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V&A Patrons

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Support the V&A by becoming a patron and enjoy a closer relationship with our family of museums, all dedicated to the power of creativity. Learn more:

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A glittering night to remember! ✨

Last night we gathered in the John Madejski Garden to celebrate this year’s V&A Summer Party. We were delighted to have so many Patrons join us for an evening of dancing, cocktails and music…

We owe a huge thank you to @jessieware for a sensational live performance, to @nyetimber for keeping us refreshed with delicious drinks, to @shaneconnollyandco for the magical floral display, to @lastsupperlondon for the fantastic canapés, to @donnie_sunshine for filling the dancefloor and to @vamevents for putting on such a fabulous evening.

To find out more about how you can support the V&A’s mission to champion art and design as a Patron, please head to the link in our bio. Or reach out to us directly and a member of our friendly team will be in touch. by @vampatrons

How time flies! This time last week we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary at the Young Patrons’ Circle Party.

Gathered under the Dome at South Kensington, we enjoyed a night to remember filled with fizz, cake and creativity!
Thank you so much to our incredible community of philanthropists for all their support over the past decade – here’s to the years to come.

We’re incredibly grateful to our drinks partner, Nyetimber English Sparkling wine for providing the perfect party sparkles. The evening also had additional support from @kovapatisserie who provided delicious celebratory cakes, with stunning floral arrangements from @bloominghaus. Don’t miss the beautiful work of @a.burel.illustration too from whom we commissioned a limited-edition print, to mark the occasion for the night! Our thanks to V&A Young Patron H.R.H Kieran Ashanti-Reilly for hosting those who wanted to continue their nights at George Club.

Thank you too to the sensational @vamevents who never fail to pull out all the stops, and to @tastylopez, @letticecatering @focus.productions and @hubertcecil.

Last but not least, we are ever grateful to our wonderful curators for bringing us a real night at the museum, spotlighting magical objects across the breadth of the V&A’s collections.

To support the work of the V&A and be part of our next decade of art, design and creativity, follow the link in our bio to find out more. by @vampatrons

Behind the scenes at @ivotextiles, Director’s Circle Patrons had the privilege of meeting the skilled artisans bringing complex, colour-rich designs to life, including the glorious fabrics designed by @christopherfarrcloth.

Amid the buzz of the bustling factory, we enjoyed a fascinating tour, tracking the journey of a design from print to quality control and finally, the shop floor. We were completely in awe at the vast archive, featuring iconic print screens by Vivienne Westwood, Althea McNish and Biba.

And what a treat to have created our own screen-printed aprons with Christopher Farr designs to bring home!

We are indebted to the incredible team at IVO including Michael Haas and @podge_the_printer for sharing their passion and such personal anecdotes, alongside Nina Luminati and her team at Christopher Farr. Thanks also go to the V&A’s Victoria Bradley for enriching our visit.

If you are fascinated about learning more about incredible designers and makers, consider supporting the V&A as a Patron. Please head to the link in our bio or reach out to us directly and a member of our friendly team will be in touch. by @vampatrons

Want to discover what’s shaping art and design this season?

Join the Young Patrons’ Circle to make the most of our freshly launched October 2026 – March 2027 events programme and support the V&A in our mission to champion creativity while you do.

As we celebrate a decade of our community, the next six months will bring an array of opportunities to engage in a deeper way with the museum’s collections, contemporary makers, and culture more broadly.

From Renaissance armour to punk music, sparkling historic gems to fragrant scents, our sessions at the V&A will dive into design in the many forms it takes! We’re also particularly excited to be hosted by some extraordinary artists and designers across the programme, including @ptolemymann.art, @asifkhan.now, @frankbowlingstudio, @ayham_hassan_99, and @nickvinson at Casa Italia.

Inspired? Request the full programme via the link in our bio and a member of the team will be in touch!

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Images:

1) Ptolemy Mann in her studio © Ptolemy Mann
2) Asif Khan, El Pais Spain, April 21, 2025 by Manuel Vazquez
3) Embroidered jacket by Ayham Hassan, from the IM-MORTAL MAGENTA: The Colour that Doesn’t Exist collection
4) Casa Italia, mosaic flooring, by Formafantasma, for Fantini Mosaici, going into lift cars, by Martino Gamper, with Abet Laminati. © Beppe Brancato
5) Courtesy of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
6) Arab Hall, Leighton House. © Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
7) Breast jewel and earrings, Europe, ca.1680–1700 by @vampatrons

We are thrilled to share our new Director’s Circle events programme!

We’ll be taking our Patrons to studio visits, delighting in behind-the-scenes tours of our incredible collections and celebrating exciting openings to our unmissable exhibitions.

Highlights include a visit to the studio of ceramic and textiles pioneer Jacqueline Poncelet @jacponcelet, a private tour of Sanderson Design Group’s remarkable design archive, close-up focus sessions looking at the V&A collection from tapestry to mosaics, a day trip to Somerset, alongside many more exciting opportunities!

Director’s Circle Patrons will also enjoy the opening celebrations and private curator-led tours of our upcoming exhibitions Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires and Punk to Pop.

If you love to fill your diary with art and culture look no further, as a V&A Patron you can enjoy a rich programme of events whilst supporting word-leading research and conservation and be part of keeping a collection spanning 5,000 years alive to inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere.

Image credits

© Sanderson Design Group

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestry (detail), 1425-1430, probably made in Arras, France

Jacqueline Poncelet, Object in 3 Parts, 1986

© Jessica McCormack

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London; ‘Ghost’, by Bharti Kher, 2024. © Bharti Kher. Tia Collection @tiaartcollection

Mounted lithograph entitled ‘Vue de la Mosque, Prise de Bab-Houmayoun’, from a set of 13 in Gaspare Fossati’s, ‘Aya Sofia Constantinople’, published by P. & D. Colnaghi. London, 1852

Alice Kettle, Catch me if you can, Various threads on printed linen mix, 2026. Photo Dave Watts

Wham!, photographed in London, 1983. © Lin Gered Mankowitz by @vampatrons

You had to be there…!

From sixteenth-century stately homes to Surrealist soirees, V&A Patrons have spent the first half of 2026 diving into all things art, design, and creativity through our Director’s Circle and Young Patrons’ Circle event programming.

We’re incredibly grateful to all our generous hosts, and to our wonderful V&A Curators, who share their knowledge and expertise with us at each and every event. And of course a massive thank you to our Patrons for the generosity you show to our family of museums!

Fill your cultural cup whilst supporting the V&A by becoming a Patron. Visit the link in our bio to find out more. by @vampatrons

Director’s Circle Patrons recently enjoyed an exclusive visit to a magnificent private collection of glass brought together and curated by fellow Patron, Sarah Nichols.

Sarah shone a light on some of her chosen highlights before the collection travels to York Art Gallery. The collection features work from impressive glass artists such as Richard Marquis, Fulvio Bianconi and Laure de Santillana. Over the years the focus of the collection has expanded to include American glass artists with links to Venice; women artists and designers, contemporary and international glass artists.

A huge thank you to Sarah for hosting us so generously and to Kate Devine, V&A Assistant Curator, Ceramics and Glass, Decorative Art and Sculpture for her sharing her expertise in discussion with Sarah.

If you’re interested in joining us for enriching visits like this one and finding out more about becoming a V&A Patron, please head to the link in our bio. Or reach out to us directly and a member of our friendly team will be in touch. by @vampatrons

Heading out of the city to picturesque meadows, our Director’s Circle Patrons recently enjoyed a glorious day at HackelBury Hampshire.

We were hosted at the beautiful gallery and home of Marcus Bury and Sascha Hackel founders of HackelBury Fine Art, and most recently, HackelBury Hampshire in 2017, to accommodate the gallery’s larger and more diverse projects.

We had the opportunity to join Sascha and Marcus to see some of their extraordinary collection and explore the current group exhibition. Artists We Love: Looking Back at HackelBury’s History brings together works which have shaped HackelBury Fine Art’s identity over the decades. It highlights artists with whom the gallery has worked including Ellen Auerbach, Berenice Abbott, Pascal Kern, Elliott Erwitt and Arnold Newman.

A huge thank you to Sascha and Marcus for hosting us so generously, to @village.street.kitchen for the delicious food, to Dr Marta Weiss, V&A Senior Curator, Photography for providing such insightful conversation, and to @alystomlinson for thoughtfully discussing her beautiful photographs within the collection.

If you’re interested in joining us for exciting visits like this one and finding out more about becoming a V&A Patron, please head to the link in our bio. Or reach out to us directly and a member of our friendly team will be in touch. by @vampatrons

Radically inclusive, unapologetically sensual.

Irish designer Sinéad O'Dwyer's work takes centre stage at today's Fashion in Motion at V&A South Kensington. Designing for a broad spectrum of body shapes and sizes from the outset, O'Dwyer challenges fashion's long-standing exclusionary reliance on sample-size bodies.

The 15 garments created for the show place diverse bodies at the heart of the design process, pairing striking visual aesthetics with a strong social message that positions fashion as a tool for empowerment, accessibility and self-acceptance.

As a thank you for your support, Platinum Director’s Circle Patrons and Young Patrons receive tickets to Fashion in Motion, a series of live fashion events presented at the V&A. We’re very excited to welcome you all throughout the day today.

To find out more about becoming a Patron, and how you can support the museum, please head to the link in our bio. A member of our friendly team will be in touch. by @vampatrons

Step into a kaleidoscope of colour!

Recently, Director’s Circle Patrons enjoyed a private tour of the vibrant studio and archive of Sir Frank Bowling OBE RA. Guided by his son Ben Bowling, the visit offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process of one of the foremost British artists of his generation.

Best known for his dynamic, abstract paintings, it was a rare privilege to see both completed works and paintings in progress, offering a fascinating insight into Bowling’s exploration of light, colour and geometry, and his enduring ambition in both scale and vision. We also celebrated Bowling’s remarkable career with a trip to the archive with Madeleine Shanks.

A huge thank you to Ben, Madeleine and the whole team at @frankbowlingstudio, as well as to @rosalind.mckever for sharing her time and expertise with us.

A specially commissioned work, ‘Green Across’, can be seen in V&A East Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, ‘The Music is Black: A British Story’.

Enjoy immersing yourself in the extraordinary practice of renowned artists while supporting the mission of the V&A. Find out more about becoming a Patron via the link in our bio. by @vampatrons

A whimsical way to start the day!

Young Patrons recently headed to The Cosmic House to explore the exquisite creativity of Charles Jencks and his landmark of Postmodern architecture.

Nestled in a sleepy Holland Park street, we roamed through rooms filled with references to science, philosophy, history and cosmology. Along the way, we discovered playfully symbolic architectural details and original bespoke furnishings, as well as Isaac Julien’s site-specific installation, All That Changes You. Metamorphosis.

A warm thank you to Anya Smirnova, Curator at The Cosmic House, for sharing her time and expertise with the group.

Dive deeper into art, architecture and design across London (and beyond), whilst supporting the work of the V&A! Find out more about becoming a Patron via the link in our bio. by @vampatrons

One man’s recycled milk bottle is another man’s funky new chair!

The Young Patrons joined designer James Shaw in his studio to learn how he transforms recycled plastic into colourful and witty objects, from loo roll holders to lamps! His practice asks us to focus our attention on the inherent beauty of the material, calling into question notions of waste. Diving into his process, during our visit we were even treated to a demo of some extrusion with the fantastic Jake, in action.

Many thanks to @jamesmshaw for sharing your time and practice with us, as well as to Anna Bates, V&A Curator of Furniture and Product Design, 1900-Now for joining us and furnishing the visit with her expertise.

To find out more about championing contemporary artists and designers by supporting the V&A as a Patron, please head to the link in our bio! by @vampatrons