Artistic Doctorates in Europe: Third cycle provision in Dance and Performance Erasmus Project

Project Title

Artistic Doctorates in Europe: Third cycle provision in Dance and Performance

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality and Relevance of Higher Education in Partner Countries; Research and innovation; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The ADiE project has investigated Artistic Research Doctorates in Dance and Performance and contributed to the development of doctoral education via publications, workshops, training intensives, conferences, and advocacy. Our particular aim was to create a step-change, enhancing understanding of these qualifications, increasing quality and to evidence the significance. In order to do this we have in summary produced the following;

1. A review of the experiences/expectations of artistic doctoral candidates in different national contexts to identify best practices and gaps/ issues.
2. Devised open educational resources/research training materials focusing in-depth upon methodologies for artistic research.
3. Developed guidelines that enable university & collaborative partners to better supervise and support the life cycle of Artistic Doctorates
4. Documented case studies that reveal the experiences, significances and impact of these degrees.

ADiE is a collaboration across four high-ranking research/teaching institutions – Middlesex and Chichester Universities (UK), Stockholm University of the Arts (Sweden) and University of the Arts, Helsinki (Finland), in partnership with four leading professional arts organisations – Dance4 (UK), Kiasma Theatre – Museum of Contemporary Arts and Zodiak Centre for New Dance (Finland) and WELD (Sweden). Reflecting this membership and the nature of artistic research, we have emphasised connectivity across arts and University sectors.

Responding to the needs of the sector ADiE produced a series of open access publications targeting the stakeholder group to enhance the delivery, quality, and impact of artistic doctorates. These publications make a significant contribution to understanding how the sector perceives and values the artistic doctorate (Survey report 2017), understandings of and support for research methods (Research (in/as) Motion: A resource collection, 2019), developing new approaches to research and its supervision (Reconsidering Research and Supervision as Creative Embodied Practice, 2019) and asserting best practices and the required conditions to effectively support and enhance doctoral provisions into the future (Recommendations for Action, 2019). These publications bring an international group of over 50 authors together to provide insights and guidance. Importantly they are written such that throughout there are clear indications as to how the materials can be activated by readers, whether they are candidates, supervisors or policymakers. These publications have been enhanced by the gathering of case studies and interviews which document examples of current doctoral practice and take the form of video recordings/ online documents that incorporate the voices of 16 artist-researchers, alongside keynote lectures and artist-researcher responses to re-envision the future of doctoral education (9 in total).

We have curated six multiplier events and two teaching intensives, with approx 310 attendees across these events. The teaching intensives were attended by research candidates from across the partnership, alongside additional events for candidates from across the world. The participants were able to develop their skills and knowledge of artistic research, reflect on their own practices, and also build international networks in support of their research and future careers. The multiplier events were held in Nottingham, Stockholm, Chichester, London (x 2) and Helsinki and each had a different focus whilst at the same time acting to bring together a community of interest. From the first event exploring the current state of the field to the final event which looked to the future, these have been richly informative, enabling the partnership to widely disseminate its findings, resource materials, and guidance documents.

We also extended the reach of the project via panel presentations and curating arts events beyond the multipliers, including staging round tables at eight major international research events, including the Venice Biennale (see www.artisticdoctorates.com for details). These events have all be well attended enabling a wide network of dance and performance researchers to hear about our project, reaching approx. 200 further attendees in total. Further, they were an opportunity to encourage users to download and access the online resources ADiE has produced, with some 1013 visitors just to output 3 which can be accessed at https://nivel.teak.fi/adie/.

The impacts include enhanced connectivity and opportunities for mobility by participants (candidates and staff), increased confidence in research methods and supervisory practices and improved programme design and support. These impacts will continue to be enhanced beyond the project via the ongoing invitations to curate/participate in follow-on events and as the ADiE resources are taken-up and applied by users.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 351015,1 Eur

Project Coordinator

MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION CORPORATION & Country: UK

Project Partners

• ZODIAK PRESENTS RY
• STOCKHOLMS KONSTNARLIGA HOGSKOLA
• TAIDEYLIOPISTO
• WELD
• University of Chichester
• KANSALLISGALLERIA
• DANCE 4 LIMITED