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 directly influence the development of one of the capital’s most anticipated cultural initiatives. V&A East has officially announced the upcoming recruitment drive for the next cohort of the V&A East Youth Collective, inviting creative and passionate individuals to help define what its museum and collection spaces should look, feel, and sound like for the younger generation.
The initiative invites applications starting Friday, 16th October 2026, with the application portal scheduled to go live on the official V&A East website on that day. Candidates interested in making a tangible difference in their local communities have until Sunday, 1st November 2026, at 11:59 pm to submit their applications. Selected participants will join a team of twelve young people reflecting the cultural and social diversity of East London to work closely with the V&A East team and commissioned creative practitioners.
The programme aims to address fundamental questions about representation and accessibility within major cultural institutions. Organisers are seeking curious minds who want to explore how the V&A East Museum and the V&A East Storehouse can become genuinely welcoming, inspiring, and relevant spaces for young people across the region. Participants will be tasked with sharing ideas, opinions, and lived experiences to ensure the venues reflect the authentic voices of East London.
The Youth Collective programme will span eight months, running bi-weekly evening meetings on Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm between January and August 2027. In total, participants will attend 16 in-person sessions based in East London, supplemented by occasional weekend activities, cultural trips, and dedicated days spent exploring the museum sites. The very first session is scheduled for Thursday, 14th January 2027, at 6:00 pm at the V&A East Storehouse.
Throughout the programme, members will participate in collaborative creative workshops, discussions, and excursions designed to expand upon themes established by previous cohorts. These foundational themes range from identity, memory, and belonging to place, access, and decolonisation. Furthermore, participants will explore how to effectively embed creative wellbeing and care for young audiences within museum spaces.
This collaborative process will culminate in the production of a tangible creative output, which will be made publicly available to museum audiences. The initiative is structured as a reciprocal learning exchange between the participants, the commissioned practitioners, and the institution itself, ensuring that co-production remains at the heart of V&A East’s ongoing development. In addition to gaining valuable insight into careers within the cultural sector and developing practical creative skills, participants will have the opportunity to meet new people and help shape how the institution connects with local communities.
V&A East represents a dynamic two-part cultural destination situated within the heart of East London’s Stratford waterfront, operating as a vital new branch of the globally renowned Victoria and Albert Museum. The initiative is explicitly designed to celebrate making and creativity’s power to drive social change, supporting critical and conceptual learning through hands-on making while remaining deeply rooted in East London’s industrial and cultural heritage.
The destination comprises two distinct sites. The V&A East Museum, based in Stratford, celebrates making and contemporary culture, actively engaging with the voices that shape the modern world. Alongside it is the V&A East Storehouse, located near the Stratford Waterfront, which houses over half a million creative works and collection objects in a space that is publicly accessible to all visitors. Featuring a series of large collection objects and carefully curated displays, the Storehouse offers audiences an immersive journey through a rich tapestry of stories and historical narratives.
To support prospective applicants and provide deeper insight into the initiative, 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 V&A East youth engagement programmes and visiting practitioners. The afternoon will feature networking opportunities, risograph printing workshops, short film screenings, and panel discussions.
Organisers have noted that further information regarding the specific practitioners leading the upcoming project will be published alongside the launch of the application form on 16th October 2026. Applicants must ensure they meet the residency criteria across Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, or Waltham Forest, and must possess the legal right to work in the UK to receive payment for their participation in the programme. Those with enquiries regarding the application process or the sessions can contact the engagement team directly via email at [email protected].