SACKLER CENTRE FOR ARTS EDUCATION AT THE V&A
Sackler Centre Residency Programme
Still from 'Glow' by Jo Lawrence. © Jo Lawrence (click image for larger version)
The new and innovative Museum Residency Programme at the V&A gives designers, artists, writers, makers, musicians etc, the extraordinary opportunity to have a studio in the Sackler Centre for arts education at the museum for six months. There are two studios for Museum Residencies providing space for four Residents each year. Using these Studios as a base Residents have access to the V&A's unique resources including the extensive collections; curatorial and conservation expertise; practical art, design and digital media workshops in the Sackler Centre and experienced educational and outreach staff. Residents use these to develop their careers, carry out research, make new work and acquire or increase their skills in working with the public. Residents will hold Open Studios sessions when visitors to the Museum can visit the studios to see for themselves the Residents at work.
As part of their time at the V&A, Residents will work with a team of museum professionals to contribute to the Learning Programme. This may include workshops, lectures and gallery talks, courses, gallery activities for children or contributing to the V&A website. Their input into these programmes is inspirational for the public and museum staff alike. Access to the collections can fuel imaginative ideas for activities and events for the museum's audiences as well as new bodies of work for the Residents.
Current Museum Residents
How we appoint residents
The V&A specify a particular area of the collections, or a particular media which they will want the resident to work in e.g. jewellery, new media, print, textiles, photography etc. A call is put out on the V&A website, and through selected publications and advertising networks inviting practioners to apply to be Resident. The applicant is asked to propose ideas for how they might work with the collections and with the Museum's diverse audiences. A panel of Museum staff and external experts, where appropriate, are brought together to select candidates for interview. If you think this is something that you might be interested in applying to, please go to our job vacancies site regularly.
Open Studios
Residency Studios, Sackler Centre
13.00-16.00
August: Friday 7, Saturday 8, Sunday 9 and Friday 21
September: Friday 11, Friday 18, Saturday 19, Sunday 20, and Friday 25 & Saturday 26
October: Friday 2, Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Friday 23, Saturday 31
November: Sunday 1, Friday 20, Friday 27
December: Saturday 5 & Sunday 6
Appointed Residents open their studios to the public usually on Fridays and weekends. Visitors to the Museum are welcome to drop into the studios, situated on Level 1 of the Sackler Centre during these times, where they can meet the Residents, ask questions about their work, discover how they are using the collections for research and see how their work is progressing. The Open Studio Programme gives visitors a fascinating insight into the processes creative practioners use to develop ideas and see the skills that are used to make their work.
Open Studios enable visitors to witness first hand how practioners develop their ideas, where they find inspiration, the tools and skills used to make work and process involved in developing an initial idea into a more complete concept.
Funders, Sponsors and Partners
We are grateful to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for their generous support of the program and residencies.
