Residencies

Explore this playlist of short films to get a first-hand account of the research and projects that our residents carry out at the V&A during their residency.

Alongside 9-month residencies linked to our Learning Department, we also work in collaboration with other departments and external institutions to deliver a range of additional shorter residencies. Through these unique experiences, creative practitioners gain access to the V&A's vast collections, specialised curatorial expertise, as well as opportunities to share their work to diverse audiences. It is a place to experiment and disrupt, whilst also inspiring and educating the next generation about the exciting potential of careers in the creative industries. Overall, we facilitate space for curiosity and ingenuity, continuing to push the boundaries of world-leading practice in the museum and beyond.

Shifting Perspectives Residency
12 October 2022 – 14 July 2023

Rebecca Stevenson is a London-based sculptor making work using a variety of media, including wax, resin and bronze. Her work draws on the traditional methods and meanings of sculpture, but reimagines these through feminist theories and personal experiences of the body.

For this residency, Rebecca is keen to develop and present new work in response to Room 64a and the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, addressing themes of material and bodily presence, absence and transformation. In her experimental process of presenting and re-presenting evolving work, she hopes to shift perspectives through opening up a dialogue between her pieces and the collections.

This residency coincides with Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance exhibition. Alongside her own practice, Rebecca will also develop a series of workshops for our Young People's programme.

DesignLab Nation Ceramics Residency
2 November 2022 – 28 April​ 2023

Florence Dwyer is a ceramics artist whose practice is informed by research into social and cultural histories related to industrial manufacturing, domestic craft, and vernacular design.​ Drawing on ideas surrounding gendered work, capitalism, and the transculturation of craft and objects, her research often involves working alongside professional makers.

This residency is part of DesignLab Nation – a programme of in-depth projects that explore new ways of engaging secondary school students with design. Working across V&A Wedgwood Collection and V&A South Kensington, her research will form the basis of teacher resources to support wider secondary school programming linked to the Design and Technology (D&T) GCSE syllabus. ​

For this residency, Florence aims to explore the often unnoticed role of craft in industrial manufacturing history. She plans to research craft as workmanship of risk, and the role of doubt, failure, uncertainty, incompleteness, and imperfection in the V&A Wedgwood Collection, revealing and celebrating hidden mistakes and tests within the cycle of making.

DesignLab Nation is generously supported by Sarah Nichols.

We currently have no open calls.

If you would like more information on our residencies and how to apply, please read our guidance notes for applicants:

If you have any questions about our programme, please email: residencyprogramme@vam.ac.uk

Ever wondered what it’s like inside an artist's studio, where designers or architects find inspiration, or how makers produce their final piece? We host regular Open Studio sessions where you can drop in and meet our current residents to discover more about their practice.

V&A South Kensington has three on-site studios: a ceramics studio, off Ceramics 143, Level 4, and two studios on Level 1 of the Learning Centre.

With a dynamic and evolving programme, there's never a dull moment for our residents. Keep up to date with pop-up events and get behind-the-scenes access as they explore the museum and make work inspired by our collections. You can also investigate a range of research and projects done by many of our alumni.

Since its establishment the Residency Programme has hosted a vast range of practitioners. Discover more about our residency alumni, their research, projects and public programmes in the museum and beyond.