Liedeke Plate

This PhD position at Radboud University invites candidates to join the Traumascapes project, focusing on the colonial traumatic past and its imprint on collective memory, identity, and embodied experience. The research explores how embodied methodologies—such as dance, theatre, and music—can help identify and process historical trauma, particularly in sites shaped by 500 years of West European hegemony. The project aims to generate future effects for memory communities by collaborating with social partners like the HERStory Art Foundation, Theater Thalia, and NAKS. As a PhD candidate, you will conduct independent research, including archival work, interviews, and fieldwork. You will be based at Radboud University, supervised jointly by Prof. Liedeke Plate (RU) and Prof. Esther Captain (KITLV/Utrecht University). Your responsibilities include writing a thesis, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, presenting at conferences, and participating in training, academic services, and teaching as part of the Radboud Graduate School for the Humanities. The position is embedded within the Colonial Structures and Relations and/or Memory, Materiality and Affect research groups, and forms part of the national NWA ORC project ‘Traumascapes: Valuing, Negotiating and Sharing Sites of Trauma, Pain, and Loss’ (2026–2032). The project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) under the NWA ORC programme ‘Places of Value: Context-Aware Negotiation on the Future of Historically Charged Sites’. You will participate in regular workshops and meetings with a consortium that emphasizes exchange and joint reflection. Radboud University offers a flexible and inclusive work environment, with a temporary employment contract (0.8 FTE for 5 years or 1.0 FTE for 4 years), starting salary of €3,059 gross per month (increasing to €3,881 from the fourth year), 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, extra days off (30 or 41 annual leave days), sports/cultural discounts, pension plan, and training/development schemes. The Faculty of Arts is committed to impactful research and teaching across art, history, language, culture, and communication, with a strong emphasis on professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration. Applicants must hold or expect to obtain a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies or a related discipline by July 2026. Required qualifications include knowledge of Dutch colonial history, interdisciplinary memory and trauma studies, experience with embodied and art-based research methods, sensitivity to trauma and loss, affinity for community engagement, strong academic writing skills in English (C1), and Dutch proficiency (B2) or willingness to achieve B2 within the first year. Good communication and teamwork skills are essential. To apply, submit your application via the Radboud University job portal, addressing your letter to Prof. Liedeke Plate and Prof. Esther Captain. Interviews are scheduled for 28 May and 24 June 2026, with a preferred start date of 1 September 2026. The application deadline is 6 May 2026.

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.

This PhD position at Radboud University, titled 'Embodied Knowledge of the Past (Traumascapes)', offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to research on colonial traumatic pasts within a transdisciplinary team. The project, part of the NWA ORC initiative 'Traumascapes: Valuing, Negotiating and Sharing Sites of Trauma, Pain, and Loss', investigates how embodied methodologies such as dance, theatre, and music can help identify and process historical trauma, focusing on sites like Plantation Suriname and other cases shaped by 500 years of West European hegemony. As a PhD candidate, you will conduct independent research using archival methods, interviews, and fieldwork, collaborating closely with social partners including the HERStory Art Foundation, Theater Thalia, and NAKS. The research aims to understand the imprint of colonial history on collective memory, identity formation, and sense perception, exploring intergenerational and intersectional trauma. You will be supervised jointly by Prof. Liedeke Plate (Radboud University) and Prof. Esther Captain (KITLV/Utrecht University), and will participate in regular project-wide workshops and meetings, presenting your findings in peer-reviewed publications and at conferences. The position is based within the Colonial Structures and Relations and/or Memory, Materiality and Affect research groups at the Radboud Institute for Culture and History (RICH), embedded in the Faculty of Arts. The Faculty is known for its strong scientific and social impact, innovative methodologies, and interdisciplinary collaboration across art, history, language, culture, and communication. The university provides a supportive environment with flexible working hours, generous leave arrangements, sports and cultural discounts, and opportunities for professional development. Applicants must hold or expect to obtain a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies or a related discipline by July 2026. Essential qualifications include knowledge of Dutch colonial history, experience with embodied and art-based research methods, affinity for community engagement, strong academic writing skills in English (C1), and Dutch proficiency (B2) or willingness to learn Dutch within the first year. The position offers a temporary contract (0.8 FTE for 5 years or 1.0 FTE for 4 years), starting salary of €3,059 gross per month, increasing to €3,881 in the fourth year, with additional benefits such as holiday allowance, end-of-year bonus, extra leave days, pension plan, and training schemes. To apply, submit your application online via the provided link, addressing your letter to Prof. Liedeke Plate and Prof. Esther Captain. Ensure all required documents are included. The application deadline is 6 May 2026, with interviews scheduled for late May and June. The preferred start date is 1 September 2026. For further information, contact Prof. Liedeke Plate at [email protected].