Inclusive Histories Research Fellowships
Compton Verney & TORCH
Compton Verney and TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities seeks to appoint four Inclusive Histories Research Fellows to conduct primary research to investigate and explore new dimensions of its permanent collections. The Fellows will each devise, research and implement a defined project – considering inclusive histories in relation to any of Compton Verney’s diverse permanent collections – that enhances Compton Verney’s knowledge and understanding, whilst providing suggestions for further collections research and engagement projects.
Compton Verney Art Gallery & Park
Compton Verney, nine miles from Stratford upon Avon, is a registered charity and a nationally-accredited art gallery set within 120 acres of landscaped grounds. We are One Compton Verney: more than an art gallery, a house and a park. Our exhibits, interpretation, education, activities, experiences, events, facilities, services and digital presence are deeply integrated. We deliberately blur the perceived boundaries between visual and performing arts, indoor and outdoor, architecture and landscape, science and nature, creativity and learning, digital and analogue, and visiting and participating.
The Fellowships
As part of our mission, we are committed to expanding and enhancing our knowledge and understanding of our permanent collections. Our immediate priorities for research and potential redisplay are: British Portraits, British Folk Art, Naples and China, however we warmly welcome proposals that engage meaningfully with any one of our permanent collections (British Portraits, British Folk Art, Naples, China, Northern European and Marx-Lambert) or with the historic house and landscape. We are looking for a spread of applications against each collection.
Fellows will receive a stipend to enable 9 weeks of research. This can be undertaken on a full or part-time basis between June and October 2021.
Fellows will conduct most of their research remotely. Fellows will be able to visit the collection and archive at Compton Verney by prior arrangement with the project supervisors (see below).
Complementing their research activities, Fellows will be expected to actively participate in three knowledge exchange workshops with Compton Verney staff and an advisory board (drawn from Compton Verney’s regional university partners and Compton Verney Collections Settlement Trustees) to identify: cross-collection themes for inclusion in new visitor interpretation; areas for further research (to include potential Collaborative Doctoral Awards, student and volunteer research projects); new partners for Compton Verney. These will be held both on site at Compton Verney and online. Fellows will also participate in three online training course run by the Diversity Trust and attend one Away-Day at a regional museum/collection to explore best practice.
Fellows will be expected to contribute blogs to Compton Verney and TORCH websites, a final summary report for use by Compton Verney, and to share their findings by other means such as seminar presentations, should the opportunities arise.
Fees:
Research stipend of £3,000 per Fellow
Travel expenses of up to £200 per Fellow
Eligibility
Applicants should be early career researchers (including current PhD researchers). We are committed to equality of access to the Fellowships, and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We particularly encourage applications from disabled and Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, as these groups are underrepresented within the museum/gallery/heritage sectors.
Intellectual Property
The project output(s) will be co-owned by each party engaged in the collaboration. The University has the right to use the Intellectual Property generated by Compton Verney for academic and research purposes, and the fellows have academic publication rights. Compton Verney has the right to use the intellectual property generated by University staff or students in the course of the Collaboration in any way it sees fit in pursuance of its legitimate charitable objectives.
Deadline and how to apply
Applicants will outline their proposed projects, identifying particular aspects of Compton Verney’s collections they plan to focus on, the proposed research methodology, and suggestions for ways in which this new research might support the curation, display or interpretation of the chosen collection. The project should aim to develop the applicant’s expertise around researching inclusive histories, enhance Compton Verney’s knowledge and understanding of its collections (with a focus on those narratives not currently shared with visitors), and suggest a roadmap for further research opportunities and collaborations.
Fellows will be supervised by Dr Amy Orrock (Senior Curator, Compton Verney) and Dr Oliver Cox (Heritage Engagement Fellow, University of Oxford and Trustee of Compton Verney).
>>>Application form for Compton Verney and TORCH – Inclusive Histories Fellowship
Please complete and submit the application form to Katerina Vavaliou, Heritage Support Officer, TORCH at aikaterini.vavaliou@humanities.ox.ac.uk
Informal enquiries prior to the deadline are welcome. Please contact Dr Amy Orrock at amy.orrock@comptonverney.org.uk
Deadline for applications: Midday on Wednesday 26 May Monday 31 May
Interviews to be held on: 7 and 8 June
All applicants will be informed of the Selection Panel’s decision by mid-June
The Fellows can work on their chosen projects between mid-June and October 2021
Assessment Criteria
All applications will be assessed by a Selection Panel comprised of Compton Verney and University of Oxford staff according to the following criteria:
- Originality of proposed project
- Ability of proposed project to advance Compton Verney’s understanding of its permanent collections through the lens of inclusive histories
Feasibility of project (timescale and proposed research resources)
