The Horniman’s Musicians in Residence programme links early career musicians with its Musical Instrument collection as a stimulus for them to create new work, culminating in live performance.
The Musicians in Residence are:
- Anti.net – a punk rap and art collective from East and South East London known for their disruptive energy and genre-blurring performances.
- Daniel Tsz-shing Lei – a dizi flautist from Hong Kong whose artistic vision lies in merging traditional Chinese folk music with modern classical composition.
- Gabriel ‘Sekuru’ Makamanzi – a Zimbabwean mbira player and singer based in London, dedicated to honouring the rich musical traditions of his homeland.
They follow in the footsteps of Bloomer (Faith-Melody Ramautar), Pouya Ehsaei, and Shola (Shola Dayo) who created new music and narratives that engaged with, and offered fresh insights into, the Horniman’s Musical Instrument collection, premiering their work at three unique public performances.
Over six months the musicians will work with Saava Benjamin Busenze Balagadde, Rudi Schmidt and Joseph Rubio from the Horniman’s Curatorial and Community Engagement teams to produce new music, digital content, and immersive live performances at the Horniman Museum Lates in February – April 2025.
Their work will also be showcased in a joint work in progress Hear it Live! performance on Thursday 14 November 2024 at 3.30pm.
We are really excited to work with our new cohort of resident musicians, each one bringing something very different to the Horniman. From deeply held spiritual traditions of the mbira to disruptive punk-rap energy, to contemporary approaches to folk-art, these artists will share a broad range of cultural expression with our audiences. They are all experts of their craft, and we are looking forward to seeing how they respond to our collections and influence the way we work as a museum.
Big up the Horniman Museum for having us as part of the artists residency. We're looking forward to collaborating with them to bring our sound somewhere new and exciting.
The residency offers me an encounter with both local and broader digital communities, providing a favourite opportunity to explore new musical performativities through selected objects from the wonderful Horniman Collection.
I’ve really enjoyed being part of the Horniman Museum's resident project. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to connect with other members, and I appreciate the collaborative environment. I’m also learning a great deal about various instruments from around the world, which has deepened my understanding of their cultural significance. This experience has truly enriched my appreciation for global music traditions.
