ARCS PhD Studentship - Archiving and Advancing the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra: Creative Practice and the Psychology of Large-Group Improvisation

About the Project

This fully funded, practice-based PhD offers an exciting opportunity for an interdisciplinary researcher/artist to work with the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra (GIO), an internationally recognised leader in large group improvisation. Based at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh (UoE), the project explores how creative practice, archival research, and psychology can deepen understandings of collective creativity.

The doctoral researcher will create a publicly accessible digital archive of 25 years of GIO’s work, including recordings, scores, and other documentation. They will then develop new creative outputs in response to the archive. These may include performances, exhibitions, film, and negotiated outputs that activate the archive as a living resource.

Working closely with GIO, the student will investigate how creativity is generated and sustained in large improvising ensembles, contributing to interdisciplinary research across music, psychology, and creative practice.

Large-group improvisation is a rapidly growing field, yet there is limited research into how collaborative creativity operates in such contexts over time. GIO provides a unique case study: a long-standing, artist-led ensemble with an extensive but under-archived body of work.

This PhD combines:

• Archival research – gathering, organising, and curating GIO’s creative outputs into a digital and physical archive
• Creative practice – developing new artistic work in collaboration with GIO (e.g. performances, exhibitions, online outputs)
• Qualitative inquiry – exploring musicians’ experiences of improvisation and collaboration

The student will engage directly with GIO musicians, attending rehearsals, performances, and meetings, contributing both as a researcher and creative practitioner.

Outputs will be developed and performed in dialogue with the supervisory team and GIO, allowing flexibility depending on the candidate’s background and interests.

The researcher will be primarily based at RCS and work with GIO in Glasgow, with additional opportunities for training at University of Edinburgh.

Project structure:

Phase 1: Literature review; archival scoping; initial engagement with GIO; data collection

Phase 2 Archive development; qualitative research; creation of new artistic outputs

Phase 3: Evaluation, dissemination, and submission

The final submission will combine a portfolio of creative work (e.g. performances, archive, exhibitions) with a thesis.

The student will be supervised by:

Dr Una MacGlone (lead supervisor, RCS)

Prof. Raymond MacDonald (assistant supervisor, UoE)

Funding Notes

This project is funded by ARCS (Applied Research Studentships) through the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) and host institutions, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) and The University of Edinburgh (UoE). The studentship funding covers PhD tuition fees and an annual stipend of around £13,000 (p.a. tbc) for a minimum of 3.5 years full-time or £7500 (p.a tbc) for 7 years part-time. RCS will waive any fee differences between funding provided for home fees and international fees. Scottish, UK and international applicants are eligible to apply.

References

Full information on the project and application process, led by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), can be found here: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/archiving-and-advancing-the-glasgow-improvisers-orchestra/