PhD Studentship – Immersive Media, Digital Culture and Future Music Experiences

Digital environments are rapidly reshaping how music and culture are experienced, produced and shared. This PhD invites proposals that explore how immersive and emerging technologies can be used to rethink cultural experience, audience engagement and digital public space. We are particularly interested in research that engages with:

• immersive and hybrid music experiences (XR, spatial audio, interactive environments)
• audience participation, co-presence and collective experience
• AI and emerging technologies in creative practice
• embodied, affective or sensory interaction
• accessible and inclusive music experiences, including work exploring participation and engagement for diverse audiences, neurodiverse communities and people with additional needs
• sustainable approaches to creative practice and production, including how immersive and digital technologies may support more environmentally and socially responsible cultural experiences

Projects may be practice-based, theoretical or hybrid in approach and may lead to creative outputs, prototype systems, frameworks for practice, or new approaches to audience engagement and cultural participation. We welcome projects that engage with industry partners, cultural organisations, communities, or wider MusicFutures R&D activity.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• interdisciplinary supervision across immersive media, digital culture, creative technologies and music innovation
• access to immersive and creative technology facilities
• opportunities to engage with MusicFutures research and industry partners
• access to LJMU’s Doctoral Academy and Researcher Development Programme (RDP)

We are seeking applicants with:

• a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree
• ideally a Master’s degree in a relevant subject area
• a strong interest in immersive media, digital technologies, music innovation, creative practice or digital culture
• enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research and experimentation
• Experience in practice-based work, collaborative projects, or creative R&D is desirable.