Combining museum practice with Doctoral research, Zoe's PhD at the University of Westminster explores LGBTQ+ experiences on London transport and how museums can help preserve and empower underrepresented communities
The title is 'Pride, Passengers and Personnel: Collecting LGBTQ+ experiences in and on London Transport in the 1970s and 1980s'.
The PhD is a collaborative Doctoral award (CDA) between the University of Westminster and the London Transport Museum, funded by the Technē Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This is a PhD in visual culture, which sits within the Humanities department.
I chose to apply for the CDA 'Pride, Passengers and Personnel' advertised by the University of Westminster and London Transport Museum (LTM) because of my passion for the research topic, my lived experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and alignment with my museum practice.
I've had the privilege of working in the museum sector in a project management or curatorial capacity on various LGBTQ+-focused collecting, exhibition, and community engagement projects.
For instance, I joined LTM's curatorial department and curated a permanent display on the diversity of Transport for London's (TfL) workforce, featuring items related to Outbound, London Transport's LGBTQ+ colleague network.
I also collected new items related to Outbound into the museum's collection. Therefore, I was keen to undertake this PhD to expand on this work and develop it into a thesis that can benefit the academy, the LGBTQ+ community, LTM, and the wider museum sector.
I was also interested in joining the University of Westminster because it is a leading provider of Museum and Gallery studies (ranked 2nd in the UK for art and design quality by the Complete University Guide).
The University is also well placed to facilitate this CDA, as it hosts Europe's largest LGBTQ+ student event, National Student Pride, and is near key LGBTQ+ venues and archives.
With a CDA, the supervisors come pre-assigned, so you don't get to choose them. However, my supervision team have given me excellent support in areas such as:
Applying for a CDA differs from a standard PhD in that it involves a two-part process.
The first part was like a rigorous job application. I was required to produce a personal statement, which served as a covering letter, outlining why I was the best candidate for the position and how I would approach the PhD.
I also submitted:
Following this, I progressed to the interview stage and completed a 30-minute interview with the lead supervisors from the University of Westminster and LTM, as well as the PhD coordinator from the University of Westminster.
The second part involved providing input on the initial research proposal written by the supervision team and submitting it, along with an application form containing information such as that provided in part one, to Technē AHRC, the studentship provider, for final approval.
I receive a Techne AHRC studentship, which covers home tuition fees and a stipend for living expenses for three and a half years.
The studentship also includes a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) to cover fieldwork and other research expenses, such as conference fees.
It explores the forgotten or neglected histories of the LGBTQ+ community in relation to London Transport and aims to contribute to current debates around contemporary museum collecting as a tool for empowering communities.
The 1970s and 1980s marked a significant period of change for the LGBTQ+ community in London, with the:
London's public transport system occupies a significant place in the practical, social and cultural lives of Londoners, and yet there has been little scholarly work to bring these two histories together. This project seeks to address this.
I am a guest lecturer who delivers seminars on the MA Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture. This is a casual, flexible role that doesn't exceed six hours a week and fits around my studies while offering an excellent career development opportunity.
I have developed my teaching skills in a university setting in a relevant subject, where I can share my museum practice with students.
Life as a PhD researcher differs from that of a Masters student because there's no official structure. There are no taught classes or regular assignments.
As a humanities PhD researcher, I create my own schedule where I allocate time for key activities such as (but not limited to):
PhD students at the University of Westminster are assessed once a year on 1 May, a process known as the Annual Progress Review. This involves submitting draft chapters for assessment and attending 'mini vivas', which are a spoken assessment.
One was seeing my project and work at LTM mentioned in a BBC News article.
The other was having my portrait taken - and project recognised - for the 'TfL Pride Portrait' series, which celebrates colleagues and LGBTQ+ community trailblazers. All the portraits were on display in Vauxhall and Victoria tube stations to coincide with London Pride.
I am keen to either return to the museum sector in a curatorial or equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) role, pursue an academic career, or combine the two.
I would also relish the opportunity to turn the PhD into an exhibition, podcast and/or a book.
