PhD in Trauma, Memory and Performing Arts at Radboud University Radboud University in Netherlands

PhD opportunity at Radboud University: Embodied Knowledge of the Past (Traumascapes)

This is a fully funded PhD position in the Faculty of Arts at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The project sits within the NWO-funded Traumascapes programme and focuses on colonial history, intergenerational trauma, memory studies, and performing arts. The research explores how embodied methods such as dance, theatre, and music can help identify, understand, and process historical trauma, especially in relation to Plantation Suriname and other cases.

The PhD candidate will conduct independent research using archival research, interviews, and fieldwork, and will collaborate with social and community partners including HERStory Art Foundation, Theater Thalia, and NAKS. The position is based in the Radboud Institute for Culture and History (RICH), within the Colonial Structures and Relations and/or Memory, Materiality and Affect research groups.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies or a related discipline by July 2026; knowledge of Dutch colonial history and its present-day implications; familiarity with memory and historical trauma studies; experience with embodied and art-based research methods; strong academic English writing skills; and Dutch at B2 level or willingness to learn it within the first year.

Funding and conditions: gross monthly salary of €3,059 to €3,881, 0.8–1.0 FTE, 1.5-year initial contract with extension possible to 4 or 5 years total, plus holiday allowance, end-of-year bonus, leave days, and training opportunities.

Deadline: 6 May 2026. The position starts in September 2026.

How to apply: Apply through the Radboud University vacancy page and address the letter to Prof. Liedeke Plate and Prof. Esther Captain. Follow the document checklist in the application form and submit before the deadline.