There I was – on the one hand revelling in my new found freedom from meetings and on the other feeling abandoned when suddenly Team Quilts sprang back into action. We have a new lead on the maker of the George III Revewing the Troops coverlet – can we fit in a quick research trip before we start to install? Can I really accept an invitation to the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival due to open next week? Back to back press interviews are lining up and at some point I really need to get the washing machine fixed (the husband stopped seeing the funny side of sharing his bath with my underwear a week ago).
In between all this our Learning and Interpretation team are demanding the draft programme for the conference. We had a huge response to our call for papers with an extraordinary range of new and exciting research in the field. Shortlisting has taken place and this weekend I will be putting together what we hope will be a varied and exciting programme of national and international speakers.
130 tickets for the conference will be released on Monday 18 January for group (10+) bookings only. These can only be booked by calling the V&A Booking Office on 020 7942 2211 NOT online. The remaining tickets will be released when What’s On (April – June) – the V&A events guide goes out at the end of February, beginning of March. The Booking Office is open from 009.00 – 5.45 pm every day.
The V&A Learning and Interpretation team have been busy working on a fabulous programme of quilt-related events including a huge patchwork social planned for the May bank holiday (more details to come). Our Membership Office have planned a special curators’ talk for Friday 19 March with priority access to the exhibition for all members (see http://www.vam.ac.uk/support_us/membership_2009/index.html) and even more exciting I get to do my first book signing! Shallow I know but even the faintest whiff of being a celebrity is enough to spur me on to book that makeover.
Advertisment for Sunlight Soap, from the Illustrated London News, April 30th 1832 (NAL 172935)
Meanwhile, back in the real world I’m wondering … should I ditch the washing machine or the husband ……..?
