News Item: 00066

22nd Aug 2008

New Sackler Centre opens at V&A

Source: http://www.vam.ac.uk

Opens 30th September 2008

The V&A's new Sackler Centre for arts education gives visitors the opportunity to learn from and work with some of the UK's most talented designers and teachers, develop their own skills and to participate in workshops, talks and debates, festivals, conferences and courses.

The Sackler Centre will be the museum's centre for creative practice and one of the most innovative museum education facilities in the UK. It will have a digital studio, an auditorium and design and practical art studios.

Artist jeweller Dorothy Hogg and new media artist Jo Lawrence are the first two practitioners to take part in the Centre's new Residency Programme. The
Programme gives four practitioners a year the chance to have a studio at the V&A, to create new work, run workshops and master classes with visitors and hold regular open studios.

Designed by architects Softroom, the Centre will more than double the education space at the V&A across two floors of the Henry Cole Wing on Exhibition Road. The Centre will have its own entrance enabling it to open outside normal museum hours and function as a separate arts centre and venue for events.

Mark Jones, Director of the V&A, said: "The V&A was founded to educate and inspire creativity. The Sackler Centre is a place where people of all ages will be able to come to learn, participate and engage with inspiring individuals and use the most up-to-date facilities to create their own work."

The Sackler Centre has been made possible through a generous donation from the Dr. Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation. The Sackler Endowment Fund will further fund a series of conferences and lectures held at the centre.

Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL