‘Have fun and be imaginative’: Young V&A set for big opening following major £13m redevelopment

The museum’s revamp has seen the original windows uncovered and the 19th-century marble floor restored. Photograph: Dave Parry / V&A

The Young V&A museum opens in East London tomorrow with the promise of being the capital’s go-to free destination for children and families.

It follows an extensive £13m, three-year redevelopment in Bethnal Green of what was formerly the Museum of Childhood

Young V&A will display inspiring stories of children’s ingenuity, alongside approximately 2,000 works from the V&A’s collections.

Objects dating from 2,300 BC up to the present day will be shown off in unique and imaginative ways to ensure Young V&A offers both serious fun and playful learning for all ages.

The redevelopment is the most significant intervention in the Grade II*-listed building’s 150-year history. It sees the introduction of three new galleries, a suite of better-equipped workshops and learning spaces, a purpose-built 515m² venue for major exhibitions, and a new shop and café.

Over 22,000 schoolchildren, teachers, Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and community groups, families and local people helped shape the project.

The new galleries – Play, Imagine and Design – have been put together with different age groups in mind.

Each one features activities inspired by the collections. These include immersive optical illusions, a performance area and stage, a marble run, a self-portrait maker, an open design studio, and more.

Young V&A is aiming to be a cultural and educational resource for schools across the country, offering a self-guided visits and workshops year-round, starting from this October.

Marie Maxwell, a headteacher in Bethnal Green whose schools took part in Young V&A’s planning, said: “For years, this museum has been an important community space as well as a useful teaching resource, so we were thrilled that our school was asked to play a role in the development.

“Being part of co-design and co-production, working closely with curators, artists, designers and architects, has been a truly memorable experience for our pupils, giving them unique opportunities to express their creativity and have a say in shaping the museum experience they want.

“We know Young V&A will continue to play an important role in the lives of schoolchildren, locally and across the country, for years to come.”

The project celebrates the building’s iconic Victorian architecture – original windows have been uncovered, allowing natural light to flood into the space, and the 19th-century marble mosaic floor has been restored and revealed.

Spaces have been designed with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity, with significant improvements to circulation and noise, and galleries designed around the needs of SEND visitors.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Young V&A is an inspiring addition to our capital’s world-leading museums. The redeveloped museum combines fun and innovation in a hands-on experience that has been shaped by the brilliant minds of young Londoners.

“It will provide a fantastic free day out for families and offer creative spaces for local schools and communities that will ignite the creativity of our next generation as we work together to build a better London for everyone.”

‘The museum has been designed with and for our youngest audiences’

To celebrate the opening, Young V&A is hosting a free summer festival on 8-9 July.

Visitors will be able to explore everything the museum has to offer, with a series of fun activities and performances from local talent such as Britain’s Got Talent finalists IMD Dance, the East London-based Grand Union Youth Orchestra, and hula-hoop group Marawa’s Majorettes.

People can also contribute to a large-scale installation that will grow over the weekend.

Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said: “The V&A believes in the transformative power of creativity, and that it’s critical we work – across all our sites – to support and develop the next creative generation.

“Young V&A has been designed with and for our youngest audiences – inspired by the way we learn, play and experience the world. It is a place where they can have fun, be imaginative and take inspiration from the V&A’s incredible collections.

“The museum is the first of its kind and by continuing to work in partnership with teachers and schools, locally and across the country, it will become a national resource for supporting the teaching of art and design.”

Find out more at vam.ac.uk/young.