Welcome to a Summer of Free Family Activities at V&A Dundee
This summer V&A Dundee are offering a fun-filled season of free family activities throughout the school holidays.
19 June 2023
As the current Family Venue of the Year, as voted at the Scottish Hospitality Awards last month, V&A Dundee’s programme of free workshops and activities are designed to encourage families to get creative together.
The family programme featuring seven different design-themed workshops and activities running across 60 days of summer is generously supported by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “These daily free activities offer a welcome break to the bank balance as well as a stimulating, inspiring and fun environment for young minds – and the grown-ups they bring along. This is a win for our communities, supported thanks to £1.1 billion, raised by players across Britain to support thousands of charities and good causes”.
Taking inspiration from Tartan, the hugely popular exhibition at V&A Dundee that under 18s can visit for free, the museum’s learning studios are hosting daily design challenges and workshops.
To keep energy levels high, there will also be free fruit available for children during the workshop sessions, supported by Heritage Portfolio.
Sketch, Scribble + Style, running daily from Saturday, July 8 to Sunday, August 6, will have designers on hand to help young visitors make their own pleated and patterned paper designs, working with easels, charcoal, chunky crayons and giant sheets of paper to spark new ideas. Dressing up and styling your own selfie is encouraged with bright new costumes made from re-used tartan and neon fabrics. Scottish fashion designer Louise Gray has transformed the learning studio in preparation for this summer of creative fun.
Coorie Creative, a social enterprise fashion and textile studio from Stirling, will take over the residency studio from Saturday, June 17 to Sunday, August 13, offering opportunities to try out hand weaving and how to repurpose waste material into new cloth. Visitors are encouraged to explore the design process from raw yarn to completed outfit and learn more about Coorie Creative’s approach to sustainable and socially responsible weaving.
“This year’s summer programme has been created to provide the most stimulating and enjoyable experiences for children of all ages - and their adults! The team is delighted that V&A Dundee has been voted Best Family Venue at the Scottish Hospitality Awards and we look forward to celebrating that with the families who join us over the summer.” said Joanna Mawdsley, Head of Learning at V&A Dundee.
The summer season of free family activities at V&A Dundee is made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery who have raised over 3.2 million to support V&A Dundee, awarded by Postcode Culture Trust.
The season of free family activities include:
A Warp on the Wild Side! Coorie Creative Saturday, 17 June to Sunday 13 August. Open daily, 10.00 - 17.00
A Warp on the Wild Side is presented with Coorie Creative, a social enterprise fashion and textile studio in Stirling. Coorie Creative will be in the residency studio, pushing the boundaries of tartan design by repurposing waste material into new cloth, using a fusion of Japanese and traditional Scottish techniques. Explore the design process from raw yarn to completed outfit and drop in and try your hand at some of the techniques. Also learn more about Coorie Creative’s approach to sustainable and socially responsible weaving.
Drop in + Design: Engineering Sunday, 25 June, 13.00 - 16.00
In June, the monthly Drop in + Design workshop is inspired by engineering. Designers are on hand to help explore how design connects with STEM science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning. The design challenges come with a range of entertaining resources, from giant building blocks to geodesic domes.
Shake Rattle + Stroll: Love Monday, 26 June 10.30 - 11.30 or 13.00 - 14.30
In the monthly interactive workshop, under 5s and their adults can join in with musical play, stories and dressing-up, then follow the friendly designers for a wander through the galleries. In June, Pride month is the inspiration with stories and songs inspired by love and how families come in all shapes and sizes. Booking required.
Sketch, Scribble + Style Daily from Saturday 8 July to Sunday 6 August 11.00 - 16.00
Throughout the holidays there will be a daily design challenge in the studio transformed by Scottish fashion designer Louise Gray. The creative activities are inspired by current exhibitions, Tartan and The Fashion Show: Everything But the Clothes. There will be designers to help everyone pleat and pattern unique paper designs. Choose from drawing, painting and other materials to experiment and take sketches to a new scale. Go BIG with easels, splashy inks, charcoal, chunky crayons and giant sheets of paper to spark your ideas. With Tartan and the Fashion Show inspiration, dress up and style your selfie with our bright new costumes, made from re-used tartan and neon fabrics.
This activity is free and suitable for families of all shapes and sizes.
Wee Design + Play: Green [under 5s] Monday, 31 July 10.30 to 11.30 or 13.00 - 14.00
Join V&A Dundee’s friendly designers to explore different materials and create designs inspired by the museum collection. Interactive resources and a fun range of toys, from handcrafted classics to electronic gadgets, are available to explore and play with. In July, the activity is designing adventure parks to play in, inspired by nature, Dundee’s waterfront, sunny plaza, urban beach and community garden. This workshop is suitable for under 5s and their adults.
Drop in + Design: Move! Sunday, 27 August. 13.00 - 16.00
Build new skills and play with different materials in workshops inspired by architecture, engineering, fashion, illustration, performance, product and digital design. In August, our friendly designers are on hand to help families explore things that move and help solve a fun transport-inspired design challenge. This activity is suitable for families of all shapes and sizes.
Shake, Rattle + Stroll: Wheels [under 5s] Monday, 28 August 10.30 - 11.30 or 13.00 - 14.00
An interactive workshop for little museum explorers focused on storytelling, music and movement inspired by things with wings, wheels, sails and bridges. Pick up an instrument and join in with musical play, stories and dressing-up, then follow the friendly designers to take a wander through the Scottish Design Galleries. This workshop is suitable for under 5s and their adults.
DAILY DROP-IN ACTIVITIES
Selkie Trail A self-guided trail inside the museum, follow the journey of Selkie the Seal with a free printed trail and pencil. Selkie the Seal was designed by award-winning textile designer Donna Wilson, and on the Selkie trail the family can explore the museum, sketch, wander and find out fun facts about V&A Dundee’s architecture and design. www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/events/selkie-trail
seek + peek! Look for the activity cart on V&A Dundee’s outdoor plaza and pick up a free seek + peek! play trail. Dundee based-illustrator Cara Rooney has designed a trail to take the family on a waterfront wander around the plaza, urban beach and gardens. www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/events/seek-peek
Design Busters Pick up free Design Buster activity sheets and a pencil from the museum’s Welcome Desk. Illustrated by Dundee-based designer Laura Darling, the sheets help young visitors to design cool cities, future fashions, graphic logos, mashed-up products, striking patterns and more.
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