"The Creative Museum" is a three-year Strategic Partnership funded by the European Commission's Erasmus+ programme, which seeks to explore and inform the connections between cultural organisations and their communities by capitalising on the emergence of new and democratising digital technologies. The project runs between 2014 and 2017 and involves partners in different European countries. In this context, the Creative Museum, in partnership with 6 institutions in Croatia, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway and the UK, has recently launched an open call for applications to participate in one of six residencies for makers. Participating institutions include the Chester Beatty Libary, Dublin, an ASEMUS member. Selected makers will travel to one of 6 host institutions, where they will be given broad license to express themselves creatively through their own practice, in conversation with the inspiration of the host institution’s collection, themes, physical space, visitors, and expert staff. With this residency, organisers aim to:

• Encourage an open exchange of ideas between European countries, and strengthening bonds between nations and cultures.
• Promote creative thinking in museums and cultural institutions.
• Nurture productive relationships between museums and maker communities.
• Imagine new uses of museum collections, and new purposes for museums in the 21st century.
• Connect museums with non-traditional audiences.
• Invite cross-disciplinary and outsider perspectives.

By partnering with the 'maker community' and the creative industries, Creative Museum aims to counteract traditional views of museums as ‘closed institutions’. The partnership will also explore and share how to interpret museum objects in a creative, experimental way while developing new skills for museum staff. These new skills will, in-turn, be factored into museum programmes and as a means to build capacity with hard-to-reach audiences including youth and adults. The call is open to makers from regions participating in the project, who should submit their applications before 25 March 2016. Requirements, opportunities and restrictions in each participating museum may be different. For additional information about the open call for makers, please visit http://blogs.c-yourmag.net/creative-museum/category/makers-in-residence/