The V&A has announced the four successful Swiftie applicants to the Taylor Swift superfan adviser role advertised earlier in the year.
After immense interest from more than 1,000 applicants – the appointees have been revealed as Kelsey Barnes, 31, a journalist and unofficial ‘Taylor Swift historian’, Hastings based Dr Iona Murphy, 27, a literature professor with an ‘encyclopaedic’ knowledge of the singer, India Meade, 28, a dedicated Swiftie since the age of 14, and Molly Gilroy, 27, a conservation charity worker who has been blogging about Taylor since 2013.
The four were selected as the standout candidates by Kate Bailey, senior curator, theatre and performance after a lengthy interview process. The superfans have been advising Kate on the Swiftie fandom and the Eras Tour in the UK.
The four superfans will join similar fan experts in Pokémon Cards, Gorpcore Clothing, Toby Jugs and Lego, who were hired by the museum earlier this year.
Kate Bailey said: “Being inundated with over a thousand applications from Swifties around the UK was incredibly humbling and a testament to Taylor Swift’s impact on popular culture. The depth of knowledge and passion for her work displayed by the applicants was truly astounding and as a result, narrowing it down to just four candidates was an arduous process, with each applicant bringing unique perspectives and expertise. We were thrilled to find individuals who could provide so much enthusiasm and their own insights into Swift’s artistry.”
Kelsey Barnes said: “Being selected as one of the V&A’s Taylor Swift superfan advisors is both a joy and an honour. As a journalist, so much of my work over the past few years has focused on Taylor Swift, her creative output and the fandom that surrounds her and her art so to be able to represent the fandom and assist the V&A with that insight and knowledge is a full circle moment for me. These roles in particular and working alongside the V&A has shown just how much they care about what’s happening in the zeitgeist and how that reflects culture and the fandom around it.”
Dr Iona Murphy, who has previously written some concert reviews for Brighton and Hove News, said: “Being selected for the superfan position is something beyond my wildest dreams! I still wake up in the morning full of excitement knowing that I get to talk about Taylor Swift to people who genuinely care. Working at the V&A has given me a real sense of connection to art, culture and the community. It truly is a magical project to be a part of.”
India Meade said: “I’m so pleased to have been selected for the position of Taylor Swift superfan at the V&A. Having been a Swiftie since I was 13, I grew up blogging and making graphics about pop culture and Taylor’s music. It’s been a great privilege to work together with the other superfans and share our collective knowledge with the amazing team here. As someone who wrote their undergraduate dissertation on fandom years ago, I’m excited to see the topic taken seriously and examined in a space as prestigious as the V&A.”
Molly Gilroy said: “Working with the V&A has been a truly inspiring experience. To have turned my 14-year dedication to Taylor’s music – alongside my degrees in English literature and film curation – into an advisory role at the V&A, is a remarkable moment which I will hold on to for years to come. I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since I was 13 years old and so this is truly something that could have only happened in my wildest dreams.
“It’s been an incredible opportunity to collaborate with the V&A to bring stories of the fandom’s cultural evolution and immense creativity into the galleries, alongside sharing expertise on Taylor’s own remarkable storytelling.
“I’m so excited to celebrate the unique dialogue between the Swiftie community and Taylor’s artistic word-building and cannot wait to inspire more visitors to experience her incredible storytelling.”
About V&A South Kensington:
The V&A is a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity. V&A South Kensington is a world of extraordinary global creativity, with unmissable exhibitions, experiences and educational programmes for all. One of London’s most iconic buildings, it is home to national collections of art, design, fashion, photography and furniture to theatre, performance, architecture, and ceramics, as well as the UK’s National Art Library. It is a place where everyone can experience a story of creativity that spans 5,000 years and every creative discipline, which brings that story to life through programmes and activities for all ages and specialisms, and world-leading research and conservation.
