Current PhD Students

James G. Lapping

Thesis Title:

The Emerging Indigenous Mainstream

Supervisor:

Professor David Stirrup

Description:

Since 2021, a significant body of work that centres Indigenous narratives has entered the mainstream of film and television. Filmmakers such as Sterlin Harjo, creator of the FX series, Reservation Dogs (2021-2023), have found critical and commercial success. Actor Lily Gladstone has made history as the first Native woman to receive a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination. Since her success, she has combined her role of celebrity with cultural activism. These examples are part of what is defined as the Indigenous Mainstream.

This project takes this zeitgeist moment for Native film and television and assesses its emergence into an industry that has significantly underrepresented Native filmmakers and actors. What is the significance of this renewed presence and participation for Indigenous film and television in the mainstream and how can these filmmakers and actors practice decolonisation in an arena that has historically and systematically erased Native presence?

James holds a BA in American Studies from the University of Derby and an MA in American Studies from the University of East Anglia. He completed the first year of his PhD at the University of Kent before transferring to the University of York in September 2023.

James is also a journalist and regular contributor to the student newspaper - Nouse. He writes about film, television, music, and popular culture.