The CinBA project invites expressions of interest from contemporary makers to become part of an international, interdisciplinary research project. This is a unique opportunity to engage with and reinterpret materials and objects from the very origins of craft production, whilst broadening networks within and beyond the contemporary craft community.
Creativity and Craft Production in the Middle and Late Bronze Age (CinBA) is a major 3 year HERA-funded project led by Dr Jo Sofaer at the University of Southampton. CinBA partners are University of Cambridge, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim, Norway), The Archaeological Museum – Zagreb (Croatia), National Museum of Denmark (Copenhagen, Denmark), Natural History Museum Vienna (Austria), Lands of Legends Archaeological Park Lejre (Denmark), and the Crafts Council.
The project provides opportunities for makers to explore the role that the contemporary craft maker can play in archaeological enquiry, bringing material expertise and creative skills. The research is structured around four themes – the qualities of materials; motifs and skills; spatial and temporal trends; and the perception of prehistoric craft today.
Within the scope of this final theme, the research will explore the potential impact prehistoric craft objects may have today as a source of inspiration and means of creative engagement for different groups, including contemporary makers.
We are calling for makers at any career stage and working in any contemporary craft discipline, who have an innovative approach to their practice and are intrigued by the ancient past or archaeology. An interest in working with professionals in other sectors to develop collaborations would be an asset. Individuals may have experience of working in an academic context, or be interested to work with museum collections.
Programme benefits include:
- Studio visits, one-to-one and group work, presentation of findings via live events, online and social media, networking and new contacts
- Unique opportunity to work alongside leading academics within a cutting edge research project with a well developed knowledge exchange programme
- Access to internationally significant museum collections and
- resources on Bronze Age craft
- Representation on the CinBA project website and via the HERA network of projects
- Opportunity to participate in the project closing conference at University of Cambridge in April 2013
Commitment required:
- Minimum of 5 days per maker, to include an introductory day and the final conference.
- If makers wish to participate further and can support themselves to do so, additional opportunities to visit partner museums, create pop-up exhibitions, explore experimental archaeology and engage with live fieldwork may also be possible to arrange.
Research outcomes:
The outcomes of research will be disseminated through the CinBA project website, the HERA network of projects and the HERA website, via academic articles, the final project conference and the final project volume. Makers may be quoted throughout, and their work referred to with full credit where relevant.
Selection process:
A shortlist of 20 makers will be invited to attend an Introduction Day at the Crafts Council in London in the first week in May 2012. At this event, makers will meet members of the project team, discuss the research project in more detail, and talk briefly about their own practice and interest in the research.
Five makers will be selected to participate in the research programme over 12 months, culminating in the CinBA conference in 2013.
Registration is now closed
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