Are you ready to bring your creativity to one of the most exciting design spaces in the UK?
Young V&A is inviting early to mid‑career designers, studios, and collectives to apply for a six‑month public‑facing design placement within The Shed, our unique residency studio in the heart of the Design Gallery. This is a rare chance to embed your practice inside a national museum, engage directly with children and young people, and develop an exciting project inspired by incredible objects across our three permanent galleries, Play, Imagine and Design.
Applicants have until 5pm on Monday 27th April to register their interest. The form can be found at the bottom of this page.
Young V&A opened in 2023 as a new museum of creativity for children from birth to 14. It has been designed with and for young people, placing accessibility to design and real-world practice at the centre. This is underpinned by our vision: to build creative confidence in young people, empower educators, connect audiences with contemporary designers, and influence the cultural sector by championing inclusive and child‑centred practice.
Located within the Design Gallery, The Shed is a working studio built into the gallery itself, a highly visible space that doubles as a living exhibit where visitors can watch designers develop and test ideas, It’s a space where works‑in‑progress take centre stage and families can step inside and experience the creative process to see how designers think and make.
Every year, Young V&A hosts a six‑month placement for a designer whose practice resonates with young audiences. We have welcomed designers with playful and tactile approaches to designing and making, with each designer bringing The Shed to life transforming it and making it their own. Past designers have included disciplines that have spanned fashion, textiles, jewellery, set and costume, product, furniture and more.
We are thrilled to share that the next 6-Month Placement will be taking place at Young V&A from July – December 2026! We are looking for a designer who will work from The Shed, dedicating two days a week to develop an exciting project inspired by Young V&A’s incredible collections, igniting our visitors’ imaginations and bringing your design process to life.
