From Practice to PhD Workshop

Contributors Include:

• JD Hill, Head of Research, The British Museum
• Dr Oliver Cox, Head of Academic Partnerships, The Victoria and Albert Museum
• Christine Taylor, Curator of Natural History, Portsmouth Museums
• Katt Grover, Doctoral Student, Artist, Designer and Poet

Co-hosted by the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE) and Bath Spa University, this online workshop focuses on one of the most impactful ways to work together: collaborative doctoral supervision—where academic and industry partners co-support a PhD student over time. But that’s just one part of a broader picture. Although this session will focus on how arts and cultural organisations and researchers can collaborate through doctoral research, we will also open up wider conversations about the range of ways arts and culture organisations can embed research collaboration and where this might lead.

This event is open to all arts and cultural organisations whether you’re already collaborating with researchers, or just curious about where to start. We also look forward to welcoming those considering undertaking a collaborative PhD, or those within academia interested in finding out more about co-supervising with an arts and cultural organisation.

We’ll explore

• Some of the different ways researchers and arts organisations can collaborate
• How to shape a good research question together—and why it matters
• What it means to co-supervise a practice-based PhD student in real terms
• What organisational capacity, support, and culture are needed to host a researcher
• What methods and approaches can be used in practice-based PhDs
• What challenges arise—and how others have navigated them

The roundtable will include reflections from academics, doctoral students, and arts and cultural professionals with hands-on experience, and time for open discussion and shared learning. Our conversations will inform a new Collaborative PhD Toolkit being developed for the sector—bringing together case studies, guidance, and resources to support future partnerships.

This event is open to all arts and cultural organisations whether you’re already collaborating with researchers, or just curious about where to start. We also look forward to welcoming those considering undertaking a collaborative PhD, or those within academia interested in finding out more about co-supervising with an arts and cultural organisation.