Festive Members' Open Evening - December 2025

Join us for a festive evening inspired by Marie Antoinette Style and the V&A collection. Enjoy creative workshops, musical performances and talks by curators and special guests. Make the most out of exclusive after-hours access to exhibitions and a special 20% off in the V&A shops.
 

Curate your perfect night with our programme for the evening:

-        Learn the steps of the Minuet in a Versailles court dance class 

-        Emboss a lavish, cake-themed Christmas ornament 

-        Create architectural paper bows blending rococo glamour with festive flair

-        Transform fabric offcuts into a sparkling patchwork bauble 

-        Collage rococo-style greeting cards inspired by dramatics silhouettes and pastels

-        Design playful pom-pom earrings in rich seasonal colours to wear or gift

-        Learn to capture regal portraits in a smartphone photography session

-        Sketch Rodin’s sculptures, learning how to capture gesture and silhouette

-        Ceramicist Beth Katleman discusses her Marie Antoinette Style commission
-        Watch 18th-century dressing revealed in a live costume demonstration

-        Discover the musical instruments and leisurely pursuits of Marie Antoinette’s court
-        Explore exquisite French embroidery in a curator-led show and tell

-        See how 18th-century style inspires opera and ballet design today

-        Trace muslin’s evolution from fashion statement to symbol of freedom

-        Uncover Catherine the Great’s lavish porcelain service and artistic legacy

-        Discover Victorian glass “friggers” — handmade gifts of colour and craft

-        Raise a glass to festive rituals behind 19th-century glassware

-        Explore David Bowie’s lyrics and designs with archive cataloguers

-        Meet the curators behind the new Constable and Lucas display

-        Experience the power and spectacle of sumo in Japanese prints
 

Music
-       Experience a Mozart piano recital while enjoying a drink or bite to eat in the café 

-       Soak in the festive atmosphere in the Dome with a festive DJ set
 -      Relax to the sound of Marie Antoinette’s favourite instrument, the harp, joined by flute and cello in a performance by Royal College of Music musicians in the Raphael Court