Hi Jakub, congratulations on passing your viva! How does it feel?!
Odd and little bit anti-climactic. At the same time, I am extremely glad and thankful to everyone involved – a PhD is a team sport and I had an amazing team.
What was your PhD title?
Ummm…wait – let me copy and paste the title from my thesis file. I feel like I might change it again. Materialising Palimpsest – An investigation into palimpsestuousness as a queer enactment in artistic research.
Can you explain in a couple of sentences what your PhD was about?
The main contribution was to rethink artistic methodologies in research by contemporary queer theory as that which challenges the logic of causality and experience of spatiotemporality by sexual gay praxis.
Can you sum up your PhD experience in three words?
#gayface #neurotic #possible
What was the viva like?
It was good. A little bit unorthodox – I made my panel walk and move around in my exhibition space (as it was super cold), which ‘broke the ice’ so to speak. I was asked very informal questions and with it I could navigate my research easier.
But I cried like a baby after it was done.
What are your top tips to someone preparing for their viva?
It is easy to say for me now to say this as I am already ‘on the other side’, but I would advise everyone to trust themselves and their work. Also, the panel is usually on your side and they want you to succeed.
Any advice you’d tell your earlier PhD self now you’ve made it to the other side?
Be braver from the start / trust your gut.
What are you up to now and any exciting plans for the future?
I am currently finishing my ‘Professional Development Extension Fund’ and hope to follow up my PhD with a post-doc at BCU.
Please add anything else if you’d like
There is a great sense of ‘thankfulness’ after finishing PhD. I spend time with my peers and keep on thanking everyone.
Thanks so much for your time Jakub, we wish you all the best for the future!
