The V&A Museum of Childhood is currently closed as we work to transform it into a new world-leading museum of design and creativity for children and young people.
Since the museum's founding in 1872, the V&A Museum of Childhood has been a much-prized and welcoming community space for everyone. As it approaches its 150th anniversary, with a unique story to tell as East London's first public museum, it is being reinvented through new eyes. Drawing on our internationally renowned collections of art, design and performance, the new V&A Museum of Childhood will become the UK's first national museum designed by, and for, young people – a place where you can learn, create and debate together, and design for tomorrow.
Get in touch at: hello@vam.ac.uk
Our Strategic Aims
We aim to inspire young people to be active citizens and creative change-makers in their communities; to empower educators to drive forward creative education in art, design and performance from early years to secondary school; to connect young people with the creative ingenuity of designers, entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors, and each other, and to lead in child-centred museum practice.
"We want to empower children to realise that every act of creativity is impactful, whether it’s self-expression through their clothes, building a world on Minecraft, or launching a school climate strike. By bringing together the V&A's world-class collections with immersive displays anchored in children's every-day lives, we will offer an outstanding day out for families, for free. Beloved by the local community, but in need of modernisation, this ambitious transformation will enable the V&A Museum of Childhood to unlock its huge potential to nurture the potential of future generations and become a global champion of children's creativity."
New programmes and galleries
Children, young people, carers and educators, are helping us to develop the new museum, working closely with our architects AOC Architecture and De Matos Ryan to shape new spaces and programmes.
Three immersive new galleries – Imagine, Play and Design – will showcase over 2,000 star objects from our collections and the UK's National Childhood Collection.
Vibrant colour and playful, multi-sensory interactive galleries and experiences will transform and enrich the V&A Museum of Childhood's original Victorian architecture.
From objects displayed at a toddlers' height, to dressing up boxes next to couture fashion, and a huge new variety of spaces for hands-on making, AOC Architecture's colourful, child-centred designs will foster curiosity and a spirit of collaboration, through spaces designed for inter-generational, structured play and creative experimentation, for ages 0 – 14.
Budding designers and artists will explore our world-class collections through displays that enable you to touch, explore, activate and wear – because we believe the best way to learn and make sense of the world is through hands-on experience.
Works by leading makers, including Issey Miyake, Bridget Riley and Yves Behar, will explore how objects are made. A new Open Studio will house a designer-in-residence, bringing young innovators face-to-face with the future in contemporary design.
New studios and facilities for schools
A new suite of learning studios will enable the museum to become a leading centre for creative curriculum design to support teachers and educators nationally. By relocating the learning areas to the south side of the building, the museum will strengthen the relationship with its gardens, and through direct access to the galleries, will offer provision for teachers to provide their students with an inspirational, object-based experience.
Planning permission and Listed Building Consent was achieved for De Matos Ryan's base-build scheme in August 2019. The designs will create more public space, better circulation (including a new 'Kaleidoscopic' staircase), improved facilities and essential renovation of the building's infrastructure. The proposals have been refined through over 40 co-design sessions with local schoolchildren, teachers, SEND and community groups and families. In addition, a new room for reading, shop and soft seating, designed by AOC, will refresh the welcome areas.
Find out more about the project as it develops on the V&A Museum of Childhood blog.
National Childhood Collection
The V&A Museum of Childhood cares for the nation's National Collection of Childhood. It comprises nearly 33,000 objects and 61 archival collections that span 400 years, from 1600 to the present day.
From the extraordinary to the everyday, from prototypes to mass-manufactured and hand-made objects, the collection includes one of Britain's oldest rocking horses, a sculptural installation of dolls' houses by artist Rachel Whiteread, and the archive collection of play leader and campaigner for children’s right to play, Donnie Buck.
The V&A also holds a range of archive collections relating to different aspects of childhood. These include pieces from toy and children's clothing manufacturers, and from individuals involved in the toy industry, as well as collections relating to schools and education.
Things to do
Continue to be creative at home with the following ideas:
#LetsMakeWednesdays
Blog
Find out about life in the museum during our transformation on the V&A Museum of Childhood blog. Join our collection-inspired doodle club, see rainbow art created by children during the Pandemic, and find out about the Young Ambassadors informing our plans and packing our collections for their move to our new Collections and Research Centre in Stratford.