Artist in Residence

A funded opportunity in 2025 for a creative individual to produce new work in response to the Royal Society’s mission to foster diversity and inclusion in science.

Through exhibitions, collaborations and soirées, the Royal Society has a long history exploring the relationship between science and the arts. As a new approach, we are seeking to collaborate with an Artist in Residence in 2025, who will respond to our collections and to the scientific research of our community. The residency is a funded opportunity that will last between 3 and 6 months, commencing before April 2025. 

We are looking for expressions of interest from imaginative individuals producing work in creative disciplines such as visual arts, performance, digital, or other media, and who have not completed a residency of this type before. You must articulate a clear and reasoned line of enquiry to pursue through an interaction between art and science. 

As well as providing a funded opportunity for an early-career artist, one of the aims of this pilot project is to contribute to systemic change across the scientific sector in promoting inclusion and diversity. In 2025 the Royal Society will mark the 80th anniversary of the first women to be elected as Fellows, in is our intention that this residency will speak to themes encouraging people from diverse, non-traditional backgrounds to develop scientific careers. 

The resident artist will be expected to spend the equivalent of 2 days a week on the project. Once embedded at the Royal Society’s base at Carlton House Terrace, there may be opportunities to travel to other locations, for example visiting Fellows at their laboratories or to explore sites of fieldwork. Towards the end of the residency, there is potential for exhibiting work or showcasing a performance during the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition in July. 

To apply for this opportunity, please complete the expression of interest form found in the downloads section of this webpage and submit it before 6.00pm on Thursday 12 December 2024. Please also review the guidance notes included in the downloads section. On your expression of interest form you will need to include a summary of your proposed project, a provisional budget, and you may include a selection of past examples of your work. 

All applications must be sent via email to: residency@royalsociety.org