Come study with us! We are recruiting candidates for an ESRC-funded collaborative PhD project with One Dance UK to start in October 2020.
Self-harm is a problem that dance teachers recognise in their students, but there is no current evidence-base to guide dance-specific practice and policy. This PhD project will be the first to determine the prevalence and predictors of deliberate self-harm in UK dancers training in vocational and private dance schools.
Using a mixed-methods approach, key questions to be addressed include: What is the prevalence of self-harm in dance students? What dance-specific/non-dance specific self-injury methods are used? Do disordered eating and/or body image concerns coincide with self-harm in dancers?
This PhD would be suitable for a candidate with an undergraduate degree in dance science,
psychology, sport science, or sociology, though other strong and motivated applicants will be considered. Interests in child and adolescent mental health, the performing arts, and early specialisation would be valuable.
The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr Jennifer Cumming and Dr Anna Lavis from the Institute for Mental Health at the University of Birmingham, and Erin Sanchez from One Dance UK. They will be based within the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences and will undertake a research placement at One Dance UK's new offices within the Dance Hub in Birmingham alongside the Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Dance Xchange during the studentship.
The deadline for applying is 28th February 2020 and more details are available here.