In partnership with Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust
MA by Research opportunity in partnership with Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust
The School of Arts at Oxford Brookes University and Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust (PSQT) have teamed up to offer an exciting way to study for a Practice-Based Research Masters degree involving skills, expertise and supervision from both organisations, centred on the unique coastal/industrial/environmental context of Portland in Dorset.
Hannah Sofaer, Creative Director of PSQT was Trained at Goldsmiths, Chelsea, and Royal College of Art. She has developed an interdisciplinary research model to facilitate skills and knowledge exchange, by building innovative partnerships for the creative ‘after use’ of quarry environments. Examples include the establishment and custodianship of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park in Portland, Dorset, and the creative development of site and context specific works, interventions and events in the built and natural environment.
In Sofaer’s “The Memory Stones” project, landscape and memory are brought together on the Isle of Portland with twelve monumental stones of 254 tons, echoing the whispers of their ancient origins. They not only mark significant solar events but also resonate with the Earth’s own orbital rhythm, bridging the realms of land and sea, creating a time based forum, which reveals the interconnectedness of our environment over 150 million years. Linked to a digital archive, they illuminate the ecological, geological and industrial transformations that shape both landscape and people in Portland and beyond.
More than an installation, “The Memory Stones” and the work of PSQT more broadly are a catalyst for interdisciplinary exchange, a dynamic space for art, ecology, and history to converge. Live audio-visual recordings and rich narratives of artists’ processes and interventions cultivate a thriving ‘living land’ archive – that can be added to – becoming a repository of skills and stories that fosters community engagement and knowledge sharing.
Examples of possible projects include, but are not limited to, Fine Art and/or interdisciplinary projects with both practical and/or theoretical modes of study with a focus on:
- Sculpture, involving contemporary stone-carving practices and contexts
- Health, wellbeing and the creative carving process
- Landscape and ecology
- Legacies of extractive industries (with a focus on Portland’s quarries)
- Legacies and contemporary applications of stonemasonry
- Geology/palaeontology
- Tout Quarry Sculpture Park
- Creative coastal contexts for art practice
- Art, Architecture and industry
Mode: Either by Theory or Practice.
Start Date: September 2026; or January 2027.
Duration: 12 months (full time); 24 months (part time).
Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree (first or upper second class) in a subject broadly relevant to their proposed project. We are also able to consider applicants with professional experience in place of formal academic qualifications. Please see the Oxford Brookes website for full details of eligibility. This opportunity is open to Home and International applicants.
To apply for this MA by Research project, please apply directly through the Oxford Brookes website, selecting the option ‘Arts – MA (Research)’. In the box for ‘Area or Topic of Research’, please indicate that you are applying for the ‘PSQT partnership’.
You will be invited to provide:
- A Summary of your Research Proposal (1500 characters) outlining how you would approach the project. This should give an idea of your intended approach and research interests. You will be supported to develop this fully during the early period of Registration.
- An expanded research plan
- A Personal Statement (6000 characters) detailing your qualifications and/or relevant experience for the project.
- A short Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
- Either a sample of writing, or a portfolio of practice – as most relevant to your proposed project. (We would anticipate a writing sample for a theory-based project, and a portfolio of work for a practice-based project).
- References
For an informal discussion about this research project, please contact Dr Clair Chinnery: cychinnery@brookes.ac.uk
For a more general discussion about the MA by Research programme please contact Dr Alex Bickley Trott: atrott@brookes.ac.uk
The initial deadline for applications is 25th May 2025. Late applications can be accepted at the discretion of the programme team, so please contact us to discuss any late applications you wish to have considered.
the full fees for the MA by Research can be found on the Oxford Brookes website. For 24/25 these are:
Home (UK) full time: £4,886
Home (UK) part time: £2,443
International full time: £17,100
International part time: £8,550
There may be additional costs depending on a student’s individual project. This may include materials (such as stone and any other materials needed), access to the workshop facility and specialist technical support on Portland. Depending on the project, and the student’s current level of expertise, additional technical support may be required for training to use heavy equipment, moving large stones, and learning new specialist techniques. These costs would be paid directly to PSQT.
There is no additional Bench fee to Access PSQT Archives or to use the School of Arts technical facilities at Oxford Brookes University.
In 2025, the PSQT workshop facility fee is £25 per working day and technical support is an additional £23 per day. These represent reduced rates for Oxford Brookes’ MA by Research students.
Accommodation on, and travel to Portland would be paid by the student. Accommodation can be provided by PSQT from £25 PPPN at certain times of year (higher costs will be charged at times when additional heating is required, to cover costs). Details of alternative, affordable accommodation options can be provided.