Victoria & Albert Museum, Young V&A Design Programme: Space to Make

‍Dear Partners,

We are pleased to share an update on the Young V&A Design Programme: Space to Make, supported through an Impact Grant in Cycle VII.

Project update

The open call for the next Designer in The Shed residency has now concluded, with Christie Swallow selected for the six month placement. Reflecting on the process, Edward Priest shared:

"We had 187 applicants for our Open Call, which represented a 900% increase from our last one. We then whittled that down to 18 full proposals which led to a shortlist of 5 interviews. The quality of applicant was extremely high, so it was a very competitive process."

The Design Placement Open Call can be found here.

Beginning on 1 July 2026, Christie will work with young visitors to explore the decline of nesting spaces for birds in urban environments. Through research, workshops and prototyping, participants will help design birdhouses that will ultimately be installed around the Young V&A site. The project draws on the museum's collection while encouraging young people to engage with questions of design, ecology and shared environments through hands-on creative practice.

Christie Swallow's residency proposal is available here.

Next steps

• Christie’s residency begins on 1 July 2026.

• The V&A plans to announce the appointment publicly in the coming weeks.

• The residency will run throughout the second half of 2026, with activities taking place through The Shed and the Open Studio.

• We will be organising a conversation between Christie and Outset Partners during the residency. Further details will be shared once time and date are confirmed.

We remain grateful for your generosity, which enables Outset’s support of projects such as this one. Should any questions arise, please reach out at partners@outset.org.uk.

Warmest wishes,
The Outset team

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