The Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies (CTDPS) at the University of Cape Town is engaged in an innovative, five-year research project that began in 2019, Re-imagining Tragedy from Africa and the Global South, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This project proposes to take a concept – tragedy – from the very beginnings of theatre in its European manifestation and to reimagine it from a perspective in Africa that is at once directed at the complex challenges of our global postcolonial present and towards our possible futures both inside and outside of the discipline.
The project is led by Mark Fleishman with Mandla Mbothwe, and aims to understand how tragedy has been re-figured in the post-colonial theater; how moments of tragic excess are enacted outside of the theater in the course of revolts against neo-colonial establishments and forces; and, in an embodied, performative manner, how the tragedy might be utilized as a tool for understanding the present regime of time and its performative effects in the global neo-colonial complex that characterizes the world as it is emerging now across all hemispheres. It is a project that sets out to reorient thinking about theater by shifting its dominant perspectives; re-read the post-colony through the frame of tragedy; explore the relevance of tragedy for a young generation today; while adopting a methodology rooted in art practice.
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They are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to join the project for a three-year period commencing in August/September 2021. The Postdoctoral Fellow will undertake research and gain professional experience under the supervision and mentorship of Prof. Mark Fleishman, the Principal Investigator of the RETAGS project.
Equity, redress, diversity, and inclusion are central to the project. Applications from suitably qualified candidates with experience of and interest in the global South broadly will be considered. However, applications from women and black (and especially African) South Africans will be particularly encouraged. This fellowship is a good opportunity for all eligible candidates.
Benefits
- The Postdoctoral Fellowship is valued at R210 000 per annum.
- The fellowship is renewable for a total of three years (2021-2022-2023) on the basis of satisfactory academic progress and the availability of funds.
- No benefits or allowances are included in the value of the fellowship.
Eligibilities
- The successful candidate will hold a PhD degree in Theatre or Performance Studies or a cognate discipline and may not previously have held full-time permanent professional or academic posts.
- The successful applicant will have a broad theatre & performance studies research focus and an interest in applying concepts and forms from inside the theatre to events occurring outside of the theatre in a global South context. Furthermore, an interest in, and willingness to contribute to, the curation of online, digital archives of data collected through fieldwork, would be an advantage.
- Candidates will be expected to participate fully in the life of the RETAGS project, to mentor junior scholars and to develop their own research and outputs in line with the stated objectives of the RETAGS programme. They may be invited to teach and supervise, subject to the limits on Postdoctoral researchers.
- The successful candidate will be expected to conduct fieldwork in various part of the African continent and in sites of the African diaspora and to contribute to the establishment of digital archives based on such fieldwork.
- The successful candidate will be required to register at the Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, University of Cape Town, and to comply with relevant policies, procedures and practices at the University of Cape Town. The fellow will be required to be based in Cape Town for the duration of the postdoctoral period except when conducting fieldwork or traveling for approved research purposes.
Application Process
To apply, please send the following documents to the email mentioned at the official link.
- A letter of application describing your work and how it fits with the themes of the RETAGS project.
- a CV (including research activities and outputs.
- your academic transcript.
- two letters of reference from academics who have taught, supervised or worked alongside you.
- Please send your query or completed application to Raezeen Wentworth ([email protected]) and copy Prof. Mark Fleishman ([email protected]).
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Application Deadline: June 30, 2021
Application ClosedOfficial link
