Young residents 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 of the capital’s most anticipated cultural destinations. The Victoria and Albert Museum has officially announced that applications will soon open for the next cohort of the V&A East Youth Collective, inviting a team of curious, creative, and passionate young individuals to collaborate directly with museum staff and commissioned practitioners.
The initiative aims to answer a fundamental question: what should a museum and collections space look, feel, and sound like for young people living in East London? By placing co-production at the heart of its operations, the institution is seeking fresh ideas, diverse opinions, and authentic voices to ensure that the newly established V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse remain welcoming, inspiring, and deeply relevant to the local community.
Applications for the upcoming programme will officially open on Friday, 16th October 2026, with the direct application link going live on the V&A East website on that day. Prospective applicants must submit their materials before the strict deadline of Sunday, 1st November 2026, at 11:59 pm. Selected participants will join a diverse cohort of twelve young people who reflect the multicultural fabric of East London, gaining invaluable insight into careers within the cultural and heritage sector while directly influencing how the museum connects with its visitors and neighbors.
The Youth Collective programme is structured as an immersive eight-month learning exchange that bridges the gap between institutional practice and grassroots community perspectives. Participants will take part in a series of creative workshops, collaborative discussions, and cultural trips led by professional practitioners. The curriculum is designed to build upon themes explored by previous cohorts—ranging from identity, memory, and belonging to place, access, and decolonization.
A core focus for this new cohort will be exploring how creative wellbeing and genuine care for young audiences can be embedded into the daily fabric of museum spaces. This collaborative effort will culminate in the production of a tangible creative output, which will be made publicly available to future museum visitors. Rather than following a rigid syllabus, the programme will remain adaptable to the interests, concerns, and creative mediums that emerge among the participants, ensuring that the direction of the project is genuinely driven by its youth members.
The schedule requires participants to commit to sixteen evening meetings, held on alternating Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, between January and August 2027. These in-person sessions will take place in East London, supplemented by occasional weekend activities, immersive trips, and dedicated days spent exploring the museum sites. The very first session is scheduled for Thursday, 14th January 2027, at the V&A East Storehouse.
The initiative is deeply rooted in the distinctive identity of V&A East, a dynamic two-part cultural destination established as a prominent new branch of the renowned Victoria and Albert Museum. Designed to celebrate making and unlock creative possibilities, the institution supports critical and conceptual learning through hands-on creation, maintaining a steadfast focus on the contemporary cultural voices that define East London’s rich heritage.
The destination is split into two distinct, highly specialized sites located within the Stratford area. The V&A East Museum, based in Stratford itself, is engineered to celebrate making and the transformative power of creativity. Developed in active partnership with young people, the museum explores the forces shaping our modern world through the perspectives of those leading contemporary culture. Meanwhile, the V&A East Storehouse, located near the Stratford Waterfront, serves as a radically open public facility housing over half a million creative works and collection objects. Featuring large-scale collection items and carefully curated displays, the Storehouse invites visitors to immerse themselves in a vast repository of stories and historical narratives accessible to all members of the public.
To help prospective applicants learn more about the Youth Collective and experience the community firsthand, 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 Storehouse. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from alumni of previous youth engagement programmes and visiting practitioners. The afternoon will feature a dynamic mix of networking opportunities, hands-on risograph printing workshops, short film screenings, and insightful panel discussions.
Organizers emphasize that applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK in order to receive payment for their participation in the programme. Additional information, including specific details regarding the commissioned practitioners leading the project, will be published alongside the launch of the application portal on 16th October. Young East Londoners who are eager to ensure that their communities remain at the heart of what happens next at V&A East are encouraged to review the eligibility criteria and prepare their submissions ahead of the November deadline.