V&A Blog

Objects, images and stories: Jewish cultural histories at the V&A

Alice Minter — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:50:52 +0000

Jewish Culture Month offers an opportunity to explore the V&A’s collections through the lens of ritual, movement, memory, and creativity. Across the museum, ritual objects, dress, photography, and performance reveal stories of Jewish communities at...

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V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge 2025 – 2026 shortlist announced

V&A Innovate Team — Tue, 19 May 2026 09:19:28 +0000

We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the annual V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge 2025 – 26, a celebration of young people’s imaginative and inspiring design ideas. Working in teams, we asked students in years 7,...

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Expanding the book: A new National Art Library display

Amy Orr — Thu, 14 May 2026 14:23:07 +0000

Expanding the book: a new National Art Library display The new display, Expanding the book, is now up and available to view outside the National Art Library doors. The two-case display explores how artists challenge the traditional concept of the book by using unusual materials and formats.To choose these books, I went on a mission inside our locked cupboards where we keep our artists’ book collection. By opening up countless boxes, I discovered lots of weird and wonderful books and made a selection that would eventually become this display.Lady Freedom Among Us is a sculptural artists’ book by Claire Van...

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Naz Hamdi in Conversation with Nia Archives and Rendezvous Projects

Rubén Salgado Pérez — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:01:25 +0000

For back2back: Up Ya Archives x Rendezvous Projects, writer and cultural producer Naz Hamdi, also known as NazfromNewham, sat down with Nia Archives and Katherine Green from Rendezvous Projects to discuss jungle as living history, the politics of archiving, East London music cultures and the communities shaping what comes next.Below, Naz speaks with Nia Archives and Katherine Green ahead of the takeover.Nia Archives made her debut in 2020 and has been waving the Junglist flag everywhere she goes ever since, helping bring the genre to a wider audience, particularly young people and pushing it towards the popularity it had during...

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Royal Photographic Society work in progress: the archivist’s perspective

Federica Beretta — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:56:17 +0000

The Archivist’s perspective

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3 things to know about The Music is Black Festival

Kirstie Beaven — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:26:17 +0000

This summer, East Bank at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park presents a free summer music programme. Here are the top things to get excited about… The Music is Black Festival is an eight-month season of events...

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Return to the Volcano: Interview with designer Tatiana Apráez

Nick Humphrey — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:28:40 +0000

Barniz de Pasto (literally ‘varnish from Pasto’) is a Latin American decorative lacquer technique which, uniquely, uses tree resin (known locally as Mopa Mopa) growing above 1600 metres in the tropical rainforest of Nariño and...

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Gala Porras-Kim, Venice Biennale

Christopher Turner — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:59:48 +0000

This year’s Special Project at the Pavilion of Applied Arts in Venice is the 10th collaboration between the V&A and la Biennale. For this year’s pavilion the art director of this edition, the late Koyo...

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East London Porcelain and the World

Olivia Tracey — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:42:33 +0000

Beneath our feet in East London, between the Lea and Thames rivers, you may dig up an extraordinary piece of ceramic history. Fragments of mugs (handles attached!) and objects like this saggar, used as part...

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Plot twist: the Library comes to you!

Vicky Worsfold — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:54:45 +0000

Introducing our new Virtual Reading Room Service Access rare and unique collections without leaving your desk. We’re pleased to launch our new Virtual Reading Room (VRR) service, designed to bring the National Art Library to you – wherever you are in the world. Through a live Microsoft Teams appointment, a member of our Library staff will guide you through your requested materials using a high-resolution camera. You’ll be able to explore items in real time, asking staff to turn pages, pause, or zoom in on specific details that matter to your research or interests. It’s a flexible, interactive way to engage with our collections when an in-person visit isn’t possible. (We are,...

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Introducing the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) Project

Dr Erika Lederman — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:00:13 +0000

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection at the V&A is one of the most significant collections of photography in the world. To unlock its inspiring potential, we are leading an ambitious project that will preserve...

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V&A East Storehouse shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026

V&A — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:12:34 +0000

Art Fund, the national charity for museums and galleries, today announced the five museums selected as finalists for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026, the world’s largest museum prize. Alongside V&A East Storehouse, the...

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