Posted by Rosie Jennings on April 7th, 2025.
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Art from the North 1979-1990 Collaborative Doctoral Project
University of Manchester and Tate Liverpool
Stipend: £20,870 per annum
Start date: October 2025
Application deadline: Friday 2 May 2025, midnight BST
This PhD studentship will critically examine artistic practices and cultural activism in Northern England during the 1980s.
The 1980s represented a pivotal era in the UK, characterised by profound political and economic transformations. Notable events include the 1981 uprisings in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds, the influence of Thatcherism, industrial decline, and the miners’ strikes. Despite these challenges, the arts in Northern England flourished in diverse ways, opposing the political context through practices rooted in feminism, post-colonialism, class struggle and socialism.
This doctoral project is an opportunity to consider the contexts in which art outside London was produced, the ideological and aesthetic discourses that emerged, and the practices that were cultivated during the 1980s. Given the strong, historic international ties through migration and trading in Northern England, the research will take a trans-national approach that starts with the local. It will consider how diaspora shaped the demographic diversity of the North and its art scene, at a time that saw the flourishing activity of a new generation of diasporic artists.
Key research questions may include:
- In what ways did the economic, social, and political conditions of 1980s Northern England influence new artistic developments and to what extent did these diverge from popular trends in the capital?
- How did diaspora shape the northern art scene?
- What role did Northern England’s art and artists play in post-industrial regeneration?
- How did the opening of Tate Liverpool reflect and contribute to artistic and economic regeneration in the North in the 1980s?
The research developed in this studentship will contribute to an exhibition at Tate Liverpool in 2028 and there will be opportunities to develop experience within its curatorial team.
The project will be co-supervised by Dr Danielle Child (Lecturer in Creative and Cultural Industries, University of Manchester), Dr Ana Baeza Ruiz (Lecturer in Museology, University of Manchester) and Dr Leanne Green (Head of Exhibitions and Displays, Tate Liverpool).
Find out more about the PhD studentship and how to apply on Find a PhD.
Funding Notes
AHRC CDP PhD Studentship with Tate, starting October 2025, is funded for 4 or 8 years, covering UKRI tuition fees and a £20,870 annual stipend (2025/26). This studentship is open to international candidates. The difference between the international and UKRI tuition fees will be provided by the University of Manchester.
Additional funding includes:
- £750 per year (RTSG) for research support.
- £600 per year (CDA uplift) for collaboration costs.
- Up to £1,300 per year from Tate for research expenses (£650 for part-time).
