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Exciting Opportunity: Cadbury Fellowship Programme 2025 – Exploring “Conventions of Creativity” in Africa

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Exciting Opportunity: Cadbury Fellowship Programme 2025 – Exploring “Conventions of Creativity” in Africa


The University of Birmingham’s Department of African Studies and Anthropology (DASA) invites applications for the 18th Cadbury Fellowship Programme 2025, themed “Conventions of Creativity: Everyday Artistry in Africa.” This prestigious programme honours Professor Emerita Dame Karin Barber FBA, whose groundbreaking research has illuminated African creativity, culture, and society.

Programme Overview

  • Duration: 19 May – 30 June 2025
  • Location: University of Birmingham, UK
  • Focus: Advancing research on everyday artistic practices in Africa within their cultural and historical contexts.
  • Culmination: A final conference in June 2025 featuring Cadbury Fellows and international scholars.

Cadbury Fellowship Program exposes you to;

  • 1. Social Dynamics of Creativity
  • Explore how gender, class, religion, and education shape artistic practices over time.
  • 2. Creative Ecologies
  • Investigate how space and place influence creative expressions and social interactions.
  • 3. Emergence of New Ideas
  • Analyze how elements of speech and culture shift across contexts to form new meanings.
  • 4. Innovation vs. Mistakes
  • Examine the balance between creative success and failure in artistic and social innovations.
  • 5. Creativity Across Time
  • Study how societies interpret continuity and change in creative practices.
  • 6. Cultural Understandings of Creativity
  • Discover local interpretations of creativity in African languages and traditions.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Early-career scholars based in African institutions.
  • Hold or be near completion of a PhD.
  • Research aligned with the programme theme.
  • Available for the full fellowship period (19 May – 30 June 2025).

Fellowship Benefits

  • Fully funded, including:
  • Return airfare
  • Visa costs
  • Accommodation and living expenses in Birmingham
  • Access to the University of Birmingham’s library and academic resources.
  • Opportunities to engage with DASA’s academic community.

Application Requirements

  • Research Project Description: Up to 1,000 words detailing past research, plans for the fellowship, and alignment with the theme.
  • Curriculum Vitae: Maximum 3 pages.
  • References: Contact details of two academic referees.
  • Confirmation Letter: Written approval from your Head of Department for your fellowship leave.

Key Deadlines

  • Application Deadline: Friday, 3 January 2025
  • Fellowship Period: 19 May – 30 June 2025
  • Final Conference: June 2025 (date TBC)

How to Apply

Submit your application via email to Professor Insa Nolte at minolte@bham.ac.uk by 3 January 2025.

Seize this unique opportunity to contribute to critical discourse on African creativity and connect with leading scholars in the field! FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WEBPAGE

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