Creative Industries

The University of Stirling is pleased to invite applications for fully funded PhD opportunities within the IAS Creative Industries Cluster.

Our Cluster is dedicated to advancing innovative and interdisciplinary research that bridges theory and practice in the creative industries. Our aims are to critically examine local, national, and transnational creative industries media economies, organisations and labour, as well as influence global creative practices and policy. Successful candidates will join the Division of Communications, Media and Culture, an internationally renowned centre for research and teaching across screen studies, digital media, creative industries, journalism, public relations and media and cultural policy.

Deadline: Submit a project proposal for this cluster by 24 March, 2025.

Our Key Strategic Vision:

• Regional innovation, business models, and economic development: Public investment and strategic growth in creative industries are necessary for fostering local creative production, enhancing creative skills and education, and deepening our understanding of cultural economies as drivers of regional growth.
• Sustainable work and labour practices: Despite the lower barriers to entry in the digital era, creative industries workers often struggle to find and sustain long-term, decently paid work, with fair working conditions, social benefits, and labour representation. Such work tends to be portfolio, gig-based and geographically dispersed. Quality work and labour conditions are needed to protect individual workers and the viability of creative industries.
• Social inclusion and cultural representation: Improving equity, diversity, and inclusion and preserving cultural heritage are important for ensuring fair representation in creative industries. At the same time, inclusive creative practices are vital in shaping cultural narratives and developing strategies that broaden participation across all sectors of media and creative production.

Research Areas:

We welcome research projects for conventional or practice-based PhDs in any of the following interdisciplinary areas:

• Regional innovation, business models, and economic development: projects may focus on the role of local film, TV, social media and/or video game production in regional development; the economic, business and strategic impacts of public investment in the film and TV sector in Stirling and Clackmannanshire region or elsewhere in Scotland; or creative skills development, education, and training in the Stirling and Clackmannanshire region or elsewhere in Scotland.
• Sustainable work and labour practices: projects may focus on quality and inclusive work and labour practices at the interface between local/national and transnational creative industries; or the roles of non-traditional employment relationships (e.g., freelance and self-employment), labour organisations (e.g., unions and professional associations), or newer forms of labour (e.g., social media content creation) in creative industries.
• Social inclusion and cultural representation: projects may focus on strategies to increase diversity and inclusion in the media industries; the relationship between creative production and representation; or the impact of location-based creative production on the cultural presence and material sustainability of built and natural heritage.

Candidate Profile:

We are seeking candidates with a strong interest in production studies, the political economy of media and/or creative industries. Ideal candidates will have a background in media, communications, film and television studies, cultural policy, cultural studies, cultural geography, media economics, media management, or related fields. A strong academic record is essential, with a master’s degree (preferably at Merit or higher) in an arts and humanities or social science discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.