What kind of museum residencies are there? What do they do?

There does not appear to be strict rules or guidelines to what one may expect a residency to achieve or how a residency is structured. They appear to take the form of consultants, short term or long term, temporary or permanent contracts, leader on a project or a position within the hierarchy. The common factor is the resident takes the role of the creative outsider, the person who can respond to stimulus with talent and can take a zen-like approach of not being molded into a museum shape.

The idea has a history going back to the days of the Royal Court, where people were expected to perform for the monarch’s amusement. James I had Shakespeare as his personal favourite playwright and Ben Jonson as Poet Laureate, effectively Artists in Residence for the King. There is also a diplomatic aspect in a residency. They act as the visitor from another world who is representing more than just themselves. As was the case, the position of Resident was once a title just below Ambassador in an embassy.

Many museums have had Artists in residence, often painters. The V&A have had several different types of artist: jewellery artists, new media artists and textile artists. They have recently taken on a Designer in Residence, Lao Jianhua, as part of a partnership with HSBC. There are currently looking for a Resident Comic Illustrator.

What other residencies are there? The Handle House Museum has a Composer-in-Residence and an Ensemble-in-Residence. The Science Museum had Resident Comedians. The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre had Writers-in-Residence and now an Illustrator-in-residence.

What other residencies could there be? A Dancer-in-Residence? I’m surprised not to find more museums with poets and playwrights involved. Resident musicians/sound engineers seem to be the biggest growth industry. Resident DJ? Resident filmmaker? How about a resident martial artist for those with appropriate collections? A resident magician?

The Museum Resident forms an important function regardless of their discipline: To make the museum a hub or lynch pin of cultural activity, to have more of the actual living-breathing culture alive within the museum walls. Not enough is being said about the museum resident and future of museums, as residencies can open up numerous options for the museum to explore.