Exhibition
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends is supported by The Godwin Family
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Summer Design Club: Make-Shift (11-14)
Design and build large scale moving machines
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Tickets available from 12.00 on Friday, 19 June 2026
Summer Design Club is an opportunity for 11-14’s to explore design and making alongside a designer working to a live brief that will be showcased in Young V&A’s town square (the marble mosaic floor). This year we will work on a design and build workshop using waste and industrial materials led by PLYSU, a London based collective of Architects, designers and artists.
Over three days this hands-on design and build workshop will invite participants to experiment with materials to invent and construct a human-powered moving machine. Testing ideas through models and full-scale building, the group will explore how structures can roll, spin, pivot or travel- The final creation will appear in the Town Square at the Young V&A, revealing how simple materials and collective energy can turn building into movement.
Day 1 Monday 10 August, 11.00 - 16.00 - Workshop
Registration from 10.30am
On the first day, participants will explore the idea of things that move. Looking at toys, vehicles and machines, they will imagine how movement could be scaled up into something you can climb inside. Through sketching, model making and experimenting with materials, the group will test ideas for structures that roll, spin, pivot or travel using human power. Together they will begin designing a giant moving machine to build during the workshop.
Day 2 - Tuesday 11 August, 11.00 - 16.00 - Workshop
Day 1 Monday 10 August, 11.00 - 16.00 - Workshop
Registration from 10.30am
On the first day, participants will explore the idea of things that move. Looking at toys, vehicles and machines, they will imagine how movement could be scaled up into something you can climb inside. Through sketching, model making and experimenting with materials, the group will test ideas for structures that roll, spin, pivot or travel using human power. Together they will begin designing a giant moving machine to build during the workshop.
Day 2 - Tuesday 11 August, 11.00 - 16.00 - Workshop
Participants will begin prototyping their ideas at a larger scale, experimenting with recycled pallets and simple connectors. Working collaboratively, the group will test how different parts might move, balance and connect - exploring wheels, joints and structures that can shift and travel. These experiments will shape the final design for the moving installation.
Day 3 - Wednesday 12 August, 11.00 - 16.00 - Workshop
Day 3 - Wednesday 12 August, 11.00 - 16.00 - Workshop
Day three will focus on the full-scale build. Participants will work together to assemble their human-powered moving machine using pallets and construction components. Through collective problem-solving and hands-on building, the group will transform their ideas into a large moving structure ready for the Town Square.
Make-Shift Event, Thursday 13 August
(Optional and Drop-in, must be accompanied by an adult)
Make-Shift Event, Thursday 13 August
(Optional and Drop-in, must be accompanied by an adult)
Participants and their families will be invited back to see the finished MAKE-SHIFT moving machine installed in Young V&A's Town Square. Visitors will be encouraged to push, pull and explore the structure, discovering how simple materials and collective energy can turn building into movement.
Further Information:
- Young people in attendance must be between the ages of 11-14.
- This is a drop off workshop over three days, the fourth day is optional.
- Once you have booked your young person we will follow up with a permissions form and further information. Please expect to hear from us by 7 August at the latest.
- The Event will take place in the Imagine Studio in the learning centre on the Lower Ground Floor and the Town Square at Young V&A, Bethnal Green.
- There will be opportunities for your young person (in small groups) to explore the galleries.
- Please bring a packed lunch for each of the three workshop days. We kindly ask that all food brought in is nut-free.
- In the unlikely event that the V&A must cancel due to an emergency or circumstances beyond our control, we will either reschedule your session or issue a refund.
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