V&A Dundee has picked up a major award for its stunning families’ programme.
The Campaign for Learning announced the museum as the joint winner of the Building Brighter Futures through Learning Award.
The news comes as a welcome boost to staff and bosses at the Waterfront institution following a barrage of criticism in local papers.
The V&A’s Design Busters was singled out for praise by the judges as an innovative way to support families to learn together.
The popular installation is a series of playful design challenges created to spark imagination and engage families in developing creative problem-solving skills, is supported by Players of People’s Postcode Lottery as part of the museum’s family programme.
The design challenge was adapted from pre-pandemic workshops in the museum to a free Design Buster telephone hotline, online activities and a free book, ensuring it could continue to support families throughout the pandemic.
Around 20,000 free Design Busters activity books, featuring illustrations by Dundee-based designer Laura Darling, were distributed through more than 100 partners and venues including libraries, schools, Scottish prison family visiting hubs, national family charities, community centres, foodbanks, youth work teams and NHS children’s hospital therapeutic play teams.
Design Busters now also has its own drop-in activity space inside V&A Dundee with free resources set up to inspire creativity.
Tracey Smith, Learning Programme Producer – Families at V&A Dundee, said: “It means so much to us to have our work recognised by the Campaign for Learning in a category that celebrates imaginative, innovative and inclusive learning.
“Since the museum opened in 2018, we have worked collaboratively to meet the needs of families, educators and community partners, embracing and instigating new ways of working throughout changing circumstances.
“We share this Family Learning Award with everyone who has contributed to the success of the programme in reaching families.
"From the designers who developed and delivered design challenges, to over 100 community partners in hospitals, schools, prison visit hubs, foodbanks and family charities who made it possible for us all to support families and get 20,000 free Design Busters resource books directly into the hands of children across Scotland.”
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “It is great to see V&A Dundee win this national award in recognition of its fantastic families programme, which is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
"The Design Busters activities have brought so much joy to thousands of families throughout the pandemic, and bringing communities together is an important part of playing People’s Postcode Lottery.”
Juliette Collier, National Director (Families) at the Campaign for Learning, said: "The use of the Design Busters hotline at a time when people felt distant from one another was a great hook to ensure families felt part of something positive and creative.
**Don't miss the latest headlines from around Dundee and Tayside. Sign up to our newsletters here .
And did you know Dundee Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and a share .
