If archaeologists dug up my PhD experience and interpreted the residual layers of rock and artefacts to figure out how the process evolved over time, the phase I’m currently living through would be known as ‘The Writing Age’. Right around the time I published this post about burning out, something clicked in my brain. I…
Read More
On the 9th November 2017 I started a three-month placement in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Theatre and Performance department. A whole year has now passed and I’m still working at the museum! I enjoyed the experience so much that I applied to have the placement extended. I’ll be working at the V&A a few…
Read More
PhDs are hard. I knew that when I signed up for one, but recently I’ve really come to understand what people have been talking about. The second year of a (full-time) PhD is described by many as the hardest. The honeymoon period of Year 1 has ended, but the finish line is still a long…
Read More
It seems I’m already halfway through my PhD. I’m not quite sure how that’s come around so soon… Year 2 has been a busy one so far. Things have really started to get going on the research front, and I’ve thrown myself into all sorts of different side projects as the months have gone by…
Read More
I recently attended my second short course at The School of Historical Dress. Having spent a weekend back in October learning all about the history of tailoring (read all about the experience here), my goal for this second course was to find out more about the various fabrics that have been used for tailoring and…
Read More
The second year of my PhD has kicked off in style. Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a short course at The School of Historical Dress in London. The School of Historical Dress was founded by Jenny Tiramani (formerly Director of Theatre Design at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 1997-2005), Santina Levey, and Vanessa Hopkins in…
Read More
A couple of weeks ago, I completed (and passed!) my Mid-Year Review. A Mid-Year Review (sometimes known as an ‘upgrade’) is a compulsory part of my PhD programme. It takes place halfway through the first year of doctoral study, and involves submitting a sample of written work (mine had to be 5,000 words in length, plus 2,000 words…
Read More
Time is flying by, and I’m already two months into my placement with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. (Here’s a post with more details about the placement as a whole, and you can read about my first month with the SBT here.) My second month has been even more exciting than the first: I’ve been spending…
Read More
Amadeus is a play that’s all about storytelling. The narrative begins with an elderly Antonio Salieri addressing a ‘future audience’, claiming to have been responsible for the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Rumours are heard passing through the streets of Vienna. Could his claims be true, the people ask? The action that follows is the story…
Read More
Stratford-upon-Avon is a fabulous town, studded with a glorious selection of independent cafés, restaurants, and coffee shops. During my time as a student, I’ve spent a lot of time in coffee shops. I tend to work pretty well in these sorts of environments: there’s just enough noise and activity to make my surroundings feel interesting, but…
Read More
Ella Hawkins 