Winning the largest museum prize in the world is a pretty mean feat in and of itself. It’s particularly bloomin’ impressive, however, when you’ve only been open for a year. And that’s where Young V&A comes in.
Each year, national art charity, Art Fund, scopes out the best and brightest museums and cultural spaces, and shortlists five of the most outstanding for their highly-esteemed Museum of the Year award. They then hold a big fancy ceremony to crown the winner. And, yes – you guessed it. Wearing this year’s sparkly crown is the imagination-sparking, joy-inducing Young V&A. The same Young V&A that only opened its doors in July last year after a £13 million transformation. What a way to celebrate your first birthday, hey?
About Young V&A
Young V&A was deliberately designed to spark creativity, imagination, and joy within children and young people. A space for visitors to play, design, imagine and be inspired; Young V&A boasts a pretty impressive lot, filled with over 2000 toys, objects, and artworks from around the world and across history.
The museum offers three innovative and invigorating permanent galleries (Play, Imagine and Design) as well as a temporary exhibition space. The rather revolutionary museum has been open for just over a year, having celebrated its 1st birthday on July 1. The museum’s creators followed a brief to construct ‘the world’s most joyful museum’, and they well-and-truly hit the nail on the head there. Young V&A strives to energise and empower young minds, and support the teaching of art and design education.
Young V&A has received a huge amount of positive praise for its ambitious approach to child-focused museum experiences since opening. And winning Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 2024 is just the cherry on top of an already extremely tasty cake. It’s apparent that Young V&A is having a highly positive impact on the lives of young people and their families – long may it continue.
About Art Fund’s Museum of the Year award
Art Fund is a national art charity that’s been helping the UK’s much-loved museums, galleries and historic houses thrive for over a century. Raising millions of pounds each year; Art Fund gives museums the means to buy and share exciting artwork, connect with their local communities, and inspire the next generation of art-lovers, culture vultures, and creatives.
Art Fund has been magnifying the museum sector since 2013 with their highly-esteemed Museum of the Year prize. The accolade is the world’s largest museum prize (no biggie), and it acknowledges inspiring projects and applauds cultural spaces based on their community engagement, sustainability, ambition and innovation. The prize is funded by the 135,000 members who buy a National Art Pass, as well as Art Fund’s supportive donors, trusts and foundations.
As well as the highly-sought after title (and ever-lasting bragging rights, of course), Young V&A will also be receiving a whopping £120,000 grant. The museum will be investing the money into their local community programme which works with some of the most deprived children in the country, giving them access to hugely beneficial cultural and playful learning experiences.
Young V&A was one of five finalists for the prestigious prize. The other four finalists (Craven Museum, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Manchester Museum, and London’s legendary National Portrait Gallery) won’t be leaving empty-handed, though. Each of them will receive a rather lovely £15,000.
Dr Helen Charman, director of Young V&A, said: “We’re thrilled to win Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024 and to have been part of a shortlist of such brilliant museums changing lives across the UK. This win is a clarion call for the vital role of creativity, culture and play in children’s lives when so many opportunities have been taken away through the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing under-investment in creative education nationally.”
Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund and chair of the judges for Art Fund Museum of the Year, said: “Young V&Ais a truly inspirational museum. With a brief from its young co-designers to create ‘the world’s most joyful museum’, Young V&A has achieved that and more. It has radically reimagined the museum with and for young people, creating a museum experience that’s active, empowering and dynamic, centred on learning through play. Young V&A has established a deep engagement with its local community and, at the same time, it has become an international beacon for what a children’s museum can be.”
Find out more about Young V&A and plan your visit here.
📍 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PA.
