PhD Studentship: Interrogating British South Asian Non-Fiction Films and Television, 1960s-1980s

The University of Warwick and the British Film Institute are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded collaborative doctoral studentship, starting in October 2026, under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme 

This studentship will interrogate the representation of British South Asian culture in non-fiction films and television from the 1960s to the1980s, when critical debates about South Asian immigration became a focal point in British culture. Jointly supervised by Lisa Kerrigan and Patrick Russell, BFI, and Dr. Julie Lobalzo Wright and Dr. Ritika Kaushik, University of Warwick, the student will be expected to spend time at both University of Warwick and British Film Institute, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP funded students across the UK.

This project has been conceived as a collaboration between the BFI and University of Warwick, connecting historical and theoretical studies with practical research undertaken at the BFI National Archive. Focusing on understudied documentaries and current affairs programming in the collections available at the BFI National Archive for this period, this project will throw light on how these factual programs focused on, reflected, and depicted the British South Asian experience through real-life events and individuals. The aim of the project is to study collections focused on British South Asian peoples and/or made for a British South Asian audience, including the Central Office of Information (COI), LWT (London Weekend Television) and Channel 4 collections for short films and news programmes. These collections hold documentaries and factual and magazine programmes, such as Eastern Eye (LWT, 1982-1985), or a variety of programs focused on single historical events like the Grunwick strike (1976-1978) that changed the conversations around workers’ rights and collective struggles while also impacting the popular perception of British South Asian life in these critical decades.

Eligibility

This studentship is open to both Home and International applicants.

Applicants should ideally have (or expect to have completed before beginning the studentship) a relevant Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject in Film/Television Studies, South Asian Studies, History, or Cultural Studies, OR be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a professional setting such as the Film/Television Industry, Heritage/Cultural organisations, Archives, or Museums.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a sustained interest in the study of Film and Television, which may include documentary/non-fiction films and television news or current affairs programming and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related research areas, such as cultural histories of South Asian peoples in Britain.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience, knowledge or interest in archival research.

As a collaborative award, students will be expected to spend time at both the University and the British Film Institute.

Further Information

For more information, including how to apply, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

Please address any enquiries about the project or the studentship to: Julie Lobalzo Wright (j.wright.4@warwick.ac.uk), Ritika Kaushik (Ritika.Kaushik@warwick.ac.uk), or Lisa Kerrigan (lisa.kerrigan@bfi.org.uk).

The Collaborative Doctoral Partnership consortium will host an online webinar for prospective applicants on 13 April 2026 at 11:00. This webinar will provide an overview of the CDP funding scheme. To sign up for a webinar, please email cdp@vam.ac.uk with the subject line “Prospective Applicant Webinar” from the email address you would like to join from.  

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