Young residents aged 16 to 24 living in the London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest are being offered a unique opportunity to help shape the future of two major new cultural destinations. V&A East has officially announced the launch of its next cohort for the V&A East Youth Collective, inviting creative, curious, and passionate young people to collaborate directly with museum staff and professional practitioners.
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? Successful applicants will work collectively to ensure that the newly established V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse remain welcoming, inspiring, and deeply relevant to the contemporary experiences of young East Londoners.
Applications for the upcoming programme open on Friday, 16th October 2026, with the official submission link going live on the museum’s website on that day. Aspiring participants must submit their applications by Sunday, 1st November 2026, at 11:59 pm. Organizers are looking for a diverse team of 12 young people who reflect the multicultural fabric of East London and possess a desire to make a tangible difference in their local community.
The eight-month programme will run from January through August 2027. Participants will be expected to attend 16 evening meetings held on alternating Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in person across East London venues, with the opening session scheduled for Thursday, 14th January 2027, at the V&A East Storehouse. In addition to the bi-weekly evening gatherings, the schedule will feature occasional weekend activities, immersive museum days, and educational trips.
Working alongside commissioned creative practitioners, members of the Youth Collective will participate in a series of dynamic workshops and collaborative projects designed to influence how the institution welcomes visitors, connects with local communities, and reflects young people’s lived realities. The curriculum builds upon themes established by previous youth cohorts—ranging from identity, memory, and belonging to place, access, and decolonisation.
A core focus of the upcoming cohort will be exploring how creative wellbeing and genuine care for young audiences can be embedded into the core fabric of museum spaces. This collaborative exploration will culminate in a public-facing creative output produced by the participants, making their collective vision publicly accessible to museum visitors. The initiative is structured as a reciprocal learning exchange, placing co-production at the heart of the relationship between the young participants, visiting practitioners, and the cultural institution itself.
The Youth Collective is part of a broader cultural landscape established by V&A East, a dynamic two-part cultural destination created as a new branch of the renowned Victoria and Albert Museum. Designed to celebrate making and foster creative possibilities, V&A East is rooted deeply in East London’s rich heritage, intentionally platforming the voices that drive contemporary culture and supporting critical and conceptual learning through hands-on making.
The initiative spans two distinct physical sites in the region. The V&A East Museum, located in Stratford, celebrates creativity and making as powerful tools for societal change. Conceived in partnership with young people, the museum explores the forces shaping the modern world through the lens of contemporary cultural leaders. Meanwhile, the V&A East Storehouse, situated near the Stratford Waterfront, provides public access to 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 diverse stories and narratives relevant to wide-ranging audiences.
Participation in the Youth Collective offers young people a chance to meet peers, develop advanced creative skills, and gain invaluable behind-the-scenes insight into professional careers within the cultural and heritage sector. While specific details regarding the commissioned practitioners leading the project will be published on the V&A East website alongside the application link on 16th October, organizers have emphasized that applicants must possess the legal right to work in the UK in order to receive financial compensation for their participation.
For those interested in learning more about the programme before applying, 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. The event offers prospective applicants an opportunity to hear directly from alumni of previous V&A East youth engagement programmes and visiting industry practitioners. Attendees can expect panel discussions, networking opportunities, short film screenings, and hands-on activities such as risograph printing workshops.
Individuals with questions about the application process or the programme structure can reach out to the organizing team via email at [email protected]. Additional updates, practitioner announcements, and the application portal will be hosted directly on the V&A East web pages as the launch date approaches.