Young people aged 16 to 24 living in the London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest are being given a unique opportunity to help shape the future of two major cultural institutions. The V&A East has officially announced the launch of its next cohort for the V&A East Youth Collective, inviting passionate, curious, and creative residents to help define what a museum and collection space should look, feel, and sound like for the younger generation in East London.
Applications for the prestigious eight-month programme are scheduled to open on Friday, 16th October 2026, with the application link going live on the V&A East website on the same day. Prospective candidates have until Sunday, 1st November 2026, at 11:59 pm to submit their applications. The initiative seeks to build a diverse team of twelve young individuals who will collaborate closely with the V&A East team and commissioned practitioners to ensure that the newly established cultural spaces remain welcoming, inspiring, and deeply relevant to young East Londoners.
The call to action comes as V&A East establishes itself as a dynamic, two-part cultural destination in East London, operating as a vital new branch of the world-renowned Victoria and Albert Museum. Rooted in the rich heritage of the local community with a strong focus on the voices leading contemporary culture, the institution comprises two distinct sites: the V&A East Museum in Stratford and the nearby V&A East Storehouse. Both locations are dedicated to celebrating the power of making, fostering critical and conceptual learning, and creating tangible possibilities for the community.
The V&A East Museum, situated in Stratford, has been created hand-in-hand with young people to celebrate making and the transformative power of creativity. It explores the issues and cultural phenomena shaping the modern world through the perspectives of those driving contemporary culture forward. Meanwhile, the V&A East Storehouse, located near the Stratford Waterfront, offers a radically open approach to heritage by housing over half a million creative works and collection objects. Fully accessible to the public, the Storehouse features large collection objects and carefully curated displays designed to immerse visitors in a rich tapestry of stories and narratives relevant to diverse audiences.
Within this innovative institutional framework, members of the upcoming Youth Collective will play a pivotal role. Over the course of the eight-month programme, participants will take part in a series of creative workshops, immersive trips, and collaborative sessions alongside commissioned practitioners. Their collective insights will directly influence how V&A East welcomes visitors, connects with local communities, and authentically reflects the lived experiences of young people living in the surrounding boroughs. Participants can look forward to expanding their networks, developing valuable creative skills, and gaining firsthand insight into professional careers within the wider cultural sector.
The 2027 programme will build upon foundational themes explored by previous Youth Collective cohorts, delving into complex topics such as identity, memory, belonging, place, access, and decolonisation. To tie these critical concepts together, this year’s participants are being invited to collaboratively explore and determine how the institution should embed creative wellbeing and authentic care for young audiences within its museum spaces. This collaborative effort will ultimately culminate in the production of a tangible creative output that will be made publicly available to the museum’s visitors and the wider public.
Designed as a true learning exchange, the Youth Collective programme aims to dismantle traditional hierarchies between institutions and participants. By placing co-production at the heart of the project, the interests and themes that naturally emerge among the participants and practitioners will continuously guide the direction of the initiative.
To accommodate participants’ schedules, the programme is structured around sixteen evening meetings held in person in East London. Sessions will take place on alternate Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, running between January and August 2027. The very first session is scheduled for Thursday, 14th January 2027, at 6:00 pm at the V&A East Storehouse. In addition to the regular Thursday evening meetings, participants can expect occasional weekend activities, educational trips, and dedicated days spent experiencing life behind the scenes at the museum.
Organisers are specifically looking for twelve young people who accurately reflect the remarkable diversity of East London. While the programme welcomes a wide range of perspectives, applicants must meet specific logistical criteria, including the legal right to work in the UK in order to receive payment for their participation.
For those interested in learning more about the initiative before submitting an application, V&A East is hosting a free public event on Sunday, 18th October, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the V&A East Storehouse. The event offers attendees the opportunity to hear directly from alumni of previous V&A East youth engagement programmes and visiting practitioners. The afternoon will feature networking opportunities, hands-on risograph printing workshops, short film screenings, and engaging panel discussions. Further details regarding the event, as well as information concerning the specific practitioners leading the 2027 project, will be published on the official V&A East website on Friday, 16th October.
Individuals with questions about the application process or the programme itself can reach out directly to the organising team via email at [email protected]. As the application window approaches, V&A East encourages all eligible young residents with a passion for their community to step forward and help ensure that young East Londoners remain at the very heart of the institution’s future endeavours.