The Young V&A museum in east London has won the Art Fund Museum of the Year award, claiming the £120,000 prize.
Young V&A opened in July 2023 following a £13 million project to transform Bethnal Green’s V&A Museum of Childhood into the world’s most joyful museum.
It is a museum for children and young people, displaying almost 2,000 toys, characters, objects and artworks dating from 2,300 BC to today. These are on view across three permanent galleries titled Play, Imagine and Design.
Young V&A is is home to many innovative experiences, including optical illusions, sensory playscapes, a giant marble run, a finger skateboard park, a storytelling space, a studio for live workshops, and a den-building area.
The museum welcomed more than 590,000 people in its first nine months of opening – a 223 percent increase on the V&A Museum of Childhood’s figures for the same period in 2019/20.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “This year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year was a tough competition with an exciting shortlist representing institutions from across the country.
“Congratulations to the Young V&A on this achievement, recognising their hard work to create a unique space dedicated to young people.”
Jenny Waldman, director of the Art Fund and chair of the judges, said Young V&A is “a truly inspirational museum”.
World’s most joyful museum
“It has radically reimagined the museum with and for young people, creating a museum experience that’s active, empowering and dynamic, centred on learning through play.
“I give my warmest congratulations to the fantastic team at Young V&A on being crowned Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024. You truly are the world’s most joyful museum and will inspire young people now and for generations to come.”
Young V&A was one of five finalists. The other shortlisted museums were Craven Museum (Skipton, North Yorkshire), Dundee Contemporary Arts, Manchester Museum and the National Portrait Gallery (London). Each finalist will receive £15,000.
Images courtesy of V&A
