Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
South Kensington
London
Greater London
SW7 2RL
England
Website
Telephone
Events Bookings
020 7942 2211
Exhibitions Bookings
020 7907 7073
Fax
020 7942 2266
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world’s greatest museum of art and design.
Venue Type:
Museum
Additional info
See website for details
The Victoria and Albert Museum's collections span two thousand years of art in virtually every medium, from many parts of the world, and visitors to the museum encounter a treasure house of amazing and beautiful objects. The Museum was established in 1852, following the enormous success of the Great Exhibition the previous year. Its founding principle was to make works of art available to all, to educate working people and to inspire British designers and manufacturers.
The Museum's ceramics, glass, textiles, dress, silver, ironwork, jewellery, furniture, sculpture, paintings, prints and photographs now span the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa, and date from ancient times to the present day.
Although the V&A's collections are international in their scope, they contain many particularly important British works - especially British silver, ceramics, textiles and furniture.
Part of the RIBA Trust's British Architecture Library, a Designated Collection of national importance, is on display at this museum.
The collection provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of architecture. It is fundamental to the study of architecture in Britain and is nationally and internationally significant.
Collection details
World Cultures, Weapons and War, Toys and Hobbies, Social History, Photography, Personalities, Performing Arts, Music, Fine Art, Design, Decorative and Applied Art, Costume and Textiles, Archives, Architecture, Archaeology
Key artists and exhibits
- The British Galleries 1500-1900 tell the story of British design from the Tudor age to the Victorian era. Fifteen completely refurbished galleries are filled with exhibits reflecting all of the top British designers of the times. The galleries are enhanced by computer interactives, objects to handle, video screens and audio programmes. Highlights include the gigantic Great Bed of Ware (mentioned in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night) and the wedding suit worn by James II. Inspirational, beautiful and unmatched in scope, the British Galleries offer an entirely new visitor experience in a stunning and innovative setting.
- Designated Collection
Digital Kids
Limited spaces available daily
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
Admission
Free, drop in
Website
Pop-up Performances
Limited places available daily
Suitable for all the family especially for early years
Early years performances supported by Outset Family
Saturday 25 May – 2 June
11.00, 13.00 & 15.00
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Free, drop-in
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2313/mini-musicians-3595/
The Imagination Station
Pick up materials to create your design.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
Admission
free, drop-in
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2305/the-imagination-station-may-half-term-3587/
Make-it Music Icon (5 - 12 year olds)
Get the pop star look with costume, make up and photography, with professional photographer, producer and DJ Edward Otchere.
10.30 - 12.30 & 14.30 - 16.30
Suitable for
- 11-13
- 5-6
- 7-10
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£7.50 per child, children must be accompanied by an adult.
Advance booking essential. Maximum 1 adult per child.
Architecture&: Ole Scheeran
Internationally acclaimed architect Ole Scheeran discusses some of his major projects, including towers in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and ideas for a new kind of kinetic performing art space/arena.
In collaboration with the Royal College of Art and The Architecture Review
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
When
6:30-7:30pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£9, £6 concessions
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2439/architecture-ole-scheeran-3727/
V&A Book Group
£7 (includes refreshments)
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
When
6:30-8pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£7 (includes refreshments)
Website
Courtly Style: Tudor and Stuart Dress
Explore the many exquisite materials, styles and accessories associated with Tudor and Stuart dress in a day organised to coincide with the V&A's Royal Treasures: Tudors, Stuarts and the Tsars and the Royal Collection's In Fine Style: Tudor and Stuart Dress.
Topics include the use of embroidery, lace, jewellery, and armour, and the representation of costume in portraiture, as well as Tudor and Stuart fashions. Speakers are drawn from the V&A, Royal Collection and elsewhere, and the day also includes a ticket to the Royal Collection exhibition.
In collaboration with the Royal Collection.
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
When
From 10am
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£40, £30, concessions £15 students
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2444/courtly-style-tudor-and-stuart-dress-3732/
Art and Design at the Stuart Court
From Van Dyck’s dazzling portraits, Inigo Jones’s revolutionary new architecture and interiors, to new approaches in tapestry, goldsmiths’ work and other art forms, explore how England jumped to the cutting edge of European fashion. Led by Dr Richard Williams, V&A Year Course Director, High Renaissance to Baroque: 1500-1720.
Fridays, 7 June - 28 June, 11.00-15.00
£225, £200 concessions
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£225, £200 concessions
Booking in advance essential. Please go to www.vam.ac.uk/whatson
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2260/art-and-design-at-the-stuart-court-3539/
Jon Savage and Michael Bracewell
Writer, broadcaster and journalist, Jon Savage, has been described as the definitive historian of Punk and is a hugely influential writer on many aspects of pop and youth culture.
He talks to fellow author, Michael Bracewell about David Bowie and the music scene of the 1970s and 1980s.
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£9, £6 concessions
Tom Dixon: Dixonary
Hear Tom Dixon, one of Britain’s best known and most innovative product designers, talk about the many and varied inspirations for his work.
Dixon’s thirty year career includes being head of Design for Habitat, Creative Director at Artek, and running his own lighting and furniture company since 2003. This event coincides with the publication of Dixionary, the first monograph on Tom Dixon.
When
6:30-7:30pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£9, £6 concessions
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2443/tom-dixon-dixonary-3731/
Style Cities: Berlin
Explore post-war Berlin,the divided city of the Cold War era, that inspired David Bowie and the thriving creative city today which continues to attract innovative practitioners from across the globe.
This event considers the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the city, its impact on Bowies music and the growing influence of Krautrock and the contemporary music scene.
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
When
11am-4pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£25, £20 concessions, £10 students
Emerging Empires: England and Muscovy in the 16th and 17th Century
Join us for an international conference bringing together scholars, curators and Historians to debate the diplomatic and trade relations between England and Muscovy.
Discover the politics, taste and gifts exchanged between the Royal Courts and the Russian Tsars.
In collaboration with the Society for Court Studies.
With the support of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
When
10am-5:15pm
Where
Victoria and Albert
Admission
£25, £20 concessions, £10 students
Website
Margaret Howell: Talking Fashion
Hear the renowned British fashion designer Margaret Howell discuss her career with Penny Martin, editor of The Gentlewoman magazine.
Howell has been a vital part of the British design scene for nearly four decades, creating classic versions of androgynous items like the shirt, the trench coat and the gym slip. She has outlets all over the world including Britain, Japan and the USA.
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
When
6:30-7:30pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£9, £6 concessions
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2441/margaret-howell-talking-fashion-3729/
William Morris Textiles and Wallpapers
Artist, writer, socialist and conservationist, William Morris is best-known today as a designer of flat patterns. He designed over twenty textiles and over forty wallpapers which together revolutionised the decoration of the interior. Coinciding with the publication of a major new V&A book on Morris textiles, this event explores the distinctive characteristics, the techniques and designs, and the ways in which Morris’s patterns were used. Speakers include Linda Parry, Jo Banham. The V&A collection includes paintings featured on the Your Paintings website.
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
- 18+
- 16-17
When
2-5pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£25.00, £20.00 concessions, £10.00 students.
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2445/william-morris-textiles-and-wallpapers-3733/
Workshops for 10-12 Year Olds
MAKE-IT: SET DESIGN - Using the Theatre and Performance collection as inspiration, create your own model for a show.
Saturday 18 May
MAKE-IT: MUSIC ICON - Using photographs you will take during the session, create your own iconic image where you are the star! With professional photographer, producer and DJ Edward Otchere.
Saturday 15 June
Suitable for
- 11-13
When
11am-1pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
Suitable for 10 - 12 year olds
£7.50 per person, children do not need to be accompanied by an adult but emergency conatct details must be provided. Advanced booking is essential.
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2448/make-it-set-design-10-12-year-olds-3736/
Workshops for 10-12 Year Olds
MAKE-IT: SET DESIGN - Using the Theatre and Performance collection as inspiration, create your own model for a show.
Saturday 18 May
MAKE-IT: MUSIC ICON - Using photographs you will take during the session, create your own iconic image where you are the star! With professional photographer, producer and DJ Edward Otchere.
Saturday 15 June
Suitable for
- 11-13
When
2-4pm
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
Suitable for 10 - 12 year olds
£7.50 per person, children do not need to be accompanied by an adult but emergency conatct details must be provided. Advanced booking is essential.
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2448/make-it-set-design-10-12-year-olds-3736/
The Age of Vermeer: The Art of Interiors
Vermeer created some of the most exquisite and enigmatic paintings in the history of Western art. Best known for meticulously constructed domestic interiors, his paintings focus on private moments in which figures are engaged in everyday activities such as playing music, reading a letter or fastening a collar.
Topics include interiors and music as depicted within the paintings of Vermeer, Jan Steen, Henrick ter Brugghen and Carel Fabritius and 17th century interiors, furniture, silver and cabinets of curiosity. Tutors include Richard Williams, Caroline Knight and Simon Shaw-Miller.
Jointly organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery.
Suitable for
- 18+
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£150, £125 concessions
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2482/the-age-of-vermeer-the-art-of-interiors-3778/
Shakespearean London Theatres
Discover playhouses from the Theatre at Shoreditch and Bankside’s Rose to the spectacular rise of venues like the Globe, Fortune and Blackfriars.
Presented by Shakespearean London Theatres (ShaLT)
Launch event: Tuesday 23 April, 14.00-16.30
Sunday lectures: 28 April- 25 August, 15.00–16.30
Suitable for
- Not suitable for children
Where
Victoria and Albert Museum
Admission
£5, £3 concessions
Website
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2411/shakespearean-london-theatres-3699/
Getting there
London Underground (The Tube): The V&A is a five minute walk from South Kensington underground station (on the Piccadilly, Circle and District Line). South Kensington is a five minute tube journey from Victoria, ten minutes from Covent Garden and Leicester Square and 15 minutes from King's Cross St Pancras.
The V&A is a ten minute walk from Knightsbridge underground station (on the Piccadilly Line). Knightsbridge is a ten minute tube journey from Covent Garden and Leicester Square and 15 minutes from Kings Cross St Pancras.
Bus: Buses C1, 14, 74 and 414 stop outside the Cromwell Road entrance. The Open Tour stop outside the Museum as part of their Double Decker Bus site-seeing tour of London.
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