2014-2015 Iteration of the
Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015
Contents
Section Page
1. Introduction: Vision, Objectives and Values 3
2. Funding Context 4
3. Strategic Objectives, Activities and Targets 2014/2015 6 4. Appendix I: Key Performance Indicators and Targets 15
1. Introduction
The V&A is the world's leading museum of art and design. Its outstanding collections and extensive knowledge exist to inspire creativity. The V&A is a superb resource for everyone working in the creative industries and makes a major contribution to the UK's creative and tourism economies. The V&A comprises the Victoria and Albert Museum at South Kensington, the V&A Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green and the V&A reference collections at Blythe House. The V&A is also available to anyone, anywhere, anytime via its extensive digital offer.
The Strategic Plan presents an overview of the V&A’s objectives and activities for the year ahead. This document does not aim to describe every aspect of the V&A’s operation, but to outline the high level objectives and targets within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2011-15. A key priority for the year will be the development of a new strategic plan to cover a 3 or 5 year period from 2015.
Strategic Objectives
We strive to make the V&A matter to more people and to inspire creativity in the following ways:
• To provide all our visitors with the best quality experience and optimum access to our collections,
both physically and digitally, and to inspire creativity in them all.
• To be acknowledged and respected nationally and internationally as the world’s leading museum
of art and design.
• To promote, develop and contribute to the UK creative economy by leading the field in debate,
inspiring designers and makers, commissioning excellent design, stimulating enjoyment and appreciation of art, design and performance.
• To operate with financial and organisational initiative and efficiency.
In practice many activities and targets will meet more than one of the strategic objectives.
Values
The V&A is driven by highly professional staff who work with the following shared values:
• Generosity: Being accessible, open, welcoming, respectful and collaborative. • Imagination: Being creative, original, progressive, taking risks.
• Coherence: Being clear, consistent, engaging and articulate, with a unique V&A voice. • Rigour: Being informed, scholarly, challenging, authoritative and consistent.
2. Funding Context
As a national museum the V&A receives a significant proportion of its income from Government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as Grant in Aid (GiA) (59% in 2012-13). Funding for the period 2011-2015 was initially set by the 2010 Spending Review. This was then
extended to 2016 by the July 2013 review; subsequent cuts for 2014-16 were announced in November 2013.
The current funding profile is:
Grant in Aid 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 £k £k £k £k £k £k Total 44,318 41,355 40,705 39,408 39,004 37,713 Adjusted for inflation (CPI) 44,318 39,508 37,714 35,621 33,894 32,114
Real terms cut
since 2010-11 11% 15% 20% 24% 28%
The Grant in Aid settlement was given on the following conditions:
• That the world-class collections and front-line services of the V&A are protected.
• That free entry to the permanent collections of the national museums will continue to be
available.
• That the V&A will continue to work in partnership with other museums in the UK. • That the V&A will pursue ways to increase its self-generated income, including through
private giving.
• That the V&A continues to support international cultural exchange in order to develop the
culture sector in this country and assist export promotion.
Following the initial budget reviews, and following endorsement by Finance Committee and the Trustees, the following budget has been developed, showing a healthy surplus for 2014-15, but a significant deficit position for 2015-16.
2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Visitor Numbers 3,607,301 3,550,000 3,550,000 Jan Forecast Budget returns Target £k £k £k Income …Self Generated 13,803 12,292 12,832 ...VAE surplus 2,119 1,900 2,000 …GiA 39,408 38,571 37,309
…DCMS in-year GiA cut -1,886
Expenditure
…Salaries -24,187 -24,651 -24,471
…Operational -23,639 -22,699 -23,922
…Contingency -750 -1,500 -1,000
Investment from GiA
…FuturePlan -1,486 -1,440 -1,242
…Digital & IT -1,221 -1,190 -1,051
…Acquisitions -679 -496 -530
Surplus/-Deficit 3,368 787 -1,961
3. Strategic Objectives, Activities and Targets
To provide all our visitors with the best quality experience and optimum
access to our collections, both physically and digitally, and to inspire
creativity in them all.
Promoting Access
The V&A provides access to collections through its galleries, exhibitions and displays, loans, website, via study rooms for archives, drawings, paintings, prints and theatrical collections, as well as the newly opened Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion. There are two types of gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, Materials and Techniques galleries and Art and Design galleries, 70 percent of which have been renewed over the past 14 years.
In 2014-15, the V&A has the following targets for increasing visitor numbers, to ensure more people have access to the collections and work of the V&A:
• The V&A aims to attract 3, 550,000 visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum at South
Kensington and the V&A Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green.
• The Museum aims to increase website visits by 10 percent.
To support the increase in visitor numbers, the Museum will:
• Implement the recommendations of the Visitor Experience Coordination Project. • Ensure that available galleries at V&A South Kensington are open at least 95 percent of
opening hours.
• Maintain levels of visits by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic audiences (BAME), lower
socio-economic audiences (NS-SEC 5-8) and visitors with disabilities.
• Promote the temporary exhibitions and events programme and the permanent collection
through marketing and press.
• Continue to generate high quality digital content that offers visitors other facets of the V&A
experience.
Improving the Visitor Experience
The V&A aims to improve the visitor experience for all visitors, regardless of the motivation for their visit, in order to improve visit satisfaction, and to encourage word of mouth recommendations, repeat visits and visits from our target audiences. In 2014-15, the V&A aims to improve the visitor experience by:
• Providing visitors with a safe and secure environment to allow them to enjoy and benefit
from their visit.
through the creation of a new Visitor Experience Committee, developing a rolling action plan which places excellence and consistency at the heart of all visitor-facing activities.
• Encouraging visitor feedback and responding quickly and sympathetically.
Exhibitions and Displays
Creative process and inspiring creativity are at the heart of the V&A exhibitions and displays
programme. V&A exhibitions and displays are rigorously researched and beautifully presented. They place the Museum at the forefront of design, scholarship and museum practice. The South
Kensington exhibition programme for 2014-15 has a particular focus on fashion, presenting the V&A as the museum of fashion in Europe. It includes:
• The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014, 5 April – 27 July 2014, sponsored by Bulgari,
supported by Nespresso, with thanks to the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Visitor target: 175,000.
• William Kent: Designing Georgian Britain, 22 March – 13 July 2014. Visitor target: 30,000. • Wedding Dresses 1775-2014, 3 May 2014 – 15 March 2015, travel partner Kuoni. Visitor target:
250,000.
• Disobedient Objects, 26 July 2014 – 1 February 2015. Visitor target: 330,000
• Horst: Photographer of Style, 6 September 2014 – 4 January 2015. Visitor target: 75,000 • Constable: The Making of a Master, 20 September 2014 – 11 January 2015 Visitor target:
120,000
The Museum of Childhood exhibition programme for 2014/15 includes:
• Daydreams and Diaries: The Story of Jacqueline Wilson, 5 April – 2 November 2014
• Small Stories: Dolls’ Houses and History of the Home, 13 December 2014 – 6 September 2015
FuturePlan
FuturePlan is transforming the V&A by revitalising visitor facilities, redisplaying the collections and restoring and enhancing the original 19th century architecture. In 2014-15 the Museum will progress the following FuturePlan projects:
• Complete the Europe 1600-1800 galleries.
• Complete fabric repairs and redecoration of the Italian Cast Court. • Continue with the Exhibition Road building project.
• Refine FuturePlan for the North East Quarter.
• Develop FuturePlan for the V&A Museum of Childhood. • Redesign the Secretariat Gate entrance.
Transforming the Digital Experience
The Museum continues to increase the proportion of the collections which are accessible online and to generate high quality digital content that inspires creativity in online visitors. In 2014-15 the Museum will:
• Develop a new content delivery platform for in-gallery digital interpretation and interactives
to meet customer expectations for dynamic content.
• Develop a new, integrated content commissioning strategy, ensuring that new content is
developed responsibly and with the most appropriate platform and audience in mind.
• Continue to increase and improve digital catalogue records to ensure optimum access to the
collections:
o Increase the number of online catalogue records by 25,000.
o Increase the number of online catalogue records which meet the V&A cataloguing
standard by 41,000.
o Increase the number of object images online by 78,000. Learning and Participation
The V&A delivers a wide range of learning activities relevant to the Museum’s collections, research and public programme. The learning programme aims to inspire creativity in all V&A visitors. In 2014-15 the learning programme will:
• Maintain numbers of participants while relocating to a temporary learning centre to enable
the Exhibition Road development. Typically there are 180,000 - 200,000 participants in facilitated Learning programmes at South Kensington annually and an additional 80,000-100,000 people visit as part of a self-guided adult, higher education or school group.
• Continue to provide a focus on schools, community and creative industries programmes
while maintaining income figures.
• The V&A Museum of Childhood's learning programme will maintain its strategic focus on
families, schools, community engagement and continue building its adult programme, with a focus on the creative industries, enthusiasts and academics. The Museum of Childhood will aim for:
o 80,000 families to attend workshops, events, and daily activities; o 60,000 participants in the schools programme;
o 1000 participants in community workshops, displays and festival programmes; o 1500 participants in adult programmes.
Developing the Social Dimension
The V&A sees its work against a background of the political, social and ethical issues of today. In 2014-15, the Museum will:
• Provide a platform for debate about design, architecture and manufacturing.
• Collect, present events and develop exhibitions in the fields of contemporary architecture and
urbanism, digital and product design.
• Develop research into how design interacts with the public realm, and what the
To be acknowledged and respected nationally and internationally as the
world’s leading museum of art and design.
Collections
The collections are the lifeblood of the V&A’s work and at the heart of the Museum’s mission to inspire creativity. The V&A continues to maximise intellectual access whilst actively developing and caring for its world class collections. Aims for 2014-15 include:
• Acquire objects with particular reference to major exhibitions and FuturePlan Phase 2
galleries.
• Collect contemporary art, craft and design and continue to build historic and cultural
collections.
• Begin the transformation of the National Art Library. Including developing staff expertise, a
brief to renew the library system and storage improvements.
• Update the V&A Collections Development Policy - Including Acquisition & Disposal Policy
(2010) to reflect new developments and priorities.
• To increase Assistant Curator Development Programme posts from 18 to 22.
• Implement a digital upgrade of security systems and an audit of security equipment. Research and Expertise
The V&A is the UK’s leading research resource for the study of art and design. The V&A’s Research Plan encourages debate and knowledge sharing across the sector by undertaking ground-breaking scholarly study and further developing exchange programmes. In 2014-15 the Museum will:
• Complete a pilot study and determine next steps in the development of a V&A Research
Institute with the support of the Andrew W Mellon Foundation.
• Present a varied and high-quality programme of academic conferences, symposia and study
days including: including Chinese Painting and Italian Fashion Business History.
• Promote V&A research and innovative work practices via participation in and presentation of
papers at national and international conferences.
• Sustain and develop selected partnerships with universities, museums, libraries, archives,
commercial companies, professional membership bodies, community organisations and local government.
• Host joint fellowships and exchanges including: Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna;
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden; Yale Center for British Art; York University.
• Heighten the Museum of Childhood’s research profile as a major centre for childhood studies. • Support staff participation in two summer school programmes: Attingham Summer School
• Publish academic/specialist titles including: Dutch & Flemish Drawings, Medieval Ivory
Carvings, House of Worth, Selling Silks and Arts of Living in Europe.
• Publish exhibition catalogues including The Glamour of Italian Fashion and The Wedding
Dress.
• Obtain external funding to further the work of the Research Department, exploring new
sources of support and developing the capacity to serve as principle investigators. Touring Exhibitions and Loans
The V&A runs an ambitious programme of loans and touring exhibitions which inspire creativity across the UK and around the world. In 2014-15 the Museum will:
• Run a programme touring exhibitions in the UK and overseas, with a target of 1,500,000
visitors, and a financial contribution of £798,000.
• Continue to accommodate requests for national and international loans wherever possible,
and to maintain 1,600 long term loans to 150 venues, including 140 venues across the UK. V&A Museum of Design, Dundee
The V&A Museum of Design, Dundee will be an international centre of design for Scotland. The project is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd (DDL), a ground-breaking partnership between the Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee City Council, the University of Dundee, the University of Abertay Dundee and Scottish Enterprise. The following will be achieved in 2014-15:
• DDL to let the construction contract and building to commence. • The new graphic identity will be established.
• Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment packages and programme will be set and designers
identified.
• The headline exhibition programme will be developed.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Development
The V&A has been invited to be part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park development. This is an exciting opportunity for the Museum to make more of its collections and expertise available to more people, and to work closely with the creative industries in that area of London (subject to funding). The focus for 2014/15 will be to develop a concept, outline business case and design brief for the potential new entity, as part of the feasibility study being co-ordinated by the London Legacy Development Corporation.
National Programme
In addition to touring exhibitions and loans, the V&A will continue to work across the UK to share collections and expertise, including:
• To share and help develop knowledge by leading and participating in Subject Specialist
• Managing the Purchase Grant Fund to support acquisitions by non-national museums,
archives and specialist libraries in England and Wales.
• To offer expert advice through the Purchase Grant Fund, and to Government, public bodies
and other institutions including via the Government Indemnity, Export Licences, Acceptance in Lieu and Conditional Exemption schemes.
International Programme
In addition to touring exhibitions and loans, the V&A will continue to build relationships and audiences around the world by:
• Developing and sustaining financially viable partnerships with international institutions
including contributing to our Memoranda of Understanding with museums in India and China.
• Working closely with other major national museums, the British Council, the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office and Visit Britain to engage audiences overseas.
• Playing a leading role in the UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014 and in the 2015 Year of Mexico in
the UK.
Education and Training
The V&A works in partnership with universities to provide education and training related to the collections, art and design for staff, students and museum professionals. In 2014-15 the Museum will:
• Partner with the Royal College of Art (RCA) to run masters and doctoral courses in the History
of Design.
• Support university courses in both the history and practice of art, design and applied arts
through the contribution of V&A staff as lecturers, examiners, supervisors and advisory board members.
• Host museum and university Higher Education Institution exchanges, joint fellowships and
support postgraduate research on the collections through collaborative doctoral awards in the Research and Learning Departments and at the Museum of Childhood.
• As a Cultural Heritage Assessment Centre, continue to offer qualifications in conservation,
technical skills, management and customer service and administration.
• Foster expertise development and-cross departmental working within the V&A including:
facilitating curatorial secondments in the Research Department; work in progress seminars and other internal scholarly events; the Cross Museum Expertise programme; and four period expertise groups.
• Provide apprenticeships, internships and work experience as a way of sharing and developing
knowledge and skills e.g. the Conservation Department will continue its students, interns and placements programme with ongoing relationships with Winterthur (USA), UCL and City and Guilds and universities across Europe.
• Contribute to professional working groups including the British Museum, Tate and V&A
To promote, develop and contribute to the UK creative economy by leading
the field in debate, inspiring designers and makers, commissioning excellent
design, stimulating enjoyment and appreciation of art, design and
performance.
The Museum remains true to its founding mission of promoting excellence in design and manufacturing. In 2014-15 the V&A will contribute to this objective in the following ways:
• To commission and acquire work by contemporary artists, designers, architects and makers
for the collections and for major redevelopment projects, exhibition design, installations and products for retail.
• To programme exhibitions and displays that explore the making process, present the history
of design and showcase contemporary work. For example, in 2014/15, William Kent: Designing Georgian Britain.
• To create a strategy for architecture at the V&A to include consideration of the V&A and RIBA
collections and a contemporary collecting plan for architecture.
• To use the V&A programme to showcase the work of contemporary designers and provide a
resource for creative practitioners, for example by hosting and contributing to the London Design Festival 2014 and via the successful programme of events which include Friday Late, Fashion in Motion and V&A Connects (10 per year) and via the V&A Channel.
• Run a high-profile programme of designer residencies with seven residencies planned for
14-15, including at least one digital designer and two ceramicists.
• To provide a focus in particular on digital design practice. For example, by running the annual
Digital Design Weekend and Digital Design Drop-in, showcasing the work of contemporary practice in this field.
• To provide access for artists, designers, architects, students and researchers to Museum
archives and stored collections through our study rooms and individual appointments. To promote Higher Education engagement with the new V&A Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion.
• To collaborate with students in higher education institutions including; Central Saint Martins
College of Art and Design, Kings College London, London College of Fashion, the Royal College of Art, University College London and the University of Brighton, on peer led projects that result in displays, activities and events.
• Provide opportunities for young people in formal and informal education to engage with the
collections and creative industry practitioners, including via the Create! programme and Creative Quarter event.
To operate with financial and organisational initiative and efficiency.
Financial Planning
The Museum aims to increase the income it generates from fundraising, donations boxes, trading activities, ticket sales and from charged educational programmes. In 2014-15 the Museum will:
• Deliver a better than balanced budget for 2014-15, enabling excess funds to be invested back
into the Museum, in order to deliver future savings or in support of FuturePlan projects.
• Address the continuing fall in GiA for 2015 and beyond by:
o Increasing income from fundraising, public programme and commercial activities; o Reducing expenditure in lower-priority and discretionary areas;
• Continue investment in core areas (collections development, building maintenance, digital
infrastructure, fundraising) that underpin the wider objectives.
• Maintain sufficient reserves to enable the Exhibition Road and Europe 1600-1800 to proceed
with certainty.
• Use restricted and endowment funds as effectively as possible.
Security & Safety
The security and safety of the Museum’s visitors, staff, buildings, collections, assets and information is vital to the success of the V&A. In 2014-15 the Museum will:
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive culture of safety for the V&A.
• Co-ordinate security arrangements in accordance with the Security Policy Framework. • Continue to invest effectively in technical security as part of an holistic approach to security. • Continue to work closely with partners and law enforcement, nationally and internationally,
to share intelligence and facilitate a dynamic response to real and emerging threats. Fundraising
Donors and supporters are critical to the V&A’s success. The V&A will concentrate in 2014-15 on the following fundraising activities:
• Complete fundraising for the Europe 1600-1800 gallery development project. • Continue fundraising for the Exhibition Road museum development project.
• Concentrate on raising funds for the Catalyst endowment and launch the Fashion FutureFund. • Aim to attract 14,750 new members of the Friends of the V&A.
• Aim to increase on-site donations to 22 pence per visitor.
Commercial
The V&A commercial team work to increase the amount of income generated from trading activities, including retail, publishing and licensing, within the Museum itself, online and in external markets.
In 2014-15 the trading company will be subsumed within a new Commercial and Digital Development department, with additional responsibility for Digital Media and International Commercial Initiatives. Specific aims for 2014-15 include:
• To develop a new strategy for all commercial and digital activities across the Museum. • To identify appropriate locations for well-designed temporary retail and catering activity. • To identify commercial potential in overseas initiatives, including touring exhibitions,
consultancy services and training programmes. People
The V&A is committed to the development of all its employees and ensuring the Museum has the range of skills, competencies and behaviours in place that are needed to achieve its objectives. In 2014-15 the V&A will:
• Develop a new People Strategy for the V&A.
• Create a new and effective staff engagement programme to ensure staff feel informed,
motivated and involved in the work of the Museum.
• Actively manage sickness leave and absence and keep the average number of days sickness
absence per employee below four days per year. Efficiency
The V&A aims to work in an ever more efficient fashion. In 2014-15, to further this aim, the Museum will:
• Continue to review the structure and organisation of the Museum with an overall aim of
increasing efficiency, reducing duplication of effort and shortening management layers.
• Deliver phase 1 of the Customer Relationship Management System on time, on budget and
with minimum disruption.
• Complete the Desktop Environment Renewal project. • Review the on-line architecture of websites across the V&A.
• Participate in the DCMS-convened Museums Storage Governance Board and try to ensure the
most appropriate and efficient outcome for the Museum.
• Optimise and improve the operation of object stores on all sites: South Kensington, Museum
of Childhood, Blythe House and Dean Hill Park. Update and review the Storage Plan.
Environmental Sustainability
The V&A will promote environmental sustainability in the following ways in 2014-15:
• Support the objectives of the 1851 Invest to Save Project carbon reduction master plan. • Continue to replace back-of-house light fittings with low energy and controllable units. • Where possible replace existing fittings with LED lights.
• Improve lagging in plant rooms and on pipe work.
• Replace motors and drives enabling mechanical plant to operate with greater efficiency and
4. APPENDIX I: Key Performance Indicators and Targets
The V&A has 27 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), 11 of which are asked for by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the DCMS/V&A Management Agreement 2012-2015.
The V&A has set targets against 10 KPIs as follows:
2012/13 Outturn 2013/14 Forecast 2014/15Target 2015/16Target
Number of visits to the Museum excluding virtual visits *** 3,734,300 3,454,500 3,474,500 3,494,500
South Kensington 3.298,100 3,000,000 3,100,000 3,100,000
Museum of Childhood 433,300 450,000 460,000 470,000
Blythe House KPI 1
2,900 4,500 4,500 4,500
Number of visits to V&A sites and touring exhibitions KPI 2 6,049,300 4,904,500 4,974,500 4,994,500
Number of unique website visits ** KPI 5 16,260,300^ Target: to grow web visits by 10% year on year
Percentage of collections internet accessible KPI6 87.4% 88.5% 89.4% 90%
Number of visits by children under 16 ** KPI7 469,700 460,000 470,000 470,000
School Children i.e Number of facilitated and self directed visits to the museum by visitors under 18 in formal education **
KPI8 126,200**** 135,000 150,000 150,000
Number of instances of visitors under 18 participating in on site organised activities **
KPI 9 158,800*** 134,000 135,000 135,000
Number of visits to V&A touring exhibitions (UK and overseas) KPI 16 2,315,100 1,500,000 1,500,000 1,500,000
Proportion of income that is self-generated KPI 25 45.% 48% 50% 50%
Grant in Aid per actual visit to all V&A sites KPI 26 10.90 11.80 11.56 11.56
Average number of days sickness absence per employee KPI 27 4. 4 4 4
* Visitor targets were revised downwards from the targets in the 10/11 Strategic Plan to reflect the impact of the Olympics * *DCMS Performance Indicators
*** DCMS Key Performance Indicators
Other V&A KPIs are listed in the table below:
Number of repeat visits (a) in the last 12 months (b) at any time
KPI 3
Number and % of UK and overseas visits** KPI 4
Number and % of UK visits from NS-SEC groups 5-8 KPI 10
Number and % of all UK BAME visits KPI 11
Number and % of visits by UK adult visitors who consider themselves to have a limiting long-term illness, disability or infirmity KPI 12
Number and % of visits by professionals, teachers and students in the creative industries KPI 13
% of visitors who would recommend a visit ** KPI 14
Number of UK and overseas loan venues ** KPI 15
Number of publications KPI 17
Number of externally-funded research projects KPI 18
Number of research fellowships and exchanges KPI 19
Number of postgraduate students on collaborative programmes based at the V&A KPI 20
Number of occasions of advice to public bodies (e.g. Capital Taxes Office, ACE, HLF) KPI 21
Admissions income (gross income) ** KPI 22
Trading Income (net profit) ** KPI 23
Charitable giving (donations and sponsorship) ***
(a) The total amount of charitable giving i.e. gross income from activities which involve seeking financial support from e.g. sponsors, private benefactors, charitable trusts.
(b) The ratio of charitable giving to grant-in aid
KPI 24
**DCMS Performance Indicators *** DCMS Key Performance Indicators
