Intern Intros: Freya Walker
Freya Walker chats to Sumayya Usmani
Freya Walker is the RC&RD Communities Intern and is a second year PhD candidate in History and Art History.
Where did you grow up and what bought you to Glasgow? I’m from London, and I did my undergraduate in Nottingham. My friend and flat mate Gabby and I have been friends since school. We both wanted to do a master's, and she did hers in translation, and I did mine in art history here at Glasgow University, which is one of the reasons we moved here. I miss my friends who live back home. That’s what I miss the most! There's a lot here in Glasgow though and now I’m focused on university work as well as work in the university!
Tell us about the PhD you’re pursuing. I'm in art history and history; my focus is looking at depictions of the British Empire in satire in the 18th century. I was going to explore visual and written satire, but I'm not certain yet, as I don't think I'll have enough space to do that!
I'm researching it geographically - I’m looking at the West Indies, specifically, as well as India, and perhaps, Tahiti and Australia. I'm currently at the stage where I am trying to narrow down my focus.
Why did this era of history appeal to you? I've always liked history. I did an A- Level in history too. I like learning about the past. Initially, I was focusing on the Victorian era, and I wasn't sure I knew what the focus of my PhD was going to be. I attended a module for my Master's on landscape art in the 18th century with my supervisor, John. I liked the module, and I really liked him. I did all the readings for that topic, and it became the focus for my Master’s dissertation where I looked at the depiction of animals in visual satire. It was then that I decided that visual satire would be the focus of my PhD. As I delve deeper into the topic I’ve begun to look more at gossip and rumors that are depicted pictorially. I feel that it's quite natural when you're doing your PhD that your focus changes as you research more.
What a unique topic! What are your aspirations after your PhD? I would say it is quite unique, as I haven't really heard much about visual satire!
When I first started my PhD, I thought maybe I’d become a lecturer. But after teaching seminars I've realized that I don't enjoy it, and I couldn't really see myself doing it. I feel like even trying to get an academic job is just so difficult and competitive.
My friend Catherine is the president and founder of the PGR Society. I joined the Society, and I love organizing events. In my role as Communities Intern, I am doing similar work, and I love it. I feel like this is what I want to do! I think I would like to join a research and development course in a university in the future. I want to plan conferences, reach out to new researchers and find out about their research interests.
Tell us a little bit about what inspired you to apply for this internship. I attended the PGR induction event, where I had an opportunity to talk about the PGR society. I met all the RC&RD staff, and I just really liked them. When I read the job description, I knew this was something that I'd want to do. I’d planned two conferences in the past, I enjoyed that and so this was another motivation for applying. I like my line manager Elaine, and I feel I am not only enjoying the work, but I also feel supported in this role by every member of staff.
Other than that, I know I need to focus on finishing my PhD and this will lead to more opportunities. This semester I am teaching Introduction to Art History and next time I'm teaching Art History and practice. I'm looking forward to teaching while also learning something new.
We've got a lot planned for the PGR society too and I’m enjoying building the society up with Catherine, and we hope to get more members and more exposure.
Tell me a little bit about the PGR society. The PGR Society is a Student Representative Council affiliated society. We envision it becoming a vibrant, social place for researchers. I think it can be quite isolating as a PGR student and the society will offer a place to socialize and introduce researchers to each other. I want it to be a society that's just positive and puts on events, and you can go, and you can make friends, maybe eat together. We are on Instagram, which is linked here.
You can join the PRG Society on the SRC website and the link is below:
Do you get much time for any hobbies? My main hobby is reading. I love to read. I enjoy reading books that are completely different from what I read for my thesis. I have a Goodreads account where I keep a log of all the books I have read and would like to read. I try to read one fiction and then a nonfiction.
Where is your favorite place to write? I cannot work at home; I much prefer to be in a dedicated space at uni. I like the fifth floor of the University library and sometimes the upstairs part of the ARC. I do less work here though than when I'm in the library. I don't know why! I feel like the library is the best place for me – though I do need to be there early before it gets busy!
Freya Walker is a second year PhD candidate in History and Art History.
