while also documenting and archiving these creative outputs, including questions of preservation, access, ethics, and the afterlives of prison‑produced media.
Profile
Qualifications and expectations:
Master’s degree in media studies, sociology, anthropology, criminology, or a related field.
Fluency in English.
Familiarity with, or willingness to develop, engagement with organisations working in prison education, arts, and media in the UK and/or Northern Ireland.
Experience with qualitative research methods (e.g. interviews, ethnography, discourse analysis), and an interest in working with creative and media‑based materials.
Sensitivity to ethical questions related to working with vulnerable communities and to issues of representation, access, and consent.
Responsibilities
Conduct independent doctoral research leading to a PhD dissertation.
Publish in peer‑reviewed academic journals and contribute to collective project outputs.
Present research at international conferences.
Contribute to the organisation of workshops and public‑facing events.
Engage in societal dissemination of research findings, particularly with NGOs, charities, and community organisations.
Work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international research team.
Assets (not required, but considered an advantage)
Experience researching prisons, carceral systems, or related social justice issues.
Experience working with or researching NGOs, charities, or community‑based organisations.
Familiarity with media production (e.g. film, audio, digital media) or collaborative creative practices.
Interest in or experience with publishing, editing, or curating media content.
Familiarity with debates on media justice, prison abolition, or critical prison studies.
Existing networks with organisations working in prison education in the UK.
What we offer
Doctoral scholarship for a period of one year, renewable for another three years following a positive evaluation.
Planned start date: September 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Monthly scholarship amount calculated according to scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.
Eco‑cheques, Internet‑connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
Access to a wide and varied range of courses and educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School.
Work at the City Campus of the University of Antwerp in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
EEO and diversity statement
The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family‑friendly organisation that invests in our employees’ growth. xphnsxz We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.
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