Latest news with #LondonOlympicGames
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
London museum opens vast 'on-demand' storehouse to public
Imagine being able to visit a museum and examine up close thousand-year-old pottery, revel alone in jewellery from centuries past, or peer inside a Versace bag. Now London's V&A has launched a revolutionary new exhibition space, where visitors can choose from some 250,000 objects, order something they want to spend time looking at, and have it delivered to a room for a private viewing. Most museums have thousands of precious and historic items hidden away in their stores, which the public never gets to see or enjoy. But the V&A Storehouse, which opened on May 31 in a specially converted warehouse, has come up with a radical new concept. And it is totally free. "Museums should be and are for everybody ... the V&A's collection is for everybody. It belongs to everybody, and everyone should be able to have free, equitable, and meaningful access to it," said senior curator Georgia Haseldine. "So this is a world first, never has anyone been able to be invited freely, without having to book into the same space as a national collection, on this scale." One fifth of the museum's total collection is now available to be viewed and enjoyed in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games. - No protective glass - "It's fantastic, it's so much better than an ordinary museum," enthused retired physics teacher Jane Bailey as she toured the floors. "I'm just really, really impressed by it. We've only just heard about it, but it's phenomenal." She was transfixed by the sight of the black and red drum kit which belonged to Keith Moon, from the band The Who, saying it would be great to be able to resuscitate the legendary drummer who died in 1978, to play a set for them. Jostling for space, side-by-side on shelves in a massive hanger which resembles a DIY commercial warehouse and stretches for more than 30 basketball courts, are everything from ceramics and tapestries, to paintings and toys from the Tudor period. There is even the whole 15th-century gilded wooden ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace, and the Kaufmann Office, a panelled room which is the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside of the United States. Hanging on display is the stunning stage front cloth made for "Le Train Bleu" - a copy of a Pablo Picasso painting it was specially designed for the 1924 Ballets Russes production. At 12 metres, its huge size means it has rarely been seen since its stage debut. There is no protective glass. One of the first visitors to the Storehouse was Princess Catherine, a patron of the V&A and keen art lover, who took a tour on Tuesday. She described the collection as "eclectic" as she used the "order an object" system to look at a samples book from renowned 19th century English textiles designer William Morris as well as rolls of ornate textiles and a musical instrument. All the works are available to the public seven days a week, and can be reserved via an online booking system for a private viewing at a date and time of your choice. Members of staff are on hand paying close attention as visitors don purple gloves and satisfy their curiosity, spending time with the object of their choice. - 'Love letter' - It's a huge departure from the usual admonishment of "Don't touch!" found in most museums seeking to protect their objects from damage. Curator Haseldine acknowledged "we have certainly met with some levels of scepticism and worry". But she said once the idea was explained properly including "how meaningful it is to ... start to open up and give collections back to a community ...people just start to think creatively about how we can do this". American national Manuel Garza living in London said he thought the V&A Storehouse was "one of the most interesting spaces that just opened up here in London". Haseldine said "this building is a love letter to objects". "To be able to see around the back of an object, to be able to look inside a dress, to be able to see the bottom of a pot, all these things are how we really learn about our material culture," she added. Expert Kate Hill, who teaches cultural history at Lincoln University, said "it's pretty unusual for museums to open up their storehouses". "Most of the time they offer some 'behind the scene' tour, but their objets are not accessible. It's visible but not accessible." Visitor Jane Bailey said: "I would hope that this is the museum of the future, because some are very, very stuffy. We went to one recently and it was excruciating." adm/jkb/yad
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
London's V&A museum opens vast 'on-demand' storehouse to public for free
Princess Catherine talks with V&A director Tristram Hunt as he shows her round the V&A East Storehouse, a brand-new cultural destination in east London, on June 10, 2025. — AFP photo LONDON (June 12): Imagine being able to visit a museum and examine up close thousand-year-old pottery, revel alone in jewellery from centuries past, or peer inside a Versace bag. Now London's V&A has launched a revolutionary new exhibition space, where visitors can choose from some 250,000 objects, order something they want to spend time looking at, and have it delivered to a room for a private viewing. Most museums have thousands of precious and historic items hidden away in their stores, which the public never gets to see or enjoy. But the V&A Storehouse, which opened on May 31 in a specially converted warehouse, has come up with a radical new concept. And it is totally free. 'Museums should be and are for everybody … the V&A's collection is for everybody. It belongs to everybody, and everyone should be able to have free, equitable, and meaningful access to it,' said senior curator Georgia Haseldine. 'So this is a world first, never has anyone been able to be invited freely, without having to book into the same space as a national collection, on this scale.' One fifth of the museum's total collection is now available to be viewed and enjoyed in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games. – No protective glass – 'It's fantastic, it's so much better than an ordinary museum,' enthused retired physics teacher Jane Bailey as she toured the floors. 'I'm just really, really impressed by it. We've only just heard about it, but it's phenomenal.' She was transfixed by the sight of the black and red drum kit which belonged to Keith Moon, from the band The Who, saying it would be great to be able to resuscitate the legendary drummer who died in 1978, to play a set for them. Jostling for space, side-by-side on shelves in a massive hanger which resembles a DIY commercial warehouse and stretches for more than 30 basketball courts, are everything from ceramics and tapestries, to paintings and toys from the Tudor period. There is even the whole 15th-century gilded wooden ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace, and the Kaufmann Office, a panelled room which is the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside of the United States. Hanging on display is the stunning stage front cloth made for 'Le Train Bleu' – a copy of a Pablo Picasso painting it was specially designed for the 1924 Ballets Russes production. At 12 metres, its huge size means it has rarely been seen since its stage debut. There is no protective glass. The Princess of Wales talks with senior fashion and textiles curator Oriole Cullen, and director of Collections Care and Access Kate Parsons, as she is shown a 19th Century Riding Habit, during a visit to the V&A East Storehouse. — AFP photo One of the first visitors to the Storehouse was Princess Catherine, a patron of the V&A and keen art lover, who took a tour on Tuesday. She described the collection as 'eclectic' as she used the 'order an object' system to look at a samples book from renowned 19th century English textiles designer William Morris as well as rolls of ornate textiles and a musical instrument. All the works are available to the public seven days a week, and can be reserved via an online booking system for a private viewing at a date and time of your choice. Members of staff are on hand paying close attention as visitors don purple gloves and satisfy their curiosity, spending time with the object of their choice. – 'Love letter' – It's a huge departure from the usual admonishment of 'Don't touch!' found in most museums seeking to protect their objects from damage. Curator Haseldine acknowledged 'we have certainly met with some levels of scepticism and worry'. But she said once the idea was explained properly including 'how meaningful it is to … start to open up and give collections back to a community … people just start to think creatively about how we can do this'. American national Manuel Garza living in London said he thought the V&A Storehouse was 'one of the most interesting spaces that just opened up here in London'. Haseldine said 'this building is a love letter to objects'. 'To be able to see around the back of an object, to be able to look inside a dress, to be able to see the bottom of a pot, all these things are how we really learn about our material culture,' she added. Expert Kate Hill, who teaches cultural history at Lincoln University, said 'it's pretty unusual for museums to open up their storehouses'. 'Most of the time they offer some 'behind the scene' tour, but their objects are not accessible. It's visible but not accessible.' Visitor Jane Bailey said: 'I would hope that this is the museum of the future, because some are very, very stuffy. We went to one recently and it was excruciating.' — AFP
France 24
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
London museum opens vast 'on-demand' storehouse to public
Now London's V&A has launched a revolutionary new exhibition space, where visitors can choose from some 250,000 objects, order something they want to spend time looking at, and have it delivered to a room for a private viewing. Most museums have thousands of precious and historic items hidden away in their stores, which the public never gets to see or enjoy. But the V&A Storehouse, which opened on May 31 in a specially converted warehouse, has come up with a radical new concept. And it is totally free. "Museums should be and are for everybody ... the V&A's collection is for everybody. It belongs to everybody, and everyone should be able to have free, equitable, and meaningful access to it," said senior curator Georgia Haseldine. "So this is a world first, never has anyone been able to be invited freely, without having to book into the same space as a national collection, on this scale." One fifth of the museum's total collection is now available to be viewed and enjoyed in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games. No protective glass "It's fantastic, it's so much better than an ordinary museum," enthused retired physics teacher Jane Bailey as she toured the floors. "I'm just really, really impressed by it. We've only just heard about it, but it's phenomenal." She was transfixed by the sight of the black and red drum kit which belonged to Keith Moon, from the band The Who, saying it would be great to be able to resuscitate the legendary drummer who died in 1978, to play a set for them. Jostling for space, side-by-side on shelves in a massive hanger which resembles a DIY commercial warehouse and stretches for more than 30 basketball courts, are everything from ceramics and tapestries, to paintings and toys from the Tudor period. There is even the whole 15th-century gilded wooden ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace, and the Kaufmann Office, a panelled room which is the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside of the United States. Hanging on display is the stunning stage front cloth made for "Le Train Bleu" - a copy of a Pablo Picasso painting it was specially designed for the 1924 Ballets Russes production. At 12 metres, its huge size means it has rarely been seen since its stage debut. There is no protective glass. One of the first visitors to the Storehouse was Princess Catherine, a patron of the V&A and keen art lover, who took a tour on Tuesday. She described the collection as "eclectic" as she used the "order an object" system to look at a samples book from renowned 19th century English textiles designer William Morris as well as rolls of ornate textiles and a musical instrument. All the works are available to the public seven days a week, and can be reserved via an online booking system for a private viewing at a date and time of your choice. Members of staff are on hand paying close attention as visitors don purple gloves and satisfy their curiosity, spending time with the object of their choice. 'Love letter' It's a huge departure from the usual admonishment of "Don't touch!" found in most museums seeking to protect their objects from damage. Curator Haseldine acknowledged "we have certainly met with some levels of scepticism and worry". But she said once the idea was explained properly including "how meaningful it is to ... start to open up and give collections back to a community ...people just start to think creatively about how we can do this". American national Manuel Garza living in London said he thought the V&A Storehouse was "one of the most interesting spaces that just opened up here in London". Haseldine said "this building is a love letter to objects". "To be able to see around the back of an object, to be able to look inside a dress, to be able to see the bottom of a pot, all these things are how we really learn about our material culture," she added. Expert Kate Hill, who teaches cultural history at Lincoln University, said "it's pretty unusual for museums to open up their storehouses". "Most of the time they offer some 'behind the scene' tour, but their objets are not accessible. It's visible but not accessible." Visitor Jane Bailey said: "I would hope that this is the museum of the future, because some are very, very stuffy. We went to one recently and it was excruciating." © 2025 AFP
Scotsman
06-06-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
4,000 hours of PE lessons lost in the last year, study reveals
Almost 45,000 hours of PE, since the London Olympic Games in 2012, have been lost | Shutterstock 4,000 hours of PE lessons were lost in the last school year, study reveals. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It comes as the number of PE teachers in England has dropped by 7 per cent in the same period. While hours for Maths (13 per cent) and English (10 per cent) have increased, respectively. Research, released by the School Workforce Census, revealed a decline of almost 45,000 hours of PE since the London Olympic Games in 2012. With the most significant drop in hours affecting 11-14 year-olds (year 7-9) at 2,800 hours and 347 PE teachers lost last year for this year group alone. This is at a time when the fastest growth in childhood obesity rates in England is among 11-15 year olds. Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive of The Youth Sport Trust, who is calling for urgent action to protect and prioritise physical education in schools across the UK, said: 'Our children are moving less, feeling unhappier, and losing access to the transformative power of PE, contributing to stagnant physical activity levels. 'The fall in PE hours is sadly an exacerbation of a longer-term trend and should be a wake-up call to society, from policy makers to schools and parents.' It follows the research, which revealed that fewer PE lessons are harming children's physical and mental well-being, as 2.2 million UK children are doing less than 30 minutes of exercise a day. This is a rise compared with pre-pandemic levels, and only 48 per cent are meeting the UK's Chief Medical Officers' recommendation of at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Despite fewer PE lessons, 70 per cent of parents believe that digital distractions play a key role in their children being less active. And children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and also those from disadvantaged backgrounds, face barriers to physical activity. Oliver added: 'We know being active improves children's health, happiness and readiness to learn, as well as playing a vital role in supporting brain development. 'Unless we take action to reverse these damaging trends and increase activity levels to improve wellbeing, we risk failing a generation.' Nevertheless, 93 per cent of young people believe that PE is important, with 71 per cent wanting to be more active in school, according to the research. And 96 per cent of teachers agree that sport and play are beneficial to mental wellbeing. Ali Oliver, from The Youth Sport Trust, who is calling for more inclusive physical activities in schools, concluded: 'Despite the challenges children and young people are facing, our report uncovers a powerful and consistent message of hope from young people, educators, and families. 'They value physical activity, they recognise its benefits and they want more of it. 'It is time for a different approach to reverse these worrying trends and ensure that PE, sport and play are given the status and time they deserve in our education system and society.' 93 per cent of young people believe that PE is important | Shutterstock The Youth Sport Trust are calling for: Ensuring all children are healthy movers before starting school, with strong foundations for lifelong activity. Delivering greater opportunities for physical activity in schools, including by reimagining the successful school sport partnership model, which drove up activity levels in the past. Targeting support to those most affected by inequality, embracing youth voice and removing the systemic barriers that prevent participation. Embedding physical activity into wider policy reform, with opportunities presented through the new National Youth Strategy, Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill, including free breakfast clubs, Curriculum and Assessment Review and forthcoming changes to Ofsted. Download the full PE and School Sport Report here .
Scotsman
06-06-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
4,000 hours of PE lessons lost in the last year, study reveals
Almost 45,000 hours of PE, since the London Olympic Games in 2012, have been lost | Shutterstock 4,000 hours of PE lessons were lost in the last school year, study reveals. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It comes as the number of PE teachers in England has dropped by 7 per cent in the same period. While hours for Maths (13 per cent) and English (10 per cent) have increased, respectively. Research, released by the School Workforce Census, revealed a decline of almost 45,000 hours of PE since the London Olympic Games in 2012. With the most significant drop in hours affecting 11-14 year-olds (year 7-9) at 2,800 hours and 347 PE teachers lost last year for this year group alone. This is at a time when the fastest growth in childhood obesity rates in England is among 11-15 year olds. Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive of The Youth Sport Trust, who is calling for urgent action to protect and prioritise physical education in schools across the UK, said: 'Our children are moving less, feeling unhappier, and losing access to the transformative power of PE, contributing to stagnant physical activity levels. 'The fall in PE hours is sadly an exacerbation of a longer-term trend and should be a wake-up call to society, from policy makers to schools and parents.' It follows the research, which revealed that fewer PE lessons are harming children's physical and mental well-being, as 2.2 million UK children are doing less than 30 minutes of exercise a day. This is a rise compared with pre-pandemic levels, and only 48 per cent are meeting the UK's Chief Medical Officers' recommendation of at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Despite fewer PE lessons, 70 per cent of parents believe that digital distractions play a key role in their children being less active. And children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and also those from disadvantaged backgrounds, face barriers to physical activity. Oliver added: 'We know being active improves children's health, happiness and readiness to learn, as well as playing a vital role in supporting brain development. 'Unless we take action to reverse these damaging trends and increase activity levels to improve wellbeing, we risk failing a generation.' Nevertheless, 93 per cent of young people believe that PE is important, with 71 per cent wanting to be more active in school, according to the research. And 96 per cent of teachers agree that sport and play are beneficial to mental wellbeing. Ali Oliver, from The Youth Sport Trust, who is calling for more inclusive physical activities in schools, concluded: 'Despite the challenges children and young people are facing, our report uncovers a powerful and consistent message of hope from young people, educators, and families. 'They value physical activity, they recognise its benefits and they want more of it. 'It is time for a different approach to reverse these worrying trends and ensure that PE, sport and play are given the status and time they deserve in our education system and society.' 93 per cent of young people believe that PE is important | Shutterstock The Youth Sport Trust are calling for: Ensuring all children are healthy movers before starting school, with strong foundations for lifelong activity. Delivering greater opportunities for physical activity in schools, including by reimagining the successful school sport partnership model, which drove up activity levels in the past. Targeting support to those most affected by inequality, embracing youth voice and removing the systemic barriers that prevent participation. Embedding physical activity into wider policy reform, with opportunities presented through the new National Youth Strategy, Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill, including free breakfast clubs, Curriculum and Assessment Review and forthcoming changes to Ofsted.
