UK activity

Over 464,300 people saw V&A touring exhibitions at 13 venues in the UK this year. As a national museum the V&A shares its collections, knowledge and expertise as widely as possible throughout the UK through long- and short-term loans, research and collaboration and advice and financial support through the Purchase Grant Fund.

V&A UK Touring Exhibition Venues 2010–11
Other UK Activities 2010–11

 

My Generation: The Glory Years of British Rock, Photographs from Top of the Pops 1964–1973, by Harry Goodwin

Top of the Pops was launched by the BBC on New Year’s Day in 1964. The Rolling Stones were the opening band, the photographer was Harry Goodwin. My Generation brought together Goodwin’s most striking and memorable photographs from the show, alongside audiovisual displays, a soundtrack of TOTP hits
and fascinating material from the BBC archive. The exhibition was shown in South Kensington (24 April–2 September 2010) and at the Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool (24 September–13 November 2010).

 

British Pavilion: Seed Cathedral

V&A Director Sir Mark Jones acted as an advisor to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the British Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the Seed Cathedral was formed by 60,000 7.5-metre-long transparent acrylic rods, each containing seeds provided by the Kew Millennium Seed Bank partnership. The innovative pavilion was extraordinarily popular: it received up to 45,000 visitors per day during the Expo and was nicknamed ‘dandelion’ by the Chinese public. The pavilion won the Expo’s Gold Medal for Design in the large pavilion category and also won the 2010 RIBA Lubetkin Prize. The Museum has acquired nine rods from the pavilion for its collection.

 

A Child from Everywhere, Museum of Childhood

Caroline Irby spent one year finding, interviewing and photographing children who had moved to the UK from 185 of the world’s 192 nations. A selection of her photographs was exhibited at the Museum of Childhood (7 May–30 August 2010) alongside a series of short films in which the children discussed leaving their countries of origin, their hopes for their new lives in the UK, and their observations of cultural differences. Irby’s photographs were later exhibited at the Okazaki International Museum and Arts Chiyoda in Japan. 

 

Arab World Family Learning Programme

The Saïd Foundation supported a series of events aiming to promote better understanding of the Arab world and Islam. Activities and resources were based on relevant V&A collections. For example a new family back-pack called Middle Eastern Marvels was launched. As part of the programme the one-day festival Arabian Nights, on 8 August 2010, was attended by over 2,200 visitors.

 

Street Art: Contemporary Prints from the V&A, The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry

The Herbert Art Gallery was the first venue for the tour of Street Art: Contemporary Prints from the V&A (9 October 2010–16 January 2011). Over 2000 people attended the private view, which featured a live drawing battle led by local street artists and a projection of live writing displayed on the outside of the building. Street Art was the most visited exhibition since The Herbert re-opened in 2008. The limited edition exhibition catalogue was incredibly popular and sold out before the show opened. 

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  Banksy, 'Virgin Mary'

  Banksy, 'Virgin Mary', about 2004. Museum no. E.385-2005, © Banksy and Pictures on Walls

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  Miss Tic, 'Nous sommes tous en situation irrégulière'

  Miss Tic
  'Nous sommes tous en situation irrégulière'
  2002
  Stencil print
  Museum no. E.275-2005
  Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
  © Miss Tic

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  Jon Burgerman, Untitled

  Jon Burgerman
  Untitled
  About 2004
  Digital print sticker
  Museum no. E.322-2005
  © Jonburgerman.com

   

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  5003, Untitled

  5003, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.320-2005, © 5003

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  Banksy, 'Americans Working Overhead'

  Banksy, 'Americans Working Overhead', about 2004. Museum no. E.388-2005, © Banksy

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  Evoker, Untitled

  Evoker, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.319-2005, © Evoker

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  AlexOne, Untitled

  AlexOne, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.315-2005, © AlexOne

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  Jamie Hewlett, 'Big Spongefinger'

  Jamie Hewlett, 'Big Spongefinger', about 2004. Museum no. E.387-2005, © Jamie Hewlett and Pictures on Walls

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  Dave Kinsey, Untitled. Museum no. E.323-2005

  Dave Kinsey, Untitled. Museum no. E.323-2005, © Dave Kinsey

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  Miss Tic, 'A Ma Zone'

  Miss Tic
  'A Ma Zone'
  2002
  Screenprint
  Museum no. E.274-2005
  Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
  © Miss Tic

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  3-D, 'In Europe'

  3-D
  'In Europe'
  About 2004
  Litograph
  Museum no. E.384-2005
  Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
  © 3-D and Pictures on Walls

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  Insect, 'The Executioner'

  Insect
  'The Executioner'
  About 2004
  Screenprint
  Museum no. E.383-2005
  Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
  © Insect and Pictures on Walls

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  Banksy, 'Napalm'

  Banksy, 'Napalm', about 2004. Museum no. E.386-2005, © Banksy and Pictures on Walls

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  Shepard Fairey, 'Obey' about 2004. Museum no. E.316-2005

  Shepard Fairey, 'Obey' about 2004. Museum no. E.316-2005, © Shepard Fairey

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  Sang 9, Untitled

  Sang 9, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.326-2005, © Sang 9

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  Olive 47, Untitled

  Olive 47, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.321-2005, © Olive 47

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  Jon Burgerman, Untitled

  Jon Burgerman, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.318-2005, © Jonburgerman.com

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  ESM, Untitled

  ESM, Untitled, about 2004. Museum no. E.324-2005, © ESM

 

Inspired By...

Inspired By... is an annual art, craft and design competition which encourages part-time students from adult education to use the Museum’s collections as a source of inspiration for their own work. In 2010 a range of entries made in different media by students of mixed abilities and from diverse backgrounds were displayed at the Museum (2 October–21 November 2010). This year partner museums were Manchester Art Gallery, Bodelwyddan Castle, World Museum Liverpool, Stockport Museum & Art Gallery and Brandts Museum, Denmark. The competition was supported by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. it has been presented at the V&A every year since 1999. 

 

V&A at Dundee

'Jute, jam and journalism joined by jaw-dropping design' 
The Scotsman, 28 September 2010

Right on Dundee’s waterfront, in a stunning building by Kengo Kuma, the V&A at Dundee will be a centre for design in Scotland. The programme will focus on international design movements such as Arts and Crafts and Modernism; specific sectors such as textiles, furniture or digital design; and explore contemporary design from Scotland and other parts of the world. Its permanent galleries will focus on Scotland’s extraordinary design heritage including how traditional Scottish craft industries continue to inspire some of the most exciting designers today. The project is run by Dundee Design Limited, a charitable company comprising partners from the Universities of Abertay and Dundee, Dundee City Council, Scottish Enterprise and the V&A.

Over 120 architects from across the world entered the architectural design competition from which six practices were shortlisted. Designs by the six shortlisted architects were shown in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. In November 2010 the design by Tokyo-based architects Kengo Kuma and Associates, described as spectacular, elegant and practical, was selected by the jury panel as the choice for the V&A at Dundee. Kuma’s building provides a poetic response to the waterfront site and offers fantastic spaces to exhibit historic and contemporary design. In January 2011, the Scottish Government announced an initial grant of £4.8million for the project over the next two years.

 

Friday Late

On Friday evenings the V&A is open until 10.00pm. On the last Friday of each month (except December) the Museum offers a vibrant programme of contemporary art and design events. These are curated with a particular focus on attracting and engaging with new and young audiences and include performance, interventions, installations, music, lectures and talks. In January 2011 Friday Late: China through the Looking Glass explored the myths and stereotypes of Chinese culture. Over 40,000 people visited Friday Lates this year.