V&A Dundee

In this series, invited guests share their tactics, strategies, hopes, and dreams while reflecting on the many hats we choose to wear — and those we must — as creatives navigating overlapping political, social, economic, and climate crises. Together, they explore the essential approaches for sustaining artistic and cultural practices in response to the urgent challenges of our time. This episode welcomes musician SHHE and sound artist Riah Naief for a conversation on tactics, strategies, connection, and the power of listening in building collective practice. Hosted by Pepper Parkinson & Leyla Hussain Supported and Edited by Callum Mackie and Dundee Radio Club Music by Pepper Parkinson & Leyla Hussain

In this final episode of the series, we listen in to a conversation with Arit Anderson (gardener and broadcaster) and Dame Laura Lee (CEO of Maggie’s) as they talk through gardens, design and healthcare. Maggie’s is the cancer support charity where light, colour, and the garden play a part in making people feel welcome and in control of their wellbeing. The charity was both developed by, and named after, writer and garden designer Maggie Jencks, who is featured within the Garden Futures exhibition. This podcast series is part of the exhibition public programme for Garden Futures: Designing with Nature, which is open from the 17 May 2025 until 26 January 2026.

In this episode we listen to a conversation between two stewards of culture: Leonie Bell, our director here at V&A Dundee, and Vivien Sansour, founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, in Battir, Palestine. Together they talk through the journey of the seed, and how it has shaped design and the world around us. It bridges both of our current exhibitions Garden Futures and Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine. **Content warning: This episode contains depictions of genocide and death.** This podcast series is part of the exhibition public programme for Garden Futures: Designing with Nature, which is open from the 17 May 2025 until 26 January 2026. To book tickets, or for more information, please visit our website: vam.ac.uk/dundee

Dior’s garden-inspired collection of 1947 transformed the world of fashion. To explore that we’re joined by Garden Designer, and Writer Elizabeth Tyler (Vogue, New York Times), and Brigitte Richart, Director and Chief Curator at Musée Christian Dior in Granville, France. From Kim Jones’ work featured in V&A Dundee’s Garden Futures to Musée Dior’s current exhibition Jardins Enchanteurs, we’ll uncover how gardens - beginning with the one at Christian Dior’s childhood home and current location of Musée Dior - have remained central to the fashion house’s identity. This podcast series is part of the exhibition public programme for Garden Futures: Designing with Nature, which is open from the 17 May 2025 until 26 January 2026. To book tickets, or for more information, please visit our website: vam.ac.uk/Dundee For more information on Jardins Enchanteurs at Musée Christian Dior, please visit musee-dior-granville.com

In this fourth and final episode, we invited V&A Dundee’s Young People’s Collective, also known as the YPC, to take over its direction. Led by Mike, Evie, Natalia and Leyla, the YPC question the use of an AI generated image as the exhibition’s main identity. They speak with Neil McGuire (graphic designer and co-curator of AFC) about the image, and with author and journalist Emma Grae about the impact of AI on the Scots language. We also hear two creative writing pieces responding by Timika and Hannah-Linda, created in response to the exhibition. These works are the result of the YPC’s residency programme with students from the University of Dundee. Content warning: This episode contains strong language and may not be suitable for all listeners. Credits: produced by Evie, Leyla, Mike & Natalia from YPC Creative Writing responses from Timika Sukhai and Hannah Linda Hamilton, in residence Feb-March 2025, with thanks to Johanna Lindsay.

Join Monty Don and Kirsty Wark as they discuss hereditary habits, life changing moments and the ways a garden, a place where nature meets design, can shape our lives. We also hear from Branklyn Garden’s Kate White, a National Trust For Scotland garden, on how Dorothy & John Renton’s fascination with rare and exotic plants led to a lifelong commitment along the River Tay. This podcast series is part of the exhibition public programme for Garden Futures: Designing with Nature, which is open from the 17 May 2025 until 26 January 2026. To book tickets, or for more information, please visit our website: vam.ac.uk/dundee

In this third episode, we are joined by artists Hamshya Rajkumar and Mairi Mcfadyen to discuss their works across Ravenscraig and Abriachan Forest. Exploring themes of land stewardship, restoration and community, the conversation highlights the importance of cultural and ecological balance, the role of language in understanding landscapes, and the potential of art to foster deeper connections with nature. Hosted by Svetlana Panova, assistant curator at V&A Dundee. Produced by Troy Nelson and Svetlana Panova in collaboration with A Fragile Correspondence as part of our public programme. On display until 25 May 2025, you can find out more about the exhibition here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/exhibitions/scotland-venice-a-fragile-correspondence

Hear from the artists, designers, architects, writers and curators behind A Fragile Correspondence. In our second episode, Aaron McCarthy, Frank McElhinney, Becky Little & Tom Morton discuss their work on how environments adapt and show resilience in the face of environmental, social and economic change. Hosted by Svetlana Panova, assistant curator at V&A Dundee. Produced by Troy Nelson and Svetlana Panova in collaboration with A Fragile Correspondence as part of our public programme. On display until 25 May 2025, you can find out more about the exhibition here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/exhibitions/scotland-venice-a-fragile-correspondence

Hear from the artists, designers, architects, writers and curators behind A Fragile Correspondence. In this first episode, we have gathered just some of the creative team who have been with the project since its very beginning. They will walk us through that journey from Venice to Dundee, sharing the lessons learned when group curating and discuss what they hope the visitor will meet in the gallery. From Architecture Fringe, -ism Architectural Magazine and /other we have Andy Summers, Neil McGuire, Alissar Riachi, Kristina (Kicki) Enberg, Alyesha Choudhury and Carl Jonsson. Hosted by Svetlana Panova, assistant curator at V&A Dundee. Produced by Troy Nelson and Svetlana Panova in collaboration with A Fragile Correspondence as part of our public programme. On display until 25 May 2025, you can find out more about the exhibition here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/exhibitions/scotland-venice-a-fragile-correspondence

The Young People's Collective presents What the Hat?!, a podcast where invited guests share their tactics, strategies, hopes, and dreams while reflecting on the many hats we choose to wear—and those we must—as creatives navigating overlapping political, social, economic, and climate crises. These conversations explore the approaches most essential for sustaining artistic and cultural practices in response to the urgent challenges of our time. In the pilot episode, co-programmed by a committee of young people at V&A Dundee, invite Dundee grassroots heavyweights Volk Gallery and City Flower Garden Studio together, to share practical strategies, demystify creative practices and careers, and envision bold, alternative models for the creative sector’s future. Future episodes will spotlight Dundee’s dynamic community of emerging designers, artists, curators, activists, and organisers who sustain and champion the city’s grassroots cultural ecosystem. Hosted Bethan Ferrie & Leyla Hussain Produced by Tana Pennock, Isla McConnachie and Mehr Un Nisa Syed Art work by Leyla Hussain Music by Meg Jenkins Supported by Ryan Mcleod Edited by Callum Mackie

Design in the Diaspora is developed in partnership with We Are Here Scotland and New Architecture Writers, join us to explore the work of contemporary designers and creatives from diasporic communities across Scotland. This series brings you a new guest, selected by We Are Here Scotland, paired with a host from New Architecture Writers. Together, they will explore creative practice and career journeys – amplifying and celebrating diverse identities, cultures, and heritages across the creative industries. In January 2023, we were joined by architect and writer Ewa Effiom and multidisciplinary artist Leo Robinson.

Join world-renowned Scottish actor Alan Cumming and Simon Sladen, V&A South Kensington's Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Theatre and Performance, as they talk about all things tartan and the ways that tartan has influenced Alan's life and career while delving into tartan on screen, in performance, as costume and more. This was a live event recorded at V&A Dundee in May 2023. Creative Programmer: Nichol Keene

Design in the Diaspora is developed in partnership with We Are Here Scotland and New Architecture Writers, join us to explore the work of contemporary designers and creatives from diasporic communities across Scotland. This series brings you a new guest, selected by We Are Here Scotland, paired with a host from New Architecture Writers. Together, they will explore creative practice and career journeys – amplifying and celebrating diverse identities, cultures, and heritages across the creative industries. In February 2023, Nana Biamah-Ofosu interviewed textile designer Hannah Sabapathy.

Sincerely, Valentines – From Postcards to Greetings Cards is the latest exhibition in our Michelin Design Gallery. It tells the story of Scotland’s most pioneering and successful commercial photographers, best known for popularising the holiday postcard on a global scale. Hear from Ishbel McLeane, a former employee as she shares her memories working at Valentines.

Ian Schrager is the legendary co-creator of the world’s most famous nightclub: Studio 54, and since then has revolutionised the entertainment, residential and hospitality industries. He has created spectacular experiences where design, technology and music meet. Joining Ian Schrager is Benji B, a Radio 1 DJ, music director of Louis Vuitton menswear, and founder of the Deviation club nights and record label. Their conversation explores their lives in and around clubs and club culture, spanning five decades. Welcome by Joanna Mawdsley, Head of Learning, V&A Dundee Moderated by Nichol Keene, Creative Programmer, V&A Dundee Find out more about Night Fever and our upcoming programme here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson Follow Ian Schrager and Benji B on Instagram @ianschrager and @BenjiB. Find out more at https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/ian-schrager-interviewed-by-benji-b Find more podcasts from V&A Dundee at https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/series/podcasts

苏格兰艺术设计的典范通过一系列小文章展现了苏格兰独特而出色的艺术设计。 本月，艳阳谈到一件特殊的展品使她回想起童年的故事。本文是与Amina MWRC合作项目的一部分，该项目是培训当地的穆斯林，黑人和少数民族（BME）妇女作为自由职业者，以英语和她们的母语为我们苏格兰设计画廊提供导游服务。

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design. This month, Yanyang reflects on how one particular object takes her back to the stories of her childhood. This piece is part of a collaborative project with Amina MWRC to train local Muslim, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women as freelancers to deliver guided tours of our Scottish Design Galleries in both English and their native language.

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design. In this one, Yan Xia tells us how one particular object, the Oak Room, evokes powerful emotions for her. This piece is part of a collaborative project with Amina MWRC to train local Muslim, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women as freelancers to deliver guided tours of our Scottish Design Galleries in both English and their native language.

Edi Stark in conversation with fashion revolutionary who lifted the mood as well as the hemline of female fashion in the twentieth century. Reproduced on our channels with the generous permission of Edi Stark. See 'Mary Quant' at V&A Dundee until 17 Jan 2021.

We want everyone to be able to enjoy our exhibitions. As part of our digital access programme, we produced an audio described tour of 'Mary Quant' to bring the show to life in a different way. We recorded artist and describer Juliana Capes describing the exhibition to her friend Anne Dignan. Listen as they tour the exhibition together and describe the sights, sounds and memories it evokes. Juliana Capes is a visual artist and educator who has worked in the field of visual description for 15 years. She is the lead artist on the National Gallery of Scotland Visual Impairment Programme and believes passionately in arts access for all.

Mary Quant disrupted the fashion establishment, connecting with an energised, youthful audience looking for something fresh and fun. From rising hemlines to androgynous shapes and styling, Quant captured the zeitgeist of the moment.  In this episode V&A Dundee curator Meredith More, is joined by Heather Tilbury Phillips former co-director of Mary Quant Limited, together they discuss what it was like working with Quant. The Mary Quant exhibition is on now until Sunday, 17 January 2021 at V&A Dundee.

This episode is a recording of  live-event Design as an Attitude with Alice Rawsthorn – a New Years Lecture which took place at V&A Dundee in January 2019. In this talk Alice Rawsthorn explores how design is responding to complex social, political and environmental challenges. Investigating different aspects of contemporary design, from the deepening environmental/refugee crises and ominous new technologies, to reinventing dysfunctional social services. Further resources and an episode transcript are available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/audio-design-as-an-attitude-with-alice-rawsthorn

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design.

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design.

In this talk project leader Dr Jen Ballie discusses Sewing Box for the Future, a pop-up exhibition which opened in February 2020 at V&A Dundee, that focuses on the urgent problem of fashion waste and what individuals can do about it. As well as the activities in the museum, there is a set of Sewing Box for the Future recipe cards that are available to download so you can care, repair and customise at home from your own kitchen table. Follow the project on #FutureSewingBox. Dr. Jen Ballie is Research Manager for ‘Design for Business’ at V&A Dundee. As a researcher, Jen initially began within the discipline of textile design but quickly became interdisciplinary drawing upon user experience, interaction and service design. Her current work focusses on fashion and the circular economy. Further resources and an episode transcript are available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/what-is-sewing-box-for-the-future/

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design. In this article, Claire Hartley explores Glaswegian and Arthurian legend through the work of illustrator Jessie M. King.

In this talk Yasmeen Lari discusses her humanitarian work building zero-carbon structures with communities in disaster prone areas of Pakistan in what she calls ‘anti-architecture’. Yasmeen Lari was the first woman to qualify as an architect in Pakistan in 1963 after training in the UK at the Oxford School of Architecture. Before officially retiring from practice in 2000 she designed many of Pakistan’s landmark modern commercial buildings, however since becoming a UNESCO consultant in 2003 she has become renowned for her work with communities living in disaster prone areas of the country. RIBA + VitrA Talks is sponsored by VitrA Bathrooms and generously supported by the L.K.E Ozolins fund. Further resources and an episode transcript are available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/audio-riba-vitra-talk-yasmeen-lari

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design. In this article, Maryam Deeni shares how a small detail she spotted in the museum had a huge impact on her and her sense of self.

Designer Dean Brown discusses his studio practice spanning objects, installations and interiors. He introduces his recent projects including an AI Drawing Easel for Google, a furniture collection for the fashion retail app Depop, a transformable kitchen for an Austrian castle and Sunglasses for Puffins created with the Interaction Research Studio. Dean Brown studied Product Design at DJCAD, University of Dundee and is now based in London. He designs and makes objects, installations and interiors for a range of clients including Google, Uniqlo, Nike, Sèvres, Depop and Schloss Hollenegg for Design. His work has been exhibited internationally at the Milan Design Week, London Design Festival, the Aram Gallery and the V&A. Content Warning: Animal Specimen (a Puffin, which died of natural causes) used as part of a research project is discussed in the audio. Images of this are shown within the presentation slides. Further resources and an episode transcript are available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/audio-material-narratives-with-dean-brown

Scottish Design Icons is a series of small articles showcasing the big hitters of Scottish design. Stuart Fallow takes a closer look at the Forth Bridge and reflects on its dizzying position in Scotland’s consciousness.

Glasgow Women’s Library co-founder Dr Adele Patrick to discover how design has powered the development of one of Scotland’s most trailblazing cultural resources. Dr Adele Patrick has been developing innovative, participatory cultural projects rooted in equalities for over 25 years. A co-founder of Glasgow Women’s Library, Adele has had a leadership role in forging this influential, change making organisation. Adele will chart the impact of design ‘beyond the gift shop’ in the making of the Library over three decades. Trained as a designer at Glasgow School of Art and continually collaborating with artists and creatives, Adele received the Engage Scholarship for Excellence in Gallery Education in 2016. A rare example of a design trained museum leader with a lifelong commitment to enterprise and innovation, Adele was nominated Scotswoman of the Year in 2016. Further resources and an episode transcript are available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/audio-beyond-the-gift-shop

Beca Lipscombe and Lucy McKenzie explore their collaborative practice as Atelier E.B in conversation with fashion historian Mairi MacKenzie. Beca and Lucy discuss their Faux Shop, which opened at V&A Dundee in Febuary 2020. Faux Shop asks the question: Is window dressing simply an everyday part of popular culture? Or is it a unique and often overlooked form of art and design practice? With bricks and mortar retail having to radically adapt in the digital age, these questions seem more pertinent than ever. Further resources and an episode transcript available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/audio-in-conversation-with-atelier-eb