While the arts have always depended on their audiences and aesthetic experiences, the roles that audiences play have changed. Participatory culture, both offline and online, increasingly blurred lines between amateur producers and professionals, internationalization, as well as calls for increased diversity and improved representation have challenged traditional art institutions and employment models of artists. At the same time, these developments have also opened up new opportunities for a wider spectrum of artists and cultural workers via decolonialization of art institutions, participatory governance models, and generation of new internet-afforded income revenues. To address the contemporary implications of audience activity, and how it affects artists and institutions, we seek a new colleague specialized in audience research.

The candidate we are looking for has:

- excellent skills in research methodologies relevant for studying art experiences and audiences’ perspectives: Conventional qualitative and/or quantitative research methods as well as different methodologies such as practice-based research, community engagement, participatory action research, or digital ethnography
- a demonstrable interest in relating audience research to questions of cultural production processes today
- familiarity with theoretical approaches in sociology of arts and culture as well as some affinity with research on cultural entrepreneurship and cultural policies
- a background in sociology of arts and culture, cultural consumption studies, media studies, cultural studies or an arts discipline (music, theatre, film, visual art, literature).

Courses in which the candidate is expected to be involved: Sociology of the Arts I & II; Empirical Methods: Arts, Policy, and Education; Management and Entrepreneurship in the Arts; Organising and Communicating in the Arts; BA- and MA thesis supervision; and possible involvement in arts-specific or interarts-related courses in the department.

Research is conducted within the Groningen Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG) (https://www.rug.nl/research/icog/?lang=en) and its Research Centre Arts in Society (https://www.rug.nl/research/icog/research/research-centres/artsinsociety/?lang=en#:~:text=The%20Research%20Centre%20for%20Arts,and%20theatre%20and%20performance%20studies.). ICOG and the Faculty of Arts provide ample support in applying for bids with national and international funding agencies. There is also an annual travel budget for conference participations and other research-related activities.

Specific tasks

- teach and supervise students in the department’s undergraduate and graduate programmes, specifically in the Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track in the BA program of Arts, Culture and Media and MA programs of Arts & Culture
- participate actively in curriculum development, design and administration of course modules
- generate high-quality research in above mentioned fields
- external grant acquisition
- participate actively in international research networks
- participate in the activities of the interdisciplinary research centre Arts in Society and (one of) its theme groups
- performing administrative and organizational duties.

In addition to a number of basic requirements set by the University of Groningen, such as excellent social and communication skills, presentation skills, coaching skills, a results-oriented attitude, and excellent command of English (at least CEFR B2/C1 level for reading, listening, writing and speaking), we are looking for candidates who have a PhD in one of the above-mentioned fields and, in the area of teaching:

- have relevant teaching experience at a university level; are excellent teachers, as demonstrated by creative, innovative and meaningful approaches to teaching and learning described in the teaching statement
- have gained the University Teaching Qualification or are prepared to do so within a year
- are prepared to foster inclusive learning environments
- are demonstrably able to make concrete contributions to the design and development of course units, partly by actively linking teaching to research.

In the area of research:

- have or are in the process of establishing an excellent international research profile or set up their own innovative research line and have published with internationally recognized journals and publishers
- have success with or the motivation and potential (through documented record of e.g., past applications) to acquire third-party funding on the national or international level (future research plans to be described in the research statement)
- have international experience and a relevant national and international academic network
- are able to supervise students (all BA, MA and PhD levels).

In the area of management and organization:

- have excellent command of English (at least CEFR B2/C1 level for reading, listening, writing and speaking)
- are expected to have or gain understanding of the Dutch language (CEFR B2 for reading and listening, and CEFR B1 for writing and speaking) within two years
- are willing to contribute to the development of the department’s research and educational programmes
- are able to make a constructive contribution to interdisciplinary collaboration and a friendly atmosphere within the department
- have demonstrable administrative, time-management and organization skills.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, with a minimum of € 3,974 (salary scale 11) to a maximum of € 6,181 (salary scale 12) gross per month for a full-time position a full-time position (1.0 FTE)
• a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income
• an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance
• minimum of 29 holidays and additional 12 holidays in case of full-time employment.

The position entails a contract combining 60% teaching tasks with 40% research-time. Favourable tax agreements may apply to non-Dutch applicants. There is a probationary period of 18 months. After a positive assessment at the end of this period the contract will be converted into a permanent one. The candidate is expected to live and work in Groningen for this position.
The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU). For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/new-staff/

Starting date: 1 September 2023 (or earlier if possible)

Faculty of Arts

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative centre of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Balanced study and career paths in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 36,000 students and researchers to develop their own individual talents. Belonging to the best research universities in Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.