From September to November 2024 Art History graduates from the Courtauld and the University of Exeter, Zelda Cahill-Patten, Stella Douglass, Sampada Ladke and Amy Brand, were selected for the first Archive Residency programme at the Matthew Lanyon Archive, located in the beautiful and spacious former meeting place of the Royal Cornish Geological Society in the heart of Penzance. 

Over the course of two-weeks, residents lived and worked on site, deep-diving into the context of Matthew’s practice, uncovering previously unseen archival material first hand and cataloguing items alongside Judith Lanyon. Residents had the opportunity to work collaboratively and independently in a unique personal environment, to build local connections and to explore the environment and culture of West Cornwall in their own time.

The residents were also encouraged to follow their own strands of interest through their engagement with the archive. You can find essays below reflecting on their learnings and experiences: