Art and Science 'in residence': Sustaining meaningful journeys in transdisciplinary practice

Artist-in-residence programs in scientific organisations have become increasingly popular, yet little research exists on their broader impact beyond artistic outcomes. Whilst anecdotally, these schemes report generative dialogue across the fields of art and science, challenges remain as to how to sustain transdisciplinary thinking and shift workplace cultures beyond the remit of an artistic intervention or residency. It thus becomes vital to consider what might be the prerequisite conditions (before, during, and after the interdisciplinary engagement) for optimising cross-collaboration and interdisciplinary discovery (for both the artist-in-residence and the scientific communities they reside with), and how those discoveries can be nurtured and sustained long-term.

This informal provocation is led by three practitioners with experience in performance science, psychology, and creative practice. They will draw on their experience of facilitating and observing artistin-residence schemes, including a longitudinal study of an artist scheme at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia (2025), educational initiatives involving highereducation students from music and medicine, and a development programme for a multinational NGO which enmeshed divergent perspectives from music, magic, medicine, forensic science, culinary arts, and bespoke tailoring. Utilising these examples as departure points, a series of provocations will be offered for consideration. These include:
• How such programs can foster meaningful intercultural dialogue and disrupt conventional ways of seeing and doing.
• How 'success' might be conceptualized and measured across stakeholders.
• The opportunities, challenges, and risks inherent in artist-scientist collaborations within relational, site-specific environments.

This informal session will offer insights into the specific challenges (institutionally, logistically and creatively) that arise when facilitating transdisciplinary dialogues, and signpost strategies for creating optimal environments for artist in residence schemes. These considerations contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the broader societal value of artist-in-residence programs, and the means for sustaining innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.