V&A Freelance Pool
Alongside my freelance illustration work, I work with V&A Dundee as part of their pool of freelance designers, facilitating workshops and tours. The pool is made up of a selection of artists, jewellery designers, illustrators, comic artists, product designers and architects.
Using the V&A’s fantastic creative resources, we facilitate activities for schools, families and community groups, championing and broadening understanding of design and its varied applications in everyday life.
Family Drop-in Workshops
I help to facilitate family drop-in workshops at V&A Dundee during the school holidays. These often relate to the current exhibition or focus on a Scottish designer, such as Lesley Barnes’ Bauhaus Ballet inspired activities, to coincide with the ‘Michael Clark: Cosmic Dancer’ exhibition. The activities are all free and aim to make design activities accessible to local communities, as well as tourists visiting the museum.
School Workshops and Tours
V&A Dundee invites primary school and secondary school students to attend the museum in groups to explore current exhibitions or undertake design workshops in a particular area such as product design, game design or illustration. I have experience leading tours of nursery and primary school aged children through the exhibitions, and have enjoyed facilitating workshops on particular design areas. These workshops have taken place in the learning studios, as well as in outreach workshops in local schools.
Community Outreach Workshops
I assist in the delivery of V&A Dundee’s Community programme, delivering workshops to groups that may experience barriers in accessing the museum. This has most recently involved facilitating a series of workshops themed around Dundee’s old Valentines card factory to care homes and Alzheimer Scotland groups. The workshop involves the viewing of a film documenting staff’s experiences working in the factory, reminiscing while looking at postcards of Dundee and Scotland, before designing custom postcards using stamps, printed graphics and watercolour paints.
Under 5s Workshops
I’m also part of the group facilitating early learning workshops for under 5s, in monthly sessions called ‘Wee Design + Play’ and ‘Shake, Rattle + Stroll’. During each of the sessions, we set a theme inspired by a current exhibition or an object in the Scottish Design Galleries. We transform the learning studios into play areas using the V&A’s collection of toys and instruments, and set a design activity for ‘Wee Design + Play’ or have a themed story, dress-up session and movement for ‘Shake, Rattle + Stroll’.
