V&A at Dundee : Making it Happen

The University of Dundee is at the forefront of the V&A at Dundee initiative. The project aims to establish a cultural portal at the heart of the city’s waterfront development with input from the Victoria & Albert Museum, a move which would complement the strong creative movement which already exists in Dundee.

This unique opportunity would build on Dundee’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for contemporary art and design, and help provide a focus on the cultural activities the city can offer.  A two-phase independent feasibility study, commissioned by Scottish Enterprise and Dundee City Council has concluded that a presence for the Victoria & Albert Museum in Dundee could regenerate the city centre, attract up to 250,000 visitors a year, create up to 900 jobs and inject millions of pounds into the local economy.

The project took a huge step forward in August 2009 when Michael Russell MSP, Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, announced the Scottish Government’s intention to support the V&A at Dundee. By committing a significant financial investment for the project, ministers hope to emulate the success of the Guggenheim Museum which opened a branch in Bilbao in 1997, a move which played a major part in the economic regeneration of that city. 
  
This ground-breaking venture will be delivered by a partnership of local bodies —Dundee City Council, Scottish Enterprise, the Universities of Dundee and Abertay —and the V&A, the world’s Number One museum of art and design.

V&A at Dundee will be housed in a world-class building on a stunning waterfront site. An international competition for the building will be launched in early 2010, and the quality of the building and the creativity it will unleash will drive forward Dundee’s renaissance as an exemplar European small city.

It will do three things:

·       attract visitors to international quality travelling  and permanent exhibitions in the creative arts put together by the V&A and others;

·       create a rich educational resource for researchers and students of all ages; and

·       provide a nucleus and launchpad for applied artists and creative businesses in Scotland.

You can help by showing your support for the V&A at Dundee and the wide range of cultural initiatives taking place within the city.