Creative residencies

How do we speak to ‘multiple publics in multiple ways’ especially when those communities might speak a different language or simply not want to listen?

How can we explore new forms of engagement and activism in a way that strengthens our scholarship and the standing of our teaching?

What does creative public engagement actually mean and how do we do it?

In order to engage with some of these questions and to bolster the institutional capacity of the Crick Centre we have created a range of creative residencies that seek to explore new forms of speech and communication.

We have an Artist in Residence and a Philosopher in Residence and we currently have a national competititon under way to find a ‘Lyricist in Residence’. The role of all these residencies is to support academics in explaining to the public why their research matters and (at a broader level) explaining to the public why politics matters.

The idea is that the Crick Centre will host a rolling series of three-year residencies and the nature and focus of those positions will vary and change as the centre evolves. The residencies are formally recognised by the University of Sheffield and the post-holder will therefore enjoy an institutional affiliation through which they can apply to a great range of funding bodies. The positions bring a small honorarium and travel budget and the expectations in terms of the contribution each post holder makes to the various projects or activities of the Crick Centre is very flexible.

We do not expect the Artist in Residence or Philosopher in Residence – maybe even a Comedian or Playwright or Novelist in Residence – or any other future post-holder to live in Sheffield or to be physically based in the Crick Centre and therefore these positions are global in terms of their scope and reach.