Over the past year, we, at the V&A, have been very excited to work with the BBC and Blast! Productions on the series Secrets of the Museum, which airs soon. The series takes viewers behind the scenes at the museum and gives rare insight into the roles of the many hundreds of people who work here every day. I hope that you’ll enjoy the series, and that it will inspire new generations of designers, makers, curators, conservators and, of course, museum-goers.
If you’ve been tuning in to Secrets of the Museum and are eager to learn more about what goes on here at the V&A, then here are just a few of the many different ways that you can find out more…
If you’re fascinated by the history of our objects and how they came to be in the museum, our new publication The Lives of the Objects takes an in-depth look at stories behind ten of our most famous objects, including Trajan’s Column and Shakespeare’s First Folio. The book traces the ways in which these objects came to the V&A, as well as the changing ways that the museum has cared for, displayed and interpreted them over the years.
If our world-class conservation work sparks your interest, you might like to book onto one of our free Behind the Scenes Conservation Studio Tours through our paper, books, sculpture and textile conservation studios, where you will be able to see some of our experts in action.
Those with a thirst for knowledge might like to look at the Course Brochure for our V&A Academy, which offers Adult Learning programmes on a wide range of topics. These range from year-long courses on subjects such as Fashion and Dress History, Medieval Art, and the Arts of East Asia, to short courses including our popular ‘V&A Uncovered: Collections and Curators’ course, and weekend courses on everything from Jewellery to Cars. If you’ve been inspired to pursue your own career in the museum world, you might even consider our Inside the Museum Professional Development Course.
We run a regular programme of lectures and talks on a whole host of subjects, featuring experts from within the museum as well as guest speakers from the wider worlds of art, design and performance. And we offer daily tours of the museum run by our fantastic V&A volunteers, where you can learn more about the objects on display in our many miles of free galleries.
On our YouTube channel you’ll find films exploring our collections in detail and showcasing just some of the hard work that goes into preparing our exhibitions and permanent galleries. The films on offer include our popular ‘How was it made?’ series, which explains the intricate processes behind many of our most fascinating objects.
Of course, we are open all-year round, with free entry to the museum for everyone, so we will also always be delighted to welcome you to the V&A for a visit.
V&A Members can benefit from even more. By becoming a Member, you can visit exhibitions for free and with unlimited access for a whole year; see new exhibitions and galleries at exclusive previews; benefit from priority booking for evening talks and access to specially curated Members-only events; discover more with a subscription to the V&A Magazine; and enjoy our magnificent Members’ Room, designed by architects Carmody Groarke.
You can follow and take part in the conversations around the Secrets of the Museum series by using #SecretsOfTheMuseum on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. If you would like to share your own stories and V&A memories, remember to use #OurVAM
Image © The Victoria and Albert Museum
