King's College London is offering a fully funded 4-year PhD opportunity as part of the African Creativity Beyond Borders Prize Programme. The project, 'African cinemas within the city: Archives, Exhibition and Circulation,' focuses on the transnational circulation, exhibition, and experience of African cinema in the UK, particularly through archives, festivals, screenings, and community-based cultural spaces. The research will engage directly with the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive (JGPACA) and will be supervised by Dr Estrella Sendra (Culture, Media and Creative Industries) and Dr Johan Andersson (Urban Cultural Geography).

The PhD is suitable for candidates with backgrounds in arts and humanities, social sciences, film, media and cultural studies, museum studies, heritage, and archives. The project will examine the spaces and practices of African cinema circulation in Britain from the 1980s to the present, including festivals such as Film Africa, AiM, Afrika Eye, Cambridge African Film Festival, and Watch-Africa Cymru. It will also consider the sustainability and funding of these initiatives, as well as the changing modes of exhibition and distribution.

PhD candidates will have access to unique archival materials and networks, and will benefit from interdisciplinary and community-engaged research, training, mentorship, and cohort activities. The partnership with JGPACA offers opportunities for knowledge exchange, curated exhibitions, and film screenings at both JGPACA and King's College London. The expected outcome is to contribute to the understanding of African creativity and cinema's impact on the UK and international creative economies, as well as best practices for curatorial and exhibition engagement with local and transnational audiences.

Applicants must meet King's College London PhD entry requirements for Culture, Media and Creative Industries and include the project code 2627-ACBB1 in their application. The deadline to apply is 13 February 2026. For more information and to apply, visit the provided links.