My friend, Kelley Swain, is a talented poet and freelance writer, and a fascinating person to hang around. We try to meet every few months to discuss our work and something interesting always come up. She’s full of ideas and new perspectives, and I wanted you to meet her. Her focus is creative approaches to the history of science, and her first book, the poetry collection called Darwin’s Microscope ,was published by Flambard Press in 2009. She is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and a Contributing Writer to New Scientist. You can read more about her work here.

I’ve asked Kelley to come to my blog to talk about the role of Writer-in-Residence. She holds that position at The Whipple Museum, Cambridge, and her understanding of how you can make it happen, the pros and cons of it, are unique and important. It is actually because of her experiences that I decided to try to become a Writer-in-Residence myself, and I’m thrilled to say that I have just been appointed to that post in the SE Asia Department of The University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Here she is making her case for what she calls “Affiliated Creatives”.

Though the experience of every Writer-in-Residence is sure to be unique, I discovered, upon setting up my own residency, that there are generally two kinds. In both cases, ideally, a Residency is a symbiotic relationship where both host institution and writer-guest gain equally from the experience.
The obvious kinds are Residencies which are planned and funded by the host institution. They are advertised, they are extremely competitive, and they often select either competition winners or ‘established’ writers. These positions are valuable for the writer, who gains a ‘home,’ an affiliation, and a salary for a set time. These posts also do a great deal towards encouraging writers to interact with the public. Just a few Residencies which fall into this category include the Wordsworth Trust Poet in Residence, The Whitechapel Gallery Writer in Residence and even, one might argue, the Oxford Professor of Poetry position. But I want to discuss the second kind of Residency, one that I have begun to think of as more of an affiliation, and of the recipient as an ‘Affiliated Creative’. This could be applied to any artist, not only writers.
    In 2009 I was introduced to the Curator of the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, part of the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. I proposed a residency that was in line with a document published by the Arts Council England in 2003. I had read this closely, and it was the only document published by ACE which was relevant to what I wanted to do, which was to apply for funds jointly with the Whipple Museum, enough to provide me with a part-time salary, so I could actively be in residence for two to three days per week in the Museum over the course of a year. The Whipple Curator, Liba, was very supportive of this proposal, but when I went to ACE with some questions, no one I spoke to was familiar with the publication, and they said that because Cambridge was already such a busy city, artistically and culturally, I would be unlikely to get funding.
   Liba and I went back to square one, and we sought, and gained, two much smaller ‘pots’ of funding – she secured funds from an anonymous donor who had given to the Museum previously, and I gained a small grant from the British Society for Literature and Science. These funds enabled us to run four very successful events over the course of the year, events for which my transport (from my home in London) was covered, as well as my meals when I was at Cambridge. A generous friend let me stay in her guest room, and I was able to become the Whipple Museum, Cambridge, Writer-in-Residence. I continue to run events for the Whipple Museum; for now, my Residency has no specific end-date, but events are planned one after another, as we get funds, so it does lack certainty. For our next event, I’m going to run a writing workshop with Laura Dietz, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing Anglia Ruskin for the Cambridge Festival of Ideas in October, which I’m very excited about.
  One challenge I’ve grappled with throughout the Residency is the age-old question of getting paid. Because we set up the residency with the understanding that funds would always have to come from external sources, sourcing those funds has always been a question. I am certain that we’ve gained what funds we have because we applied for them jointly. Those first small ‘pots’ of money allowed us to set up our first series of events at the Whipple. After that, with a letter of support from Liba, I applied for and secured an Arts Council England Grant towards my next year of activities as Writer-in-Residence. This time around, I was able to cover expenses and get paid for each event.  I believe it was essential to show ACE a successful track record before I applied for funds: a matter of, ‘See what I can do? And if you support me, I can do even more’.
    One rule for a Residency is that it should never cost you money. It seems obvious, but it can be very tempting, as a writer who wants to become established, or known, or ‘get out there,’ to say, ‘don’t worry, I’ll do it anyway’. Of course I’ve paid for my own rail fare for events in the past – but I think it’s very important to put a value on our work, and it’s something to build up to. The affiliation with Cambridge has encouraged invitations for me to run workshops and give readings elsewhere, and I’ve charged the rates recommended by the Society of Authors, and asked for transport cover. I’ve also been flexible with fees when it comes to speaking at schools, for example, if their budgets are small. I feel it is fair to build this up incrementally – to earn it as you continue to publish, establish your area of expertise, and gain experience.
    Two lovely ladies whom you’ll be familiar with, Sue Guiney, my host today, and Tania Hershman, came to hear me speak at the Royal Observatory Greenwich because, at the time, Tania was interested in how I became Writer-in-Residence at the Whipple. I encouraged her to set up something like it, and she has done so with great success. Now Sue is doing the same.
    Becoming a Writer-in-Residence, or an Affiliated Creative (which to me is a more accurate description of what I am, as I’m rarely actually in residence, and as I don’t usually get paid for my activities at the Whipple,) is up to the writer: treat it like a job interview, go in with ideas, enthusiasm, and your credentials. Be flexible. Find a Museum, or a University Department, or even a shop or café. Most importantly, find the right person to support your role: someone enthusiastic, who will value you and make use of you as their Writer. This is a way for us to find ‘homes,’ gain an affiliation, and gain valuable exp
erience.

Thank you, Kelley, for opening our eyes to this idea and helping us see how well it can work. And best of luck with all your projects.