Ahead of her "Eras" tour's UK leg this coming August, London's Victoria and Albert Museum is currently searching for the ultimate Taylor Swift fan to help in advising its curatorial experts on the significance of the artist in the recent contemporary history of art and design.
The V&A Museum posted the job listing on its site last Thursday, Feb. 22, seeking one heavily informed Swiftie who will gain the chance to browse the institution's some 2.8 million-strong collection and possibly steer the museum's future programs.
However, one indispensable characteristic the V&A is reportedly looking for in a candidate, according to CNN, is that the would-be Swift expert should be able to put together and share invaluable insights into the "culture and artisanry" that surrounds the artifacts shared and made for her concerts.
Friendship Bracelets, Signages, and The 'Eras' Tour Culture
One object in particular, the friendship bracelets Swifties often swap with one another, is what the V&A is interested in, alongside the handcrafted signages that are frequently brought in 'Eras' tour shows.
The bracelets have evolved and developed into a sort of "ritual" during the entire run of the tour, inspired by the lyrics from Swift's "You're on Your Own, Kid" song from her 2022 record, "Midnights," which depicts the star artifact as a potent manner in which to share an experience over.
The wrist accessory also plays a huge part in the artist's heavily documented relationship with one of the NFL's top players, Travis Kelce.
Specifically, in a July episode of his podcast, he recalled that his relationship with the icon started after he attempted to give a bracelet with his number to Swift in one of her shows, prompting the artist to get in touch.
Such objects not only play a big role in the Swifty community it also exemplify the outstanding cultural, economic, and social performance of the pop icon's "Eras" tour that started last March and is set to continue until December this year.
V&A's Effort to Onboard 'Grassroots' Expertise
The role is not specific to just Taylor Swift fans, however, as this initiative is part of the institution's larger goal to employ individuals with "grassroots expertise" in nich cultural entities, be they artists, games, media franchises, or even competitions.
Aside from Swifties, the V&A museum is looking for true "stans" of Crocs, emojis, drag, and the rug-making technique of tufting.
The institution said that this is done to help inform their would-be exhibitions on the aforementioned subjects, which will comprise objects and artifacts from the institution's collection that respectively relate to these phenomena.
So far, the V&A has already brought in Pokémon, Lego, and Gorpcore experts, the latter of which is an incredibly specific fashion trend that sees hiking wear adorned as day-to-day attire. The institution has even hired an expert on the human-shaped Toby jugs.
The museum has not publicly shared any information regarding the actual digits concerning the salary of the position, however, it did say that it will be "within reason" and enough to cover would-be travel costs.
Successful prospects will also be able to receive a V&A Membership.
