The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s greatest museum of art and design. The V&A’s collections span two thousand years of art in virtually every medium, from many parts of the world, and visitors to the Museum encounter a treasure house of amazing and beautiful objects. To complement our collections and inspiring temporary exhibitions we run a full programme of study days, seminars, conferences and symposia.
Our academic events feature talks from leading international scholars, writers and practitioners. Learn, debate and discover key figures and movements from the history of art and design, and discuss the theory and practice of contemporary and historical visual art.
The V&A’s programme of academic events covers every aspect of the visual arts of Europe and Asia, from the early Middle Ages to the present. Explore all art forms, from textiles and interiors to painting, sculpture and architecture, and gain a fascinating insight into the culture of different periods.
Forthcoming academic events:
Internationality on Display: Revisiting the 1862 International Exhibition
Friday 3 February, 10.30–17.30
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 1862 exhibition we will bring together a range of speakers offering a variety of perspectives on the exhibition, its cultural, geo-political and economic contexts, and legacies.
£25, £20 concessions, £10 students
In collaboration with the Royal College of Art and The William Shipley Group
Oliver Messel
Saturday 4 February, 10.30–17.30
Oliver Messel was one of the foremost stage and interior designers of the 20th century. Explore his work for film, theatre, interiors, and architecture. Hear talks from experts including his nephew, Tom Messel.
£45, £35 concessions, £10 students
Designing the Decades 1970s
Saturday 25 February, 11.00–16.00
From platforms to punk and flares to big hair, the 1970s has been labelled as ‘the decade that taste forgot.’ Learn about the eclectic and bold design trends that made the decade a time of self-expression, social freedoms, resistance and reforms never seen before.
£45, £35 concessions, £10 students
Introducing: The Glasgow School
Saturday 10 March, 14.00–17.30
Discover the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret and Francis Macdonald and Herbert MacNair who together created the influential and distinctive Glasgow Style. A blend of Arts and Crafts, Japonisme and Celtic Revival, the style encompassed interiors, furniture and pattern design and made a huge impact on the development of Art Nouveau.
£25, £20 concessions, £10 students
Cecil Beaton: Photography, Theatre, Fashion & High Society
Saturday 17 March, 10.30–17.30
Explore the many fascinating and varied facets of Cecil Beaton’s career, including his work as a royal photographer, his years with Vogue, his designs for theatre, his diaries and friendships, and his Arcadian vision of nature.
£45, £35 concessions, £10 students
Gothic Ivory Sculpture: Old Questions, New Directions
Friday 23 March, 10.30–17.30
In recent years, there has been an unprecedented revival of scholarly activity in the study of gothic ivory carvings. This international symposium explores the latest research, and puts ivories into the wider context of medieval art.
£45, £35 concessions, £10 students (includes lunch)
Staging Space–From Gormley to Gaga
Friday 30 March, 10.30–17.30
To coincide with the display Transformation and Revelation: Gormley to Gaga, the V&A is hosting a symposium. Invited designers and artists will explore the ‘staging of space’ including designing for site specific productions, dance, theatre and stadium shows.
£25, £20 concessions, £10 students
Study Day: Style Cities: Chicago
Saturday 31 March, 14.00–17.00
Explore the history, architecture, and cultural highlights of Chicago, home to Frank Lloyd Wright, and birthplace of the modern skyscraper, deep-crust pizzas, ER, and the infamous Chicago mob.
£25, £20 concessions, £10 students
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 2RL
www.vam.ac.uk
Opening Times
10.00–17.45 daily
10.00–22.00 Fridays
Admission to the V&A is free.
A separate charge may apply to exhibitions and events.
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