I want to undertake a practice led PHD in solo devised performance and trying to write topic proposal and wondered if anyone in my subject area can offer advice or explain how they got started on their proposal. I have looked on find a PHD site and nothing suitable for me to apply to.

This is the advice my uni gives PaR PhD candidates:

If practice-based research is proposed, that it’s clear what you mean by this. The University of London Regulations state: ‘In the field of Drama and Theatre Studies, a candidate may either register to undertake research leading to a thesis submitted in accordance with the normal provisions, or register to undertake original research in performance practice on the understanding that the material is submitted concurrently and is examined as an integrated whole. In the latter case the thesis should include evidence in the form of practical performance which exemplifies and illustrates the ideas contained in the written part of the thesis. However presented, this work must be accompanied by an adequate and approved form of retainable documentation.’

The role of practice in research depends on each individual project and its critical aims. If you intend to pursue your project through practice, please ensure that the research imperatives driving this practice are clear. Reflection on one’s own practice usually achieves greater critical efficacy when it accounts for a broader repertoire of related practice as well. If you intend to include your own performance work among your case studies, how would you situate it in the context of other bodies of performance work? Finally, identify any material requirements your practice would involve (e.g. space, technical equipment, access to particular people).

For a number of our PhD students, their past and ongoing bodies of performance practice inform their thesis research very productively. In most cases, though, this practice is neither the main case study within the thesis nor the mode through which research is conducted and findings articulated.

I'm not doing PaR but know lots who are - and the best thing I can suggest is asking the department you're interested in for advice - lots of uni's use the guidelines for PaR in different ways.

Hope that helps a little at least