The Development of a Gayborhood in post-war London: Mapping Soho and its archives

Study Go to main menu... Postgraduate How to apply After you apply Postgraduate Programme Specifications Postgraduate offer holders Postgraduate prospectus Research degrees Thinking of Doing a PhD? How to apply Entry Requirements Fees and funding Research areas Mode of study Studentships AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award The Development of a Gayborhood in post-war London: Mapping Soho and its archives PhD Studentship in the SNSF-funded project: “How do values take shape in classrooms?” Research degrees FAQs Postgraduate How to apply After you apply Postgraduate Programme Specifications Postgraduate offer holders Postgraduate prospectus Research degrees Thinking of Doing a PhD? How to apply Entry Requirements Fees and funding Research areas Mode of study Studentships AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award The Development of a Gayborhood in post-war London: Mapping Soho and its archives PhD Studentship in the SNSF-funded project: “How do values take shape in classrooms?” Research degrees FAQs This is one of three CDAs that the University of Westminster is delighted to invite applications for as part of the AHRC Landscape Award. The AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award is a major new funding scheme from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) . Its aim is to grow the UK’s capacity for doctoral research in the arts and humanities and to create a vibrant, inclusive research culture. Project overview Soho is located at the heart of the City of Westminster and contains the largest concentration of LGBTQ+ businesses in the UK. Using a case study of queer businesses in this location, the project will aim to address the following research questions: What is an LGBTQ+ business Why, when and how did these businesses become established in Soho What role have they played in developing the gayborhood of Soho How do they identify and develop their market What challenges have they faced and how have they overcome them. In the process, it is hoped that the project will help to identify factors and policies which support business resilience in this sector. Core sources for this project already exist and have been identified within Westminster City Archives. Many papers within those archives have already been identified as containing relevant material ranging from photographs and newspaper cuttings to planning documentation and business records. This material nonetheless has yet to be investigated and interrogated. It is intended that this will be supplemented by: Additional archival sources, including material from the Soho Society, the London Archives and Bishopsgate Institute A programme of actively seeking to acquire relevant business archives because the records of LGBTQ+ businesses have rarely been actively collected Interviews with those involved in the development of key businesses and/or research on the memoirs of queer business owners. This project will benefit from the partnership with Westminster City Archives. It will both draw on its existing LGBTQ+ collections an