Critical Approaches to the History of East and Southeast Asian Contributions in the British Screen Industry

Contributions to British film and television, focusing on organisational and production practices, individual lived experiences, institutional initiatives and creative activism that addresses invisibility and marginalisation.

Through placement, training and mentorship by the British Film Institute (BFI), this project generates an unparallelled opportunity to analyse the contributions of the ESEA community to British screen through researching industrial practices, the roles of public media organisations and broadcasters, and the experiences of ESEA creatives.

Key research questions:

How and to what extent do institutionalised diversity and discourses around ESEA groups in Britain contribute to the under-representation of ESEA creatives in the British screen sector?
How has on- and off-screen representation engendered the discursive constructions of these minoritized groups in Britain?
What are the policy implications for the British screen industry of ensuring sustainable contributions by ESEA creatives?

You will be based in the Department of Cultural, Media and Creative Industries and supervised by Dr Wing-Fai Leung, Reader in Cultural and Media Industries, and Professor Jeanette Steemers, Professor of Culture, Media & Creative Industries.

Award value

Funding will be for 3.5 years (full-time) or 7 years (part-time)

Full tuition fees covered
Annual stipend (UKRI rate: £22,780 (including LWA) full time for 2025/26) plus additional CDA allowance (£600 for 25/26)
Research training and support
Access to dedicated postgraduate researcher workspace on the Strand campus
Access to additional funds to support research travel, fieldwork and conference attendance

Eligibility criteria

We encourage candidates who have knowledge and deep understanding of the ESEA community and their creative and cultural contributions in Britain, and those from non-traditional and under-represented backgrounds at doctoral level research.

We welcome applications from people with:

Professional experience in the screen industry
An interest in the societal impact of research and influencing future screen policy
Academic qualifications in relevant fields (film and media industry research, creative labour, race and representation, sociology, political science and social policy)
Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the British media sector

Only UK based (Home Fee) applicants are eligible for this studentship.

This studentship is only open to new applicants. Current postgraduate research students are not eligible to apply.

Application process

Application deadline: 27 April 2026 (5pm GMT)

Outcomes of applications: Late May/Early June

Start date: 1 October 2026.

To apply, please complete the steps below.

Read assessment criteria
Complete Studentship application form KDSAH Studentships - Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) Application Form – Fill in form
Complete EDI Monitoring form KDSAH - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring – Fill in form
Apply for the CMCI PGR Programme via King’s Apply (entering funding code 2627AHCDA on your application).
PDF versions are available here to help with planning but submissions must be made using the forms above, emailed PDFs will not be accepted.
- Collaborative Doctoral Award Application Form
- EDI Monitoring Form

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the following criteria:

Quality of the research proposed in response to the CDA brief (50% weighting)
Preparedness of the applicant (25% weighting)
Feasibility of the proposed research (15% weighting)
Fit with the aims of King’s Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities (10% weighting)

The project’s capacity to: