About V&A education

Schoolchildren in the foyer of the Sackler Centre for Arts Education.

Since its foundation in 1852 after the Great Exhibition of 1851, the V&A has always had a special mission as a national educational institution. Museums are unique in offering visitors the materiality of learning from authentic objects and works of art, and open and informal ways to participate. Anyone of any age or background can learn in a museum, often for free. Learning in a museum is not just about facts and information; it is about shifts in perception, beliefs and emotional or even spiritual responses, as well as intellectual ones. This is learning at its most accessible and engaging, with resources ranging from 1.2 million object records available online through hands-on interactives in galleries to family events and an MA programme in the History of Design run jointly with the Royal College of Art.

The V&A brings together world-class collections with the skills of creative practitioners and the knowledge of leading experts. Across our programmes and resources we engage with many of the key social and educational concerns of the day: globalism and intercultural exchange; the creative skills of designing and making; the design choices we make as consumers; and the relationship of museums to society as cultural and educational institutions. Our intention is to encourage engagement with the objects in the V&A’s collections, both for individual personal development and also as a stimulus for creating, understanding and becoming a more informed consumer.

A visitor using a gallery interactive in the British Galleries, 2004.

Children working on the Chain of Talent project, part of the Designerama weekend at the Sackler Centre for Arts Education, October 2008.

Distance learning is becoming increasingly popular and the V&A is continuing to invest in developing informative and interactive online content to allow communities of like-minded individuals to meet online as well as by attending events and exhibitions.

The Maharaja & The Kohinoor, Mountain of Light, a play by The Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail, at the Majestic Maharajas Art Fun Festival at the V&A, November 2009.

Throughout the Museum learning is embedded in redeveloped galleries with discovery areas, study rooms, videos and touch objects available amongst stunning displays. Many of the gallery videos, audios and computer programmes are also available on the V&A website, which is full of learning resources from quizzes, teachers’ guides, upload activities and our award-winning Search the Collections database. Moreover, the V&A Channel contains a variety of fascinating films about the Museum.

We are committed to cultural diversity and social inclusion in the content and staffing of our programmes, resources on our website and in the way we interpret our collections in gallery displays. We aim for the highest standards of disability access with both specialist events and assistance for people with disabilities to participate in the broader programme.