Young people aged 16 to 24 living in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest are being given a unique opportunity to help shape the future of two major new cultural spaces in the capital. The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has announced that applications will soon open for the next cohort of the V&A East Youth Collective, inviting a diverse team of creative and passionate individuals to influence how the institution connects with its local communities.
The initiative aims to answer a fundamental question: What should a museum and collections space look, feel, and sound like for young people in East London? To find out, the museum is building a dynamic team to work directly alongside the V&A East staff and commissioned practitioners. Participants will collaborate closely to ensure that both the V&A East Museum and the V&A East Storehouse are welcoming, inspiring, and entirely relevant to the lives of young East Londoners.
Applications for the upcoming programme officially open on Friday, 16th October 2026, with the application link going live on the museum’s website on that day. Prospective applicants must submit their materials by the strict deadline of Sunday, 1st November 2026, at 11:59 pm.
The Youth Collective programme is designed as an intensive eight-month journey running from January through August 2027. Selected participants will attend 16 evening meetings held on alternating Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, meeting in person in East London. Alongside these bi-weekly sessions, the programme will incorporate occasional weekend activities, cultural trips, and dedicated days spent exploring the museum sites.
Throughout the course, members will take part in creative workshops and visits led by commissioned practitioners. The curriculum will expand upon themes explored by previous Youth Collective cohorts, tackling subjects ranging from identity, memory, and belonging to place, access, and decolonisation. A central focus of this year’s project will be exploring how the institution can embed creative wellbeing and care for young audiences into its core spaces. This collaborative effort will ultimately culminate in a public-facing creative output shared with wider museum audiences.
Organisers stress that the initiative is built on the principle of co-production, functioning as a genuine learning exchange between the participants, the visiting practitioners, and the institution itself. As the project evolves, the interests and themes identified by the cohort will continue to direct its path, ensuring that young voices remain at the forefront of the museum’s ongoing development.
The programme offers participants a chance to meet new people, develop practical creative skills, and gain invaluable insight into potential careers within the wider cultural and heritage sector. It builds directly upon the foundational mission of V&A East, a dynamic two-part cultural destination rooted deeply in the heritage and contemporary culture of East London.
Created as a new branch of the world-renowned Victoria and Albert Museum, V&A East is dedicated to celebrating the power of making and fostering conceptual and critical learning. Its two distinct sites in Stratford each play a unique role in the local and international cultural ecosystem.
The V&A East Museum, situated in Stratford, is designed to celebrate making and the capacity of creativity to drive social change. Developed in consultation with young people, the museum explores the forces shaping our modern world by platforming the voices that lead contemporary culture. Just a short distance away near the Stratford Waterfront sits the V&A East Storehouse. This innovative publicly accessible facility houses over half a million creative works and collection objects. Featuring large-scale collection items and carefully curated displays, the Storehouse immerses visitors in a rich tapestry of stories and narratives designed to resonate with diverse audiences.
To help prospective applicants learn more about the initiative before the application window opens, 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. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from alumni of previous V&A East youth engagement programmes and field practitioners. The afternoon will feature networking opportunities, hands-on risograph printing workshops, short film screenings, and panel discussions.
Organisers are looking for a cohort of 12 young people who reflect the rich diversity of East London. While specific criteria apply—including the legal right to work in the UK in order to receive payment—the institution encourages anyone with ideas, strong opinions, or a desire to make a tangible difference in their community to consider applying.
The first official session for the new cohort is scheduled for Thursday, 14th January 2027, at 6:00 pm at the V&A East Storehouse. Further details regarding the project, including information about the specific practitioners leading the upcoming cohort, will be published on the V&A East website when applications open on 16th October. Individuals with questions about the application process can contact the engagement team directly via email at [email protected].