The Art of Supervision: Interdisciplinary perspectives on doctoral supervision

Supervising can be so much more than merely a hierarchical academic duty. It can be about nurturing resilience, independence, and innovation. But how do we support PhD students through uncertainty, power dynamics, and vulnerability? Supervisors from across disciplines want to explore exactly this, with help from inspiration from the arts.

By blending artistic methods with academic insight, the project promotes a culture of trust, openness, and reflection, redefining supervision not as a top-down task, but as a shared journey of growth. 

Using tools like improvisation, critical response theory, and creative problem-solving, the group reimagines supervision as a flexible, responsive, and collaborative process. Through workshops, seminars, and experimental formats, they will develop new frameworks. Outcomes will be documented in a creative zine-report, providing practical resources and sharing insights with the broader academic community. The zine-report will highlight innovative supervisory practices, identify emerging trends, and suggest future research directions.