Mawjaat: Creative Hubs for Cultural Transitions in the Mediterranean – Research-action Friche la Belle de Mai / Iméra

About the Open Call

Friche la Belle de Mai and Iméra, the Institut for Advanced Study (IEA) of Aix Marseille Université, are collaborating on the Mawjaat project, supported by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The project aims to strengthen links and foster reflection among cultural creative hubs in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and France. The research-action, spanning two years (May 2025-May 2027), will create regional Mediterranean expertise, supporting creative hubs as laboratories for social innovation, citizen participation, digital culture, and ecological transformation through experimental grants and thematic workshops. The project involves field surveys in the five partner countries and an analysis of the regional ecosystem of creative hubs during year 1 (January 2026 to January 2027), followed by a 5-month residency at Iméra in Marseille in year 2 (February to June 2027). The selected candidate will develop research in co-construction with partner creative hubs and in dialogue with Iméra's scientific teams ('Mediterranean' and 'Arts & Sciences: Indisciplined Knowledge' programmes). The research focuses on studying the role and contribution of creative hubs in cultural, social, ecological, and economic transformations in the southern Mediterranean, understanding their role as catalysts for innovation and co-creation, exploring their capacity to produce local knowledge, and identifying their contribution to civic dynamics. Thematic orientations include youth, education, gender, innovation, and the environment. This research-action project is open to various disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches in the humanities and social sciences, including sociology, anthropology, geography, history, ethnology, and social and solidarity economy. A written action research report is expected, with freedom for additional deliverables in other formats. Key stages include an internal seminar (Oct/Nov 2025), field surveys (Jan 2026-Jan 2027), and the residency at Iméra (Feb 4-June 30, 2027).

What is Offered

The selected candidate will receive a monthly allowance of 2,000 euros over 17 months (November 2025 to June 2027). This includes the period of residence at Iméra. Additionally, travel expenses and per diems for fieldwork will be covered according to a fixed budget, and accommodation on the Iméra site will be provided during the 5-month residency (February 4 to June 30, 2027).

Requirements

Candidates must meet five conditions: 1) Possess the administrative and consular capacity to travel to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and France. 2) Demonstrate proven scientific excellence in research related to creative hubs, third places, hybrid spaces, their narratives, and functions. 3) Not have resided in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to the call for applications. 4) Hold a doctorate or Ph.D., or have 6 years’ research experience after obtaining a Master’s degree. 5) Have the legal status to enter into a contract for the provision of a service. Language skills required include full professional written and oral comprehension in English and French, and spoken literary Arabic or dialectal Arabic from one of the project countries. Selection criteria include demonstrated writing and analytical skills, experience in action research and participatory methods, quality of the research project (problematisation and lines of research), relevance of the methodology and fieldwork approach, project feasibility, good knowledge of the contexts of the five countries, and suitability of the candidate’s profile (experience, publications, interdisciplinarity).

How to Apply

Applicants must submit an online application form (mandatory fields), optionally a letter of recommendation, a research project presentation (maximum 5 pages) with a selective bibliography, and a curriculum vitae including a list of publications. Apply via the provided link: https://www.imera.fr/en/application-mawjaat-creative-hubs-friche-la-belle-de-mai-imera/