PhD in Practice

The PhD in Practice is a doctoral program for research in artistic practice, set up by the Institute of Fine Arts and the Institute of Art Theory and Cultural Studies. The program provides participants with the opportunity to pursue their individual research projects in a collective environment with a strongly transdisciplinary and international focus. It provides a concept of arts-based research built upon critical epistemologies, as developed in the context of feminist, queer, postcolonial, ecological, post-Marxist and other political and emancipatory projects.

Programme design

The PhD in Practice programme is designed for a study period of four years. During this time the participants develop and implement their projects analytically and experimentally in coordination with the academic and artistic team of co-participants and faculty.

Course work in the first two years of study is offered in the context of so-called focus weeks, which in the course of the semester takes place one week per month. During these weeks the participants and the PhD in Practice team meet for tutorials, seminars, lectures, workshops, excursions and other research and learning events. In year three and four the participants focus on their artistic research PhD project.

Transferable skills/ support of PhD candidates

The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna implemented the Center for Doctoral Studies for the purposes of developing competencies of PhD candidates, and of making young researchers and artists more visible.

Regular events such as the Graduate Conference and the International Spring Symposia are organized by the Center for Doctoral Studies. Moreover, the Center for Doctoral Studies is offering new, innovative workshops for PhD candidates that enable them to acquire academic key competencies as well as transferrable skills for the optimal advancement and qualification of young arts based researchers.

Further the Center offers two kinds of financial support for PhD candidates, the Dissertation Completion Fellowship aims to support doctoral candidates in the finalization process of their doctoral theses or their PhD-projects, respectively. In order to encourage PhD candidates to present their work internationally they can apply for compensation for travel costs to participate in international conferences, congresses or symposia.

Faculty

The program is coordinated by two professors, Renate Lorenz and Anette Baldauf.

Guests

The lecturers and guests invited include: Elizabeth Giorgis, Sharon Hayes, Ángela López Ruiz, Angela Melitopoulos, Suzana Milevska, Trinh T. Minh-ha, Margarita Palacios, Lidija Radojević, Elisabeth Subrin, Stefano Harney, Lauren Berlant, Saidiya Hartman, Tina Campt, Eve Tuck, Nikita Dhawan, and Kapwani Kiwanga.