July 7-12, 2025
Call for applications: closed
The PhD Academy is led by:
- Duke University
- Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
- University of Exeter
- Iuav University of Venice
The performing arts contribute to the environmental humanities, foregrounding their role in understanding and tackling the environmental crisis. In this PhD Academy, this relation will be interrogated from the viewpoint of the city of Venice.
The Academy includes a program of problem-based learning activities consisting of seminars and workshops, concluding in show-and-tell and dissemination activities. As self-documentation will form part of the learning process, students will be encouraged to create archivable resources that will be available to VIU students further afield as well as future VIU students.
The seminars and workshops aim to transfer skills and methods to students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds. The broader field of study, environmental humanities, will underpin all activities which will focus on the impact of environmental crisis and climate change on the city of Venice, looking, specifically, at the role of waste in society and the ways in which theorists and artists have engaged with this concept and related labour practices in Venice and beyond.
The focus is deliberatively placed on the performing arts, though methods and scholarship will draw, characteristically for the performing arts, from a range of disciplines, empowering students to use innovative practices and explore strategies for knowledge production.
Faculty
Susanne Franco, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
Gabriella Giannachi, University of Exeter
Annalisa Sacchi, Iuav University of Venice
Katya Wesolowski, Duke University
Invited Speakers
Ilenia Caleo, Researcher and performer
Piersandra Di Matteo, Researcher and curator
Allison Orr, Researcher and choreographer
Francesca Tarocco, Director of Niche, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
Learning outcomes for participants
- A clear sense of the impact of environmental issues from the Venetian perspective
- A nuanced understanding of the skills and competences in environmental humanities (in theory and practice) that can help us to address the communication, mitigation, and adaptation to climate change
- An appreciation of the ways in which humanities, the performing arts in particular, can advance knowledge that addresses societal challenges.
- An understanding of how to work ethically, interdisciplinarily, collaboratively, and remotely with beneficiaries in Venice and beyond
Who can apply?
This international PhD Academy is offered to PhD students, post-docs, and junior researchers within all disciplines.
The module requires no prior knowledge or skills in ecological and environmental practice, performing arts or heritage studies and is open to anyone with an interest in addressing the challenge of climate change. It may be of particular interest to those students who are considering a career in environmental humanities. Open to candidates from all the VIU Member Institutions; applications from excellent candidates from non-member institutions will be also considered and evaluated.
Fees & grant support
Full fee waiver scholarships are available for students from VIU member institutions. In addition, grant support is available to support partially or fully the costs of international travel. Accommodation is provided free of charge.
Three fee-waiver scholarships and Erasmus+ mobility grants (international travel, accommodation, meals) are available to support the participation of doctoral students from Stellenbosch University. For further information please write to Stellenbosch University Outgoing Student Mobility: matiesabroad@sun.ac.za
The participation fee for students of non-member institutions is Euro 1,250 (incl. VAT). The fee is inclusive of tuition, course materials, accommodation, lunches, social events, and taxes.
Students from non-member institutions are not eligible for VIU grant support.
VIU Alumni are eligible for a reduced fee.
Applicants must submit the (1) application form, (2) a letter of motivation – which should include a short bio and a brief description of the candidate’s research project, (3) a curriculum vitae, and (4) a photo.
For further information please download the brochure and the program or write to: phdacademy@univiu.org
Co-funded by Erasmus+ Project 2022-1-IT02-KA131-HED-000068420 in the context of the Erasmus+ VIU Mobility Consortium 2021-2027.
