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. Each had the opportunity to work both collaboratively and independently in a unique environment, to build local connections and to explore the landmarks and culture of West Cornwall in their own time.

In 2025 all of the above returned to assist with developing the Archive and three new residents, Grace Jacobson, from Arizona/ King’s College, Abbie Fowler and Eleanor Eden, post grads from Manchester Metropolitan University, were recruited. Each of these made a vital contribution: Ellie Eden essay has been added below; Grace Jacobson created a stunning short video on site, Residency Reflections which can be found on the new Matthew Lanyon Archive youtube channel, along with his short films. Abbie Fowler developed and populated this channel, editing some of his VHS recordings into stand alone pieces. 

www.youtube.com/@MatthewLanyonArchive

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