V&A Dundee celebrates first touring exhibition
10 June 2015
The first touring exhibition from V&A Museum of Design Dundee will make its final stop in Scotland this week after notching up 3,500 miles and more than 10,000 visitors.
Design in Motion has taken the work of seven of Scotland’s most exciting contemporary designers and studios around Scotland, stopping at more than 70 locations from the Western Isles to the Borders.
The tour, a collaboration with the Travelling Gallery, and funded by players of People's Postcode Lottery also provided audiences around Scotland with an early taste of V&A Dundee, currently under construction on the city’s waterfront.
More than 10,000 people have boarded the custom built gallery in a bus to see the exhibition ahead of its final stop in London. It has also proved a huge success in terms of engaging with future designers in schools, colleges and universities, pointing to ways in which V&A Dundee will help boost the country’s creative industries.
Its final Scottish stop this week is in Dumfries and Galloway, where members of the public and college and school students will get the opportunity to see works of contemporary design from innovative product designer and artist Geoffrey Mann, leading fashion designer Holly Fulton and jeweller Lynne MacLachlan. Also featured are the ground-breaking digital works of Anarkik3D and Digital Design Studio, a beautifully immersive computer game developed by Sophia George and interactive lace by textile innovators Sara Robertson and Sarah Taylor.
Sarah Saunders, Head of Learning & Engagement at V&A Dundee, said the Design in Motion tour has been a huge success both in terms of raising awareness of the new museum, set to open in 2018, and inspiring young people to think about design.
She said: “We’ve visited secondary schools, colleges and universities and we’ve had students from all sorts of different courses visit us and be inspired as a result. They understand that there will be somewhere in the future where they can showcase and prototype their work, make connections, link up with manufacturers or get help to develop their business.
“The fact that the featured designers are all successfully making a living in their chosen fields is inspirational to young people and allows design to be brought to life as part of contemporary Scotland today.
“We’re delighted with the success of the tour, and have substantially exceeded our target visitor number which bodes well for the future of the new museum”.
Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said, “It’s amazing that the touring exhibition from V&A Dundee has had over 10,000 visitors. The tour has been such a success and I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery have allowed the exhibition to be seen by so many people throughout the country.”
Alison Chisholm, Travelling Gallery Curator, said: “After visiting more than 70 locations and covering many hundreds of miles all over Scotland, it’s good to know we have hit the major milestone of welcoming 10,000 visitors to the exhibition. Our team is looking forward to the final trip in our current livery, as central London will be quite a change to the towns of rural Scotland we are used to touring.”
After leaving Dumfries and Galloway, Design in Motion will travel to London, where it will be parked outside the Victoria and Albert Museum on Cromwell Road (Sat 20 and Sun 21 June).
NOTES TO EDITORS
Design in Motion in Dumfries & Galloway, Mon 8 June Moat House Brae, Dumfries Tue 9 June – Dumfries & Galloway college (10am – 5pm open to public), Wed 10 Dalbeattie High School, Thu 11 June Dumfries High School, Fri 12 June Lockerbie Academy (school pupils only)
