Abolition Song and its Legacies AHRC-funded development placement for academics

The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, one of the top five music institutes in the world (2024 QS World University Rankings), is the new lead host for Abolition Song and its Legacies. Through this 24-month AHRC-funded project, eight selected humanities academics will develop publishable outputs (the performers’ project team will be chosen by a separate process). Each ASaiL scholar will explore and contextualize, within their area of expertise, the little-known repertories of Abolition song and pre-1830 Black heritage music in Britain. Applications from academics are open and will be accepted until midnight (24:00 BST) Sunday 13 October 2024.

If you applied during this project’s first-round recruitment (deadline 30 August), but did not receive acknowledgement of your submission, please resend your application.

As a successful candidate, you will be mentored by senior experts from four fields:  Dr Berta Joncus and Dr Janet Topp Fargion (music), Prof. Matthew J. Smith (history), Prof. Joan Anim-Addo (literature), and Dr Sarah Thomas (visual arts). ASaiL will cover expenses such as travel within the UK, refreshments at study seminars (one per term), and costs for the project’s publication. You will be a UK-based scholar able to attend the study seminars in person, and with the right to live and study in the UK.

Principal Investigator Berta Joncus will provide you with a project study pack containing audio, visual, and print materials. No prior knowledge of these materials is required. Berta will consult with you in setting research questions for the study seminars. ASaiL seminars will be held at the British Library, an ASaiL partner host. The first year’s seminars are provisionally scheduled for 9.30 am to 12.30 pm on Thursday 9 January 2025, Monday 19 May 2025, and Monday 8 September 2025. At each study seminar you will present your project work and participate in seminar roundtables and workshops. On the evening after each seminar, you will have a place reserved for you at a live performance of the project’s music, to be held at the Handel & Hendrix House, the project’s second partner host.

To apply, please submit your academic CV and a statement of no more than 500 words explaining why you wish to be an ASaiL scholar, for the attention of Berta Joncus at this email address: ASaiL@gsmd.ac.uk. If you have any questions, please submit them to the same address. Application deadline is midnight (24:00 BST) Sunday 13 October 2024.

Guildhall School welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We are particularly keen to encourage interest from disabled people, LGBTQIA+, Black, Asian, and other global majority backgrounds who are currently under-represented at Guildhall School. In recognising the positive value of diversity, we want to better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We are members of the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee to interview all candidates with a disability who would like to be considered under this scheme and who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.

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