Two female weavers operating a loom in the Learning Studios at V&A Dundee

Communities

V&A Dundee is for everyone!

Our communities programme is an enjoyable and accessible introduction to all that V&A Dundee has to offer, aimed at anyone who may experience barriers to connecting and engaging with the museum, including all needs, backgrounds, abilities and interests.

V&A Dundee 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ, Scotland

Tours

Each tour can accommodate 1 to 15 people and runs for around 60 minutes. Larger groups can also be accommodated with multiple tours. Where possible, we will book a learning studio as part of the tour. All guided tours can also be made available as an amplified tour with portable hearing devices, British Sign Language interpretation or live audio description.

"Lovers Lace" dress by Christopher Kane, featured in the Lavender Labels collection in the Scottish Design Galleries at V&A Dundee

Scottish Design Galleries

Exploring over 500 years of design and creativity in our permanent collection, covering everything from fashion and textiles to comics, jewellery and videogames and a visit to the incredible Charles Rennie Mackintosh Oak Room at the heart of the galleries.

A man standing under the arch at V&A Dundee

Creating V&A Dundee

Exploring the inception, design, engineering and construction of V&A Dundee, a thoroughly modern museum. Taking place inside and outside (weather permitting!), the tour explores the history of the site, the hidden challenges of construction and unique design solutions that made Scotland’s design museum possible.

A group of school pupils using a computer

Discovering our temporary exhibitions

Guided tours of our temporary exhibitions are free for school groups. Led by experienced museum educators, it’s a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the exhibition. about our blockbuster shows.

Two elderly visitors talking to a Visitor Assistant at V&A Dundee

Projects

Through the communities programme we also support external initiatives such as Dementia Awareness Week, Refugee Festival Scotland and Respitality, providing free breaks for unpaid carers.

We are keen to explore new ways to use the museum to support health and wellbeing in the communities we serve. If you are interested in working with us, please get in touch.

Workshops

Each workshop can accommodate up to 15 people and runs for approximately two hours, although this is often dependent on the abilities and interests of the group. There is no minimum group size. For larger groups, we can run multiple workshops back-to-back. Workshops will take place in one of our learning studios. Refreshments are included as part of the workshop.

Two women standing in front of a paper model of Maggie's Centre in Dundee.

Object Stories

A hands-on workshop for groups to explore tactile, multi-sensory objects relating to the museum’s permanent collection, the Scottish Design Galleries. The workshop uses the objects as stimulus for social interaction, each one providing opportunities for conversation, debate, discussion and reminiscence.

A group of people taking part in a workshop

Lemon Juice

A practical design-process workshop aimed at groups with little or no experience of design. By analysing a familiar object, the workshop highlights creativity and individuality while showcasing the social and collaborative elements of the design process. It culminates in a rapid-prototyping activity to build and test an idea before sharing it with the rest of the group.

Greetings from Dundee: Places and Memories

Inspired by the many hand tinted images from the Valentines archive, the therapeutic workshop offers a series of creative activities stimulate discussion about Dundee’s changing cityscape and explore personal memoires of individuals’ recollections of place. It also includes a short screening of an oral history film by Rob Kennedy that was shown in the exhibition itself.

A group of visitors looking at the Dundee Tapestry panels on display at V&A Dundee

Who we work with

The Communities programme is aimed largely at adults who might experience barriers to connecting, visiting or engaging with V&A Dundee. These barriers could be cultural, social, physical or geographic.

It can be hard to articulate who the programme is for; instead, we hope that the community programme can support a broad range of audiences.

Further information

You'll find a range of access provisions available here at the museum. See below for further information on things to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

A woman and man using the MyEyes app

Accessibility

Designed with inclusion and accessibility in mind, the museum offers a range of access provisions to make everyone feel welcome.

A young person sketching on a piece of paper

Online Resources

Get inspired at home with a range of resources inspired by the museum.

Two adults engaging in a workshop at V&A Dundee

Get in touch

Interested in booking an activity or want to collaborate further? We’d love to hear from you, please get in touch below.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please give us an email.

Made possible by

Supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery, Awarded funds from Postcode Culture Trust
The players of the People's Postcode Lottery