PhD in Dress Practices, Oral History, and Identity Formation at Portsmouth Museums and University of Southampton University of Southampton in United Kingdom

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership PhD opportunity in dress practices, identity formation, oral history, museum studies, and fashion/textiles. The project examines the impact and legacy of Portsmouth’s underground nightclub scene in the 1980s and how identity was formed through dress.

The research will involve developing oral history and wardrobe projects and working closely with Portsmouth Museums’ local and social history collections. The student will be jointly supervised by Rebecca Wallis and Grace Scott at Portsmouth City Museums, and Professor Jo Turney and Dr Shaun Cole in the Department of Fashion and Textiles, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton.

The project is suitable for applicants with a background in Anthropology, History, Art, Art History, Dress Studies, Curating, Exhibition Studies, or related critical and creative practice. Applicants should demonstrate interest in dress and its histories, observational fieldwork, archival research, museums, exhibition spaces, curation, and related skills.

This is an AHRC-funded collaborative doctoral studentship with cohort training and development across the UK. The post says applicants are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every requirement, especially candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

Application deadline: 26 June 2026. Interviews: 15 July 2026. Apply via the University of Southampton PhD Application Portal and mention the specific AHRC CDP project title in your application.