The Young Victoria & Albert Museum is located in Bethnal Green, London.
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The Young Victoria and Albert Museum recently won a "Museum of the Year" Award.
The museum reopened after a three-year, $16.8 million redevelopment.
The award includes a $155,000 prize and recognizes the museum's dedication to creativity.
The Young Victoria and Albert Museum in London describes itself as "the world's most joyful museum." In July, it was crowned "Museum of the Year" by nonprofit, Art Fund.
The award is given annually to a museum or gallery in the UK and includes a £120,000 ($155,000) prize.
After closing for three years as part of a £13 million ($16.8 million) redevelopment initiative, the Young V&A now includes three permanent exhibitions: "Play," "Imagine," and "Design."
Entry to the museum is free, except for its temporary ticketed exhibitions, which currently costs £9 ($11.70) for adults and children aged four and above.
I traveled to the Young V&A to determine if it really is the "world's most joyful museum."
Located on a busy road in East London, the Young V&A has a mighty presence from the sidewalk.A view of the museum from the street.
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Upon entering, the museum offered multiple stations where parents can park their strollers, maximizing accessibility for those with young children. Several stroller parking points allow parents and children to move around the Young V&A freely.
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It was clear that the museum prioritized accessibility. There were elevators and ramps throughout the museum, as well as large print and audio transcription guides for visitors with impaired vision and hearing difficulties. A shelf on the door of the exhibition entrance holds large print guides and transcriptions of audio features.
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Entering the "Japan: Myths to Manga" temporary exhibition, you immediately see that maximizing color was a priority for the designers. The exhibition looks at how Japan's folklore and landscape have influenced its art and technology.
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The exhibition was interactive, with Japanese origami-making stations and several traditional musical instruments for kids to try. Visitors looking at the displays, which include a wooden umbrella "yokai" at the centre, a supernatural creature in Japanese stories.
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It also offered something for adults, displaying work by traditional and more contemporary Japanese artists.A woodblock print of a fish attacking a small wooden boat.
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As well as showing established Japanese artists and designers, it also displayed work created by children all over the world, empowering young visitors to get creative. A hand-drawn Pokémon catalog created by an eight-year-old Irish schoolgirl.
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I was impressed by the content of the exhibition. A woman looks at a display associated with Japan's connection to its forests.
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The curators had thought carefully about how to balance information and artwork that is interesting for older kids and adults, while including exercises and activities made to keep the attention of younger visitors. Three mannequins wearing costumes inspired by Japanese characters and fashion.
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A gift shop at the end of the exhibitions sold plenty of Japanese toys for kids to take home too. Iconic toy Sylvanian Families was originally launched in Japan nearly 40 years ago.
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The next stop was the "Design Gallery," which explained the invention stories behind products like scooters.The "Design" Gallery displays historical and contemporary everyday items that have in some way improved human lives.
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Every item displayed in this exhibition was created to solve a human problem. These light shades are made of an organic material that's designed to be sustainable. Light shades made from mycelium and timber, designed by Sebastian Cox and Ninela Ivanova.
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The exhibit was informative and inspires young people to take the information and use it creativity. There were also multiple spaces for kids to draw and design.A design table allows where kids could draw their own creations.
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The different exhibitions were tailored to children of varying ages, making it easier for parents with more than one child. The mini-museum is a space exclusively for babies to learn through play.The mini-museum is specially curated for toddlers.
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The museum prioritizes 'touch' as a method of learning and engagement. The Young V&A's "Play" exhibition helps improve motor skills, such as at the sand table.A spinning sandpit in the exhibit.
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After looking at all the exhibitions, it was time to test the food. To ensure young visitors were being fed well, I ordered the Jungle Safari kids meal for £6 ($7.80) and an oat latte for £3.65 ($4.70).The Young V&A kids meal which includes: a cheese (or ham) sandwich, cloudy apple juice, animal-shaped potato chips, and a banana.
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Even though the kids meal is meant for young children with limited palates, I thought the cheese sandwich with one thin slice of cheddar was lackluster. The opened cheese sandwich with one thin slice of cheese and butter.
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I also had a slice of carrot cake, which was priced at £4.50 ($5.80). It was moist and the frosting was delicious.The carrot cake had a cream cheese frosting and was decorated with nuts and edible flowers.
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The museum felt joyful and deserving of its title. I appreciated that the curators had gone out of their way to ensure that different exhibitions were accessible for children of all ages.
The objects and explanations displayed seemed to inspire young people to use the information creatively. I particularly liked that children were always encouraged to touch the displays and make designs of their own based on what they had seen.
For me, the "most joyful museum in the world" sparked joy from watching children explore their curiosity and learn from the world around them.
I left feeling hopeful and inspired by the human capability for creativity.
