Musician-in-Residence

Museum London is proud to introduce its inaugural Musician-in-Residence program in Fall 2026, celebrating the role of music in fostering connection, elevating local talent, and strengthening London’s identity as Canada’s only UNESCO City of Music.

This year-long residency welcomes acclaimed Canadian musician Shad back to the city where he grew up and began his career. Through a series of performances, public programs, educational initiatives, creative exploration, and collaboration with Museum staff, the residency will use music as a catalyst for connection, conversation, and discovery. 

Inspired by themes of memory, storytelling, and belonging, Shad’s residency considers how people and communities are shaped by the places they call home, the experiences they carry forward, and the stories they choose to remember. These ideas will inform a range of activities developed in collaboration with the artists and designed to spark curiosity, encourage dialogue, and create meaningful opportunities for participation. 

Throughout the year, Shad will participate in events and educational programming, engage with Museum London’s collections and exhibitions, and help bring new perspectives to the stories shared across the Museum and its programs. New music developed during the residency, created in collaboration with local talent, will become part of Museum London’s permanent collection and create a lasting cultural record rooted in this place and project. 

Through both in-person and digital opportunities, the program will invite community members to explore creativity, share ideas, and engage with London’s cultural landscape in new ways. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events and activities in the coming months.

About the artist
Shad (Shadrach Kabango) is a Canadian rapper of Rwandan descent. He is known for blending humour with weighty themes, exploring a range of topics and sounds over the course of his 20-year career. Shad won the Juno Award for Rap Recording Of The Year in 2011 and five of his albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize for Canadian Album Of The Year, the most shortlist nominations of any artist in the prize’s history. Shad has also served as a broadcaster, hosting CBC Radio’s Q and Netflix’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series Hip-Hop Evolution, and has taught Hip-Hop-related courses at the University of Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier University.