Doctoral Studies 2011
University of Dance and Circus will not accept any new PhD candidates during 2011.
DOCH is actively building a stronger environment for research. Six doctoral students are currently employed through agreements with the University of Stockholm, the Royal Technical University and the University of Lund/National School of Artistic Research. The disciplines represented are choreography, circus and dance pedagogy.
A position as doctoral student encompasses four years of full time studies. In expectance of proper examination rights, the student is enrolled at one of the universities mentioned above, but the student’s place of work is at DOCH. As of 2010 two doctoral students have been employed within the discipline of choreography under the new examination rules for Doctor of Art within the framework of the national School of Artistic Research. The School of Artistic Research is a five year project including all twelve higher seats of learning within the arts, financed by the Research Council. The other doctoral students are employed within the traditional examination rules, which will make them Doctors of Philosophy or Techonology after completed exam.
Within the training of artistic researchers at DOCH, choreography is a central subject; defined as a field of knowledge encompassing many artistic practices, making it a proactive, artistic dimension in society. Four of our six doctoral students work in this field. Choreography offers tools for the production of movement, for process and analysis of the prerequisites for art and the creation of culture in many different contexts. Choreography offers opportunities for the realisation of alternative expressions, spatial as well as conceptual rooms in dialogue with both the contemporary and the past. This discipline is of great interest also for other artistic and scientific fields.
Studies at the research level consist of courses and a documented artistic research project. The courses are as far as possible shaped according to the individual doctoral student’s requirements and needs.
Each doctoral student is entitled to two supervisors, a main and an assistant. To facilitate a smooth contact between the student and the supervisor, the main supervisor should if possible be one of the artistic professors at DOCH. An assistant supervisor should have a complementary competence; it may be one or more depending on the nature of the doctoral project.
Artistic research is driven by the questions which occupy the artist in the artistic practice formulated as an artistic research project. This demands that applicants seeking to do research at DOCH must be practising and experienced artists.
Our first doctoral students are ”pioneers”. This means that their projects will attract wide attention and the work is expected to be communicated on several levels. The doctoral students are also invited to participate in discussions about aims, criteria, examination forms, tutoring, financing et.al. in a way that students in the established research schools rarely have the opportunity to do. To feel this as a stimulus, one should have an interest in advanced education in art both in a national and international perspective, as well as being able and engaged in art communication.