The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has drawn up plans to dismantle a lot of the V&A Academy, a major a part of its adult-learning programme, by the tip of the 12 months, The Artwork Newspaper has realized. Round 50% of the Academy’s workers could also be lower and the way forward for flagship programs are beneath menace. Senior figures in different components of the museum have additionally been requested to suggest cuts to their groups, in accordance with individuals acquainted with the plans.
The V&A has supplied grownup programs for many years, drawing on its collections and curators in a practice that goes again to the museum’s origins as a faculty of design. In 2016 it launched the Studying Academy to run a lot of its studying programmes. It was later renamed V&A Academy, which at this time runs expert-led programs, sensible workshops and talks. Its programs are taught primarily on the V&A’s South Kensington website and on-line.
The proposals for cuts to the Academy, which sits inside the museum’s industrial division, have been communicated to workers on 5 October and justified by administration on the grounds that the programme had failed to fulfill earnings expectations, in accordance with individuals with direct information of the discussions. The adjustments would see lots of the Academy’s in-person programs at South Kensington delivered to an finish, together with flagship programs relaunched this 12 months in a ten-week format, with a hybrid possibility permitting college students to attend in particular person or on-line.
The Academy’s African heritage programme and professional-development programs for museum-sector staff are among the many actions anticipated to be retained. Chosen on-demand and reside on-line programs are additionally anticipated to proceed.
The session interval for workers to debate the proposals with administration and supply suggestions is because of finish at this time (26 October), in accordance with individuals with information of the matter that The Artwork Newspaper spoke to.
The Artwork Newspaper has spoken to present workers members and others with information of the plans, all of whom requested to not be named for worry of repercussions. “No person had any inkling this was going to occur,” says one workers member. One other provides that the museum is “filled with people who find themselves feeling very demoralised”. If the proposals go forward, the Academy will stop to function in its present type by the tip of the 12 months, in accordance with individuals with information of the plans.
A V&A spokesperson mentioned in a press release despatched to The Artwork Newspaper: “We’re presently reviewing the V&A Academy supply and the best way wherein that is delivered as a part of wider efforts to streamline exercise and determine efficiencies throughout our operations to make sure they’re financially sustainable and ship most affect. We’re nonetheless within the session section, and no ultimate choices have been made, however the present proposals will see us proceed to ship an grownup studying programme.” The spokesperson made clear that the V&A wouldn’t have the ability to remark additional at the moment.
The proposed restructuring is putting in gentle of the Academy’s latest reported efficiency. The V&A’s 2024–25 annual report says the Academy recorded gross sales of £1.2m, a rise of greater than 22% on the earlier 12 months, whereas its contribution to the museum rose by greater than 60% to £365,000.
The 2025–26 annual report doesn’t present a full breakdown of the Academy’s annual earnings, expenditure or revenue. As a substitute, it describes the Academy’s hybrid studying technique as “combining scalable on-line codecs with high-impact in-person artwork historical past experiences”, saying the strategy expanded the programme’s “attain and resilience” throughout its first full 12 months and “consolidated” the expansion achieved the earlier 12 months.
The report additionally data that the hybrid course Arts of Japan “contributed to V&A Academy’s largest ever quarter in spring 2026, when whole gross sales exceeded £400,000”.
On the time of writing, one of many Academy’s 5 flagship 10-week hybrid programs, A Historical past of London: 1066–1666, was marked as offered out on the museum’s web site. Individuals acquainted with the proposals say all 5 programs, together with Arts of Japan and A Historical past of London, are anticipated to be discontinued.
Cuts and strikes
The proposed cuts come after a sequence of challenges for the V&A in latest months, together with allegations of racism reported byThe Artwork Newspaper in July and strikes over pay and dealing circumstances in September. The disputes over circumstances proceed: on 19 October, the Public and Business Companies (PCS) union and Prospect introduced additional strike motion throughout all 4 V&A websites (South Kensington, East Museum, East Storehouse and Younger V&A) on 29 and 30 October. Nonetheless, statements despatched to The Artwork Newspaper at this time from each unions mentioned that their members have suspended strike motion, to permit for additional talks after an “improved supply” from the museum.
The V&A has additionally launched a voluntary exit scheme open to workers throughout the establishment, which is anticipated to shut on 26 October, in accordance with individuals with information of its phrases. In response to The Artwork Newspaper’s October report on the voluntary exit scheme, a spokesperson mentioned inflation, financial uncertainty and decreased customer spending have been contributing to monetary pressures, whereas below-inflation authorities settlements would cut back funding in actual phrases over the approaching years. The V&A’s 2025–26 annual report data a 30% rise in retail internet gross sales to £15.7m.
The accounts present that the museum obtained £59.9m in authorities grant-in-aid throughout the 12 months, up from £56.2m in 2024–25 and representing 42% of the group’s earnings. An extra £5.2m was awarded by way of the Public Our bodies Infrastructure Fund to help important work to guard the buildings at South Kensington and Younger V&A.
The proposals to make cuts on the Academy come towards the backdrop of a serious enlargement of the V&A’s property, together with the opening of V&A East Storehouse in Might 2025 and V&A East Museum in April 2026. Some workers imagine the South Kensington museum is bearing the price of expenditure related to the brand new east London websites. “We suspect that the South Kensington website is paying for the monetary issues related to V&A East,” says one workers member.
Prospect’s nationwide secretary for heritage, Paula Lamont, tells The Artwork Newspaper in a press release: “Our members are involved that the monetary price of opening new websites is falling on them, relatively than being absorbed in different areas. Heaping extra workload and strain on an more and more demoralised workforce is unsustainable and can’t be the reply.”
In keeping with a report by Arts Skilled, the PCS union has claimed that the establishment is projecting cumulative operational deficits of £19m by 2030. The V&A didn’t tackle the determine when requested by The Artwork Newspaper. Its newest annual report charges the chance to longer-term monetary sustainability as excessive. It says: “Mitigations by way of industrial progress and price discount have been recognized and type a central tenet of the V&A’s new five-year technique 2026-30.”
What number of workers could also be affected?
The phrases supplied to V&A Academy workers stay unclear, with considerations that these with lower than two years’ service might not qualify for statutory redundancy pay beneath UK regulation. The Academy has round 17 everlasting workers, however its programs additionally function visitor lecturers from throughout the museum and past. In keeping with data out there by way of the V&A’s web site, for 12 of the Academy’s programs this autumn, 5 hybrid and 7 online-only, there are round 100 lecturers and audio system moreover Academy workers, from curators elsewhere within the V&A to freelance lecturers and visiting teachers, suggesting the results of any cuts might be felt far exterior the Academy.
Employees are additionally involved about proposed cuts to groups throughout the broader museum, believed to be round 10-15%, that are anticipated to have an effect on curatorial roles. A former senior member of workers who witnessed the V&A’s 2021 publish pandemic restructuring, when roughly 15–20% of workers have been let go, says curatorial and conservation groups will not be among the many museum’s largest prices and are vital to its means to safeguard collections, entice donors and develop initiatives. Chopping experience, they argue, dangers undermining the very work that helps safe donations.
The proposals have additionally shocked some in gentle of the museum’s director, Tristram Hunt, having served in education-focused roles beforehand. A historian and former Labour MP, Hunt served as shadow schooling secretary and has a fame for championing studying.
The V&A’s annual report describes its objective as selling public enjoyment and understanding of artwork, craft and design, together with by way of examine and analysis. Its founder, Henry Cole, positioned schooling and public entry on the coronary heart of the museum’s mission, a legacy that the proposed adjustments danger undermining, in accordance with individuals acquainted with the plans.
“Henry Cole will likely be spinning in his grave,” says one.
