MRes Masters by Research Studentship

MASTERS BY RESEARCH (MRES) STUDENTSHIP OPPORTUNITY

UCC SCHOOL OF FILM, MUSIC AND THEATRE and CORK OPERA HOUSE INCLUDING AN ORIGINAL ARTISTIC PRODUCT

One Year Masters by Research (MRes)

Studentship Value: €13,500 – (Full-time UCC fees €5,770; Stipend of €6,130; making fee of €1,600)

Application deadline – Mon 22nd July 2024, midnight.

Start date - Oct 1^st 2024; Final Submission - Sept 30^th 2025

Sharing of work at Cork Opera House, Culture Night - Sept 2025

OVERVIEW

The School of Film, Music and Theatre at University College Cork, Ireland, is seeking a candidate for an MRes – Masters by Research -- Studentship as part of our working relationship with Cork Opera House. The Studentship is one of the four pillars of the COH-UCC collaboration. An independent-minded, driven artist, whose artistic process demonstrates strong affinities with research-based investigations, and who enjoys engaging with theory-practice integrated approaches, will be well-suited to this opportunity.

We seek a candidate who will develop a practice-inclusive project for an MRes degree. The practical, artistic outcome of the MRes will be an audience-engaging exploration of Cork Opera House as a building, as a creative space, and as a key location in the cultural landscape of Cork City. The artwork designed by the student will invite audience to self-guide through the Opera House’s architecture – including rooms, working locations, spaces and passageways that the audience might never otherwise encounter. The medium of the work might take the form of (but is not limited to) film / screen media, creative-writing, a theatre performance or a play, a performative sound walk or podcast-style recording; a self-guided mixed sound tour; a piece of sonic or audio art; one or more musical compositions; or any combination thereof. The selection committee is open to proposals that include other media or art forms. The goal is to develop, test and refine a work that will be featured during Culture Night, September 2025, as a way of engaging audiences old and new to explore the Opera House in a whole new way.

The theoretical component of the MRes work will take the form of a combination of the following:

• A contextualisation and assertion of the originality of the aesthetics of the final work, addressing themes like space, architecturality, performativity, historical engagements, site-specific investigation, etc.
• An articulation of an artistic research methodological approach adapted to the unique qualities of the artwork.
• Articulation of experimentation with how best audiences are drawn to engage with the work in question, including historically marginalised audiences.
• Explorations and contextualisation of artistic process, developing methods for new modalities of artistic outcome.
• Explorations of historical, cultural, and personal discourse regarding Cork Opera House: its past, present and future.

We are open to other propositions that align with the above. Interdisciplinary proposals that align with the wide range of expertise available in the School of Film, Music and Theatre are welcome.

Please see www.ucc.ie/fmt for details of the School.

HOW YOU WILL BE SUPPORTED

• An academic supervisor or supervisory team will be attributed to you to guide you in your work. Your team will be aligned with your proposed topic and will include (an) experienced practice-inclusive researcher(s).
• You will have shared access to the sound, theatre and media facilities at UCC, but will likely still want to be making work and editing on your own digital infrastructure. UCC does not provide free access to Adobe Creative Cloud or MAX.
• Cork Opera House will provide you with access to the space, with artistic stimulation, and as you approach your final artistic outcome, logistical support and technical support to ensure that your work comes to fruition, as well as PR support to the final event/showing. You will be able to do trials/tests of your work well in advance of its final production. Please note that the technical resources of Cork Opera House are *not* unlimited and that all technical engagements with UCC and COH should be structured and planned well in advance.
• The studentship, of a total value of €13,500 for the year, pays your full-time fees to UCC (€5,770) a stipend of €6,130 and a making fee of €1,600. You are expected to submit the MRes thesis by 30 September 2025. Your external examiner will be invited to experience the Culture Night event as part of their examination.

HOW TO APPLY: DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: 22nd JULY 2024, MIDNIGHT

Because of the timeline for candidacy, we will not be able to offer this studentship to candidates not legally able to live and work in Ireland without obtention of a visa, and it is thus limited to EU citizen candidates or others who have permission to live and work in Ireland.

PLEASE NOTE: the application process has TWO parts – first you need to complete an online form and email supporting materials to the School of Film, Music & Theatre - this will provide you with material to apply for the MRes at the UCC application portal; follow the link to Postgraduate Courses where you will be asked to create an account. BOTH of these processes must be completed before your application  process is complete, before the deadline of Mon 22nd July, 2024 at midnight.

APPLICATION PROCESS DETAILS:

1. Please view the online form available here.
2. Please fill in the form and upload the three documents required (Research Proposal, Cover Letter, CV).
3. You should then apply for the MRes at the UCC application portal. The studentship application form will furnish you with the ingredients for the MRes programme To apply, follow these instructions: https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/postgrad/faq/apply/
4. On the main UCC application, please name any supervisor or two supervisors who you think might align with your interests from the School. We are at ucc.ie/fmt

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday 22nd July 2024, midnight.

If you need assistance with your application process, please email: fmt@ucc.ie

UCC POSITIVE ACTION STATEMENT

University College Cork is committed to being a fully inclusive global university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are core values under UCC’s 2023 – 28 Strategic Plan. UCC holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of age, care-giving status, disability, ethnicity, gender and / or gender identity or expression status, nationality, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion/creed, and/or sexual orientation. We are committed to supporting all staff through flexible working schemes, family-friendly policies, training and development, and staff networks. We value the enrichment that comes from a diverse community and seek to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of each individual in line with equality legislation. We encourage applicants to consult our Dignity and Respect Policy and learn more about our EDI related initiatives.