BBC TV show reveals V&A Dundee's Secrets of the Museum
The much-loved TV show Secrets of the Museum returns to our screens and iPlayer next week – and for the very first time will take viewers behind the scenes at V&A Dundee.
In series one and two the show revealed the hidden histories behind design treasures tucked away in the V&A’s vast collection in London, uncovering many object stories from the conservation of Victorian toy Pumpie the Elephant to the restoration of an iconic 1960s Mary Quant mini-dress.
The new series, beginning Thursday 7 April at 20.00 on BBC Two, takes a closer look at the V&A’s family of museums and their collections, travelling out of London to V&A Dundee to explore Scotland’s design museum, V&A Wedgwood Collection in Stoke-on-Trent and the development of new sites V&A East and Young V&A.
Every museum object or exhibition has its own unique story and for many months throughout 2021 cameras followed V&A Dundee’s curators, technicians and the specialists we work with to capture the unseen work that goes on when caring for museum objects and preparing for new exhibitions.
We can’t reveal all our Secrets just yet, but we can tell you V&A Dundee makes its first appearance in episode 2 on Wednesday 13 April, along with one of the world’s favourite Scottish designs, Beano.
Viewers can look forward to dropping in on the preparations undertaken by Curator Meredith More to ensure Minnie the Minx can make a first-time appearance in V&A Dundee’s Scottish Design Galleries, working in partnership with Minnie’s present-day illustrator Laura Howell who provides a fascinating insight into this comic icon.
More object and exhibition stories from V&A Dundee feature later in the series, along with spectacular sweeping drone shots of Dundee’s enticing waterfront and Kengo Kuma’s extraordinary architecture.
After a few years of restricted travelling, it’s hoped this beautifully shot documentary series produced by Blast! Films will inspire people to plan trips to visit all the V&A museums featured across six episodes – including Scotland’s sunniest city, Dundee!
We hope you enjoy these new episodes starting on 7 April as much as we do. You can also join or follow the conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with #SecretsoftheMuseum