Design

Mary Quant celebrated in V&A Dundee’s first fashion photoshoot

An iconic photograph of fashion designer Mary Quant taken in 1966 has been recreated by V&A Dundee, ahead of the opening of its first major fashion exhibition celebrating the influential designer (Thursday 27 August).

Mary Quant changed the fashion system, overturning the dominance of Paris couturiers, and transformed young women like her into the new leaders of style.

The new images shot on location inside and outside Scotland’s first design museum before it temporarily closed feature new textiles created by five emerging designers inspired by the work of Mary Quant.

Lucy Carrie, Emer Dobson, Sandra Junele, Humaira Khan and Jane Neave, all 3^rd year Textile Design students at the University of Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, were presented with an opportunity to work with V&A Dundee earlier this year as part of a project titled 21^st Century Quant, examining Mary Quant’s design legacy.

The new designers were asked to create textiles inspired by Quant’s 1960s rebellion, but also that responded to the big issues facing today’s fashion world. Detailed research and experimentation led them to explore urgent themes such as climate change, consumerism, and racism.

The textiles were then transformed into four dresses made to the exact specification of an original Mary Quant Butterick dressmaking pattern. The knitted cape designed by textile design student Sandra Junele was inspired by Quant’s famous Alligator cape, and references the importance of repurposing clothing waste as a way to tackle problems caused by fast fashion and over-consumption.

Emer Dobson created a repeat pattern using the outline of non-recyclable packaging to highlight the problem of sustainability and the issue of hidden waste.

Emer Dobson said:  “I tried to think about how the last 60 years would have changed Mary Quant’s design process, her aesthetic and her ethos. The main thing I took from my research was that she wanted to design for everyone, was forward-thinking and quite a revolutionary.

“I looked at mass production and used the supermarket as my visual source, and the onslaught of advertising and bright colours. I used that as a starting place to critique mass production. I think Mary Quant probably would have had a similar take on things.

“Every time I had an idea I thought, ‘What would Mary do?’ I think she’d be annoyed by all of this. I think she would want sustainability.”

Lucy Carrie created a design inspired by graffiti text protesting against racism, while Jane Neave’s acid-bright design is inspired by Quant’s fashion statements which challenged gender stereotypes. 

Jane Neave said:  “I really considered how Mary Quant looked, how she wore suits even though it wasn’t really done then. She designed with women, and what women wanted, in mind. Then I thought about this in relation to designing my textile and dress.”

Pharmacist turned textile designer Humaira Khan leveraged her scientific knowledge to create her dyes from scratch.

Humaira Khan said:  “Measuring dyes in the lab was exactly like my work as a production pharmacist in which I handled all the raw materials in point zero one to thousands of litres. This experience formed an excellent basis for dyes I created for this project. Though it’s a complex process, I didn’t experience any difficulties.”

After the exhibition this year and graduation next, Humaira plans to establish her own textile design business.

“I want to do something with innovation and sustainability,” she said. “I want to make items that avoid landfill, I want to make longer-lasting products.”

Sophie McKinlay, Director of Programme at V&A Dundee said:  “Mary Quant started out as a young art student, going on to become one of Britain’s best-known designers with a unique vision to use fashion as a way to communicate new attitudes and ideas. All of us at V&A Dundee have enjoyed taking a fresh look at Mary Quant’s legacy through the lens of these five young designers as they embark on their own design careers. We are delighted to celebrate Mary Quant opening at V&A Dundee with this inspiring and unique collaboration.”

Professor Anita Taylor, Dean at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design said :  “21^st Century Quant has been such an exciting project for our Textile Design students – their final designs boldly reimagine the spirit of Quant and present a fresh and feisty take on her transformational legacy and reflect and respond to current issues of climate change, social justice, and sustainability in the fashion industry. Congratulations to our emerging leaders of style!”

The 21^st Century Quant shoot was the first time V&A Dundee has been used as a fashion shoot location. The new designers worked with fashion industry professionals, photographer Aleksandra Modrzjewska and stylist Kristen Neillie.  A 2014 textile design graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Kristen Neillie has gone on to work with Vogue, Dazed and Net-a-Porter.

The 21^st Century Quant garments will be on display at V&A Dundee for the opening week of Mary Quant, on show outside the exhibition entrance.

The exhibition which focuses on the years between 1955 and 1975 will also feature the stories of women who made outfits from Mary Quant’s dressmaking patterns, gathered through V&A Dundee’s #SewQuant campaign, as well as a new film looking at contemporary female designers who, like Mary Quant, are forging their own way through today’s rapidly shifting fashion industry.

Dresses with printed textiles designed by Lucy Carrie, Emer Dobson, Sandra Junele, Humaira Khan and Jane Neave. Dress production by Min Atelier.

Cape with knitted textile designed by Sandra Junele, produced by JAG Knitwear, 2020

Mary Quant was curated by Jenny Lister and Stephanie Wood of the V&A and shown at V&A South Kensington from 6 April 2019 to 16 February 2020. 

The Mary Quant exhibition at V&A Dundee opens Thursday 27 August to 17 January 2021.

Mary Quant at V&A Dundee is supported by Barclays Private Bank.

#QuantDundee #SewDundee

vam.ac.uk/dundee/maryquant

Photo credits :

1966 photograph:  Mary Quant and her Ginger Group of girls in Market Street Manchester. February 1966. Photo by Howard Walker, Mirrorpix, Getty Images
21^st Century Quant photograph:  Photographed by Aleksandra Modrzjewska on location at V&A Dundee, styled by Kristen Neillie, Hair by Kay McIntyre, Make up by Jill Syme.

Designers: Lucy Carrie, Emer Dobson, Sandra Junele, Humaira Khan and Jane Neave.

Models: Catriona Merchant, Joy Gansh, Jolene Guthrie, Lindsey Gordon, Maisie Farrer.

SHOPPERS and visitors returning to Dundee city centre after lockdown will find a brighter livelier scene than the one they might remember.

Dundee City Council has joined forces with retailers and artists to brighten up the main shopping streets with posters, window displays, street painting and shop trails.

Mark Flynn, deputy convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee visited a number of city centre locations and shops to see preparations for himself today (WEDNESDAY).

He said: “Dundee is a city full of creative, innovative and interesting artists and makers whose talents we are keen to showcase and harness as a win-win way of creating a vibrant and attractive shopping and visitor experience.

“This programme of activities will inject a dose of colour and life into the main shopping areas in a number of different ways from using empty shop windows to brightening up our streets.

"We want to do all we can as a council to help create a city centre that is an enjoyable place to be and that attracts people back into our shops, cafes and other retailers.”

First up is the poster takeover using artworks created by the public on WeDundee.com, which is offering people the chance to comment on the future of the city in a fun and creative way at www.wedundee.com

The Dundee Windows project will match artists with vacant openings dotted around the city centre to create bold and colourful selfie friendly designs that celebrate local people and places.

Application/information for Dundee Windows can be found at: www.dundeecity.gov.uk/dundeewindows

In the coming weeks Castle Street will be transformed by a colourful design painted onto the cobbles, leading people up a playful route from Shore Terrace to the High Street.

Cllr Flynn added: “This element of the project will bring a sense of fun to the city centre and as with the other parts of the initiative we hope it will increase footfall and support the many other measures the council has and continues to put to in place to support the city’s economic recovery.”

The latest initiatives follow the launch of the MonsterHeroes safari trail in which participants use their smart phone to find 10 of the cute and colourful creatures dotted around the city centre.

Using contactless NFC technology and QR codes, without the need for players to download or sign up to anything the Safari allows players to learn each of the MonsterHero’s names, stories, and superpowers and when all 10 have been found, a free e-book, that tells the story of their first team-up is unlocked.

V&A Dundee will reopen on Thursday 27 August with its first major fashion exhibition, Mary Quant, and an exciting new programme extending throughout the whole museum. 

Mary Quant is the first international retrospective on the iconic British designer who disrupted the fashion establishment, captured the spirit of London in the 1960s, and started a fashion revolution that a whole generation wanted to take part in – and still continues today. 

The exhibition will run from 27 August to 17 January 2021, with tickets on sale from today at www.vam.ac.uk/dundee This will be followed by Night Fever: Designing Club Culture from 27 March to 5 September 2021. 

Turner Prize-winning architecture collective Assemble will begin work in V&A Dundee on Making Room from 27 August, a project with Dundee Central Library, local school pupils and the museum’s Young People’s Collective.  

Making Room is taking inspiration from historic buildings in Dundee to produce a new interior room that will be built in V&A Dundee before being moved to Dundee Central Library, where it will function as an area for digital learning and making for the city. 

Scotland’s first design museum has also curated a new exhibition in response to the coronavirus pandemic, looking at how designers responded to the crisis. Now Accepting Contactless: Design in a Global Pandemic will be shown in the Michelin Design Gallery, in spaces throughout the museum and, for the first time, outside the museum as well. 

Other design projects will be shown across the museum, including Sewing Box for the Future and films from the Schools Design Challenge, as well as the reopening of the Scottish Design Galleries including Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s iconic Oak Room. 

A number of measures will be in place across the museum to ensure a safe, welcoming and inspiring experience for visitors and staff alike. All visitors will need to book free tickets to enter the museum, as part of the essential steps to keep visitors safe and to ensure physical distancing. Those free tickets can also be booked from today at www.vam.ac.uk/dundee 

Mary Quant at V&A Dundee is supported by Barclays Private Bank. Making Room and the Schools Design Challenge are both supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Leonie Bell, incoming Director of V&A Dundee, said: “I am hugely excited to be preparing to join the team at V&A Dundee, particularly at a time when Scotland’s first design museum will be reopening and welcoming visitors back with Mary Quant, its first major fashion exhibition, and its most ambitious programme to date.  

“That programme also includes the brilliant architecture collective Assemble working with young people in Dundee and an exploration of how designers responded to the pandemic, underlining the importance of design to everyone’s lives.” 

Sophie McKinlay, Director of Programme at V&A Dundee, said: “Everyone at V&A Dundee is delighted to be preparing our remarkable museum to reopen once again, and we have all been working hard to welcome visitors back for a safe, enjoyable experience. 

“Mary Quant is a remarkable designer who did so much to revolutionise the fashion industry and to empower women to wear clothes that looked great and felt great, and it’s the perfect choice for our first major fashion exhibition. 

“Across the rest of the museum visitors will see more than they’ve ever seen before, with displays inside and outside the museum that explore creative responses to how the world has changed and how we hope it may change in the future.” 

Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: “The reopening of V&A Dundee will be yet another important milestone in the city’s journey out of lockdown. 

“I am pleased that the Assemble partnership with Central Library will see local young people given the opportunity to get involved in an exciting design project that reaches out into the community. 

“I also hope that our local economy and businesses will be given a boost by visitors who come to the city because of the tremendous attractions of V&A Dundee and its Mary Quant exhibition.” 

Mary Quant designed clothes that made people feel good. She made quality designer fashion affordable through licensing her youthful and playful brand, creating dressmaking patterns, make-up and accessories that all showcased her iconic daisy logo. 

Mary Quant encouraged a new age of feminism, inspiring young women to rebel against the traditional clothing worn by their mothers and grandmothers. Her shop Bazaar opened in 1955, the year after World War Two food rationing ended, and her colourful designs were a reaction against the austerity and drabness of post-war London. 

Mary Quant is famous for popularising the miniskirt, but her designs offered many different versions of femininity and challenged the conventional gender stereotypes of post-war Britain. 

Key objects featured within the exhibition include the pioneering ‘Wet Collection’ PVC rainwear, a jute miniskirt, and designs that playfully subverted menswear at a time when women were still banned from wearing trousers in formal settings such as restaurants. 

The exhibition in Dundee will also feature the stories of women who made outfits from Mary Quant’s dressmaking patterns, gathered through V&A Dundee’s #SewQuant campaign, as well as a new film looking at contemporary female designers who, like Mary Quant, are forging their own way through today’s rapidly shifting fashion industry. 

Mary Quant was curated by Jenny Lister and Stephanie Wood of the V&A and shown at V&A South Kensington from 6 April 2019 to 16 February 2020.  

#QuantDundee  

#welcomeback

Image:  © PA Prints 2008

An award-winning young British artist has been chosen to provide the centre-piece of a key space at Dundee Waterfront.

Delivering the next phase of the project will be a fundamental part of the city’s economic recovery plan and the decision to award the contract to Lee Simmons allows detailed design and engineering work to take place.

Construction on the other elements of Waterfront Place will continue when the current restrictions are eased.

Lee Simmons has centred his design proposal on a sculpture in the form of a humpback whale that will act as a beacon within the new interactive play park at Waterfront Place.

His design and cost of £134,750 were judged to provide the best overall quality/price by a panel of experts led by Dundee City Council.

Alan Ross convener of the council’s city development committee said: “Looking at Lee’s proposal, and some of his previous work in London, shows not only what a talented and creative individual he is but also that someone with his track record wanted to be a part of the Waterfront redevelopment, demonstrates the massive buzz that it is creating across the country and beyond.

“This decision allows the more detailed design work to be undertaken so we are ready to get underway without delay, subject of course to the government advising that construction activity is safe.” 

Lee said: “I am delighted to have been offered my first commission in Scotland and excited by the idea of getting started when it’s possible.

“The natural form of a huge mammal created with modern materials in such an amazing setting is perfect for me because I love to bring together architecture, art and design and explore what blurring their boundaries looks and feels like.”

The council invited proposals from potential designers to develop and deliver a unique space within Waterfront Place to bring art, technology and play together to deliver a contemporary destination.

Chosen for the city’s historical connections to whaling, a key element of the play space is an original “sculptural structure” in the form of a whale, and seven innovative and ambitious entries to the design competition were judged on quality and cost.

As part of the selection process, a shortlist of four were invited to present to a panel chaired by Dundee City Council and including representatives of V&A Dundee, Abertay University, St Andrews University and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.

The humpback whale design will be the centrepiece of the space created in a size and scale that complements its surroundings, while accommodating both convincing aesthetic values and visual strength.

Formed in tubular sections that follow the contours of the creature, the structure will flow from the northern entrance of Waterfront Place with the tail arching towards the Tay to capture a sense of movement.

Visitors to the park will also enjoy a multi-sensory experience using both sound and light and exploring the use of an interactive canvas beneath the whale that can respond to users’ three dimensional movements.  

In line with the council’s procedures during the pandemic the contract was approved by the chief executive and executive director of city development in consultation with the committee’s convener, Labour Group Spokesperson, Conservative Group Spokesperson, Liberal Democrat Group Spokesperson, the Independent Member and the Lord Provost.

It will be published under the scheme of delegated powers and reported to the city development committee for information once the council returns to its normal business.

The council and its partners will work closely with the appointed design team to fully develop all workings drawings and design information required for tender purposes and a further tender report will be brought back to the city development committee to approve construction costs for the finalised design.

V&A Dundee has welcomed its 1 millionth visitor today (Tuesday 4 February), just over 500 days after it first opened.

Seven-year-old Nalani Becker from Berlin arrived at the museum at 11.04am with her father Jan, while her mother was working at the University of Dundee. 

The family are visiting friends in Dundee and technology enthusiast Nalani was excited to see the latest exhibition Hello, Robot. Design Between Human and Machine which closes this Sunday and will not be shown anywhere else in the UK.

Nalani and Jan were surprised with a gift bag including Hello, Robot exhibition tickets, afternoon tea in Tatha Bar and Kitchen, and a voucher for £100 to spend in the museum shop.

The museum opened in September 2018 and welcomed over 830,000 visitors in its first year, far exceeding the estimate of 500,000.

V&A Dundee also had a £75 million economic impact across Scotland in its first year after opening, according to recent independent research conducted by Ekosgen and Reference Economic Consultants.

Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “I am thrilled that today we have welcomed our 1 millionth visitor, just over 500 days after opening the doors of Scotland’s first design museum.

“We have a hugely exciting year ahead, with the last chance to see our UK-exclusive exhibition Hello, Robot this weekend and our first major fashion exhibition Mary Quant opening in April. I would like to thank everyone who has helped to create V&A Dundee, and who continues to support its incredible success.”

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “I’d like to congratulate V&A Dundee for welcoming its 1 millionth visitor, an impressive achievement and a sign of the museum’s strong appeal to visitors from around the world.

“The museum, built with the help of £38 million in Scottish Government funding, has already more than proved its cultural value, far exceeding expectations for visitor numbers and improving Scotland’s status as a prime destination for world-class cultural experiences.”

UK Arts Minister Helen Whately said: "In a short space of time V&A Dundee has had a huge impact: bringing millions to the Scottish economy, championing Scottish design and now celebrating its millionth visitor.

"The museum has become a tourist magnet, delivering huge benefits to Dundee and the surrounding area, and the UK Government is very proud to be one of its early backers."

Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: "This is another tremendous achievement for V&A Dundee and the city.

“Our stunning museum is now very firmly part of the cultural fabric of Dundee, with its design galleries and exhibition programme attracting locals and visitors alike.

“It has raised Dundee’s international profile and played a key part in securing record-breaking tourism figures. V&A Dundee is helping to create jobs and new economic opportunities for the city.”

Caroline Clark, Director Scotland of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “When we took the decision to support V&A Dundee, we recognised the need for a world-class destination in Scotland to showcase the creativity, innovations and inventions that, over time, have changed lives across the world.

“We are delighted that it has reached this incredible milestone so soon. It is a real testimony to the thirst people have for exploring and celebrating their design heritage and a fitting reward for all who have contributed to the project’s success.”

V&A Dundee is currently showing Hello, Robot. Design Between Human and Machine until 9 February 2020, which challenges our assumptions about robots and investigates how they are shaping the world we live in. The exhibition has never been shown in the UK before.

Hello, Robot has been reviewed as a “groundbreaking exhibition” by The Guardian and “an unprecedented exploration” by The Daily Telegraph, and been included as a critic’s choice by The Herald and The Times.

This will be followed by V&A Dundee’s first major fashion exhibition, Mary Quant, from 4 April 2020 and Night Fever: Designing Club Culture from 31 October 2020, another UK-first exhibition.

V&A Dundee was developed with support from the Scottish Government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Dundee City Council, the UK Government, Creative Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, University of Dundee, Abertay University and many trusts, companies and private donors.

The museum was officially opened by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in January 2019.

The “coolest little city,” the UNESCO City of Design and the home of jute production. We have design and fashion running through the veins of Dundee. With such a rich textile history, the city was already set to be a fashion centre in Scotland. Now, design institutes and successful contemporary fashion designers born and or based in the city, have continued the momentum that started over a century ago.

Jute may have been the beginning of the fashion journey in the city, even earning Dundee the name ‘Juteopolis’ in the 1900s. It started at the beginning of the industrial revolution. The burgeoning British Empire brought the trade of flax, which began the development of jute. It was a coarse material to begin with, only used for packaging and burlap sacks. Many years of refining the process in the mills of the city however, transformed the material into something coveted in couture brands the world over. Major fashion houses such as Balmain and Donna Karen have been known to use the ‘golden fibre’ on the catwalk. After cotton, it’s the cheapest fibre to use but more importantly is sustainable and eco-friendly, which is why you might find it cropping back up in a modern world, centred on environmentalism.

Not only is the production of fabric an accolade the city can be proud of, UNESCO recognised the city’s design expertise in 2014. It was recognised then, and still is today that Dundee has a contemporary creative scene with an expertise in fashion. The 2012 winner of 'Scottish Young Designer of the Year’ Hayley Scanlan was born in the city and has dressed pop culture queens such as Little Mix, Pixie Lott, Jessie J and more. She went on to win the award once again in 2014, making her the only designer to win the title twice.  

Many other designers have emerged on catwalks from Dundee including Dreamland clothing whose line was requested exclusively by online fashion giants ASOS and Forever 21. Wilde Mode is a brand specialising in underwear for comfort that promotes body positivity and confidence. These amongst many others contribute to the flourishing fashion culture alive and thriving here. 

In 2018, Dundee hosted its own fashion week, celebrating up-and-coming designers. It championed the city’s artists, fashion designers, bloggers and jewellery designers. The V&A also honours the cities fashion heritage by hosting workshops and exhibitions. Last year the work of designer Nicholas Daley was exhibited in the museum, showing his creative workspace and how his Scottish-Jamaican heritage influenced his work. As of April this year, Mary Quant, whose iconic, sixties Mod style contributed to changing the face of fashion worldwide, will be exhibited.

Dundee has always and will continue to be the coolest little city, most likely because of its long standing connection with fashion. The future looks bright for the already successful designers affiliated with the city.

V&A Dundee welcomed over 830,000 visitors in its first year, 330,000 more than the pre-opening estimate of 500,000 visitors.

In the last 12 months the museum was visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for its official opening, made the front cover of TIME Magazine as one of the world’s Greatest Places of 2019, won numerous awards, hosted filming of BBC Antiques Roadshow and even featured in an IRN-BRU Snowman advert.

V&A Dundee’s opening last year marked over ten years of planning and preparation, including the design of Kengo Kuma’s remarkable new building, major conservation projects including Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room, and a wide range of new commissions and learning projects.

The museum is estimated to have an economic impact of £23 million across Scotland in its first year, supporting 604 full-time equivalent jobs. V&A Dundee’s creation also allows design exhibitions to be shown in Scotland on a scale never seen before, as its exhibition galleries are the nation’s largest.

Scotland’s first design museum sits at the centre of the Dundee waterfront, an ambitious 30-year, £1 billion regeneration project which began in 2001.

Key achievements in the first year include:

• 833,015 visitors during normal opening hours
• 33,839 people attending evening events, in addition to the day visitors
• 27,000 people taking part in events and previews to mark the museum’s opening, including the public 3D Festival
• Over 26,000 people taking part in learning events, talks and workshops
• Over 8,000 memberships sold, giving over 20,000 people free access to major exhibitions and other benefits
• Over 4,000 school pupils visiting the museum, supported by a free travel programme
• Contributed to a £16 million boost in the value of Dundee tourism in 2018, which at £187 million already exceeds the city’s target for 2020
• The first ever book published on the history of Scottish design
• Two major exhibitions, and four exhibitions in our Michelin Design Gallery showcasing new Scottish design creativity

Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “The last 12 months have been remarkable and I can hardly believe all that’s been achieved in that time. As well as welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors and putting on world-class exhibitions championing Scottish and international design, the museum has really become part of the city, and for that I’d like to thank everyone for their support.

“We’re very proud of the contribution we have already made to Dundee and Scotland, and the opportunities we are generating for our nation’s creative talent, such as our current exhibition of work by the brilliant young fashion designer Nicholas Daley. We look forward to welcoming many more visitors to our upcoming major exhibitions Hello, Robot and Mary Quant.”

Independent research commissioned by V&A Dundee estimated the museum’s economic impact in the first year would be £10.3 million in Dundee and £23 million across the whole of Scotland. This was expected to support 178 full-time equivalent jobs in Dundee and 604 across Scotland.

The research, conducted by Ekosgen and Reference Economics, was based on 500,000 visitors in the first year. Work is underway to calculate the actual economic impact, which is now expected to exceed the initial estimates.

Tim Allan, Chair of the Board of V&A Dundee, said: “V&A Dundee has already proven itself to be a major new international attraction, bringing tourists from around the world to Dundee to spend time and money, supporting local businesses. In turn, this is already encouraging new investment and job creation.

“The 30-year waterfront vision outlined in 2001 is clearly ahead of target and I look forward to seeing many more companies investing in Dundee in the next decade.”

Visitors to V&A Dundee are coming from all over the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and the United States.

The museum has welcomed 36% of its visitors from Dundee and Tayside, 41% from the rest of Scotland, 14% from the rest of the UK and 9% from the rest of the world, according to the most recent figures. For 41% of visitors V&A Dundee was the sole reason they were visiting the city.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “The opening of V&A Dundee on the city’s waterfront heralded an exciting new chapter for Dundee and the future of design and innovation across our nation. As Scotland’s first design museum, V&A Dundee celebrates this heritage and our achievements in innovation across the ages, promoting Scotland globally and attracting visitors and investment.

“I congratulate V&A Dundee on its incredible first year of success and I look forward to its future exhibitions and development.”

The research by Ekosgen and Reference Economics also found that the construction of V&A Dundee had an economic impact of £35.8 million in Dundee, generating total employment of 501 job years. Across Scotland those figures rise to an economic impact of £70.4 million and employment of 981 job years.

V&A Dundee has also this week published its Final Evaluation Report, a major 150-page document summarising the key achievements from the start of construction until six months after opening. This was produced as part of the funding agreement with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Dundee City Council leader Councillor John Alexander said: “V&A Dundee has helped to boost the international profile of our city, encouraging people to visit this amazing new museum and our other well-established attractions.

“The city’s partners have a long-term vision to create local jobs and opportunities through investment in top-class facilities like V&A Dundee and the latest economic impact figures show this is already paying off, with record-breaking tourism numbers recorded in 2018.

“I am delighted to help our design museum celebrate its first birthday as we look toward to what can be achieved in the years to come.”

Deirdre Robertson, Chief Executive of Dundee Heritage Trust, said: “We have seen significant increases in visitors to Discovery Point since the opening of V&A Dundee last year. Not only paying visitors to the museum, but footfall across our restaurant and gift shop has been considerably higher.

“The approximate increase in paid visits over the period of September 2018 to August 2019 is 44%, and we can only thank our new neighbour, V&A Dundee, for their part in establishing Dundee as a must-visit tourist destination.”

Later this year V&A Dundee will open Hello, Robot. Design Between Human and Machine on 2 November, a ground-breaking exhibition challenging our assumptions about robots and investigating how they are shaping the world we live in. The exhibition has never been shown in the UK before.

This will be followed by Mary Quant from 4 April 2020 and Night Fever: Designing Club Culturefrom 31 October 2020, another UK-first exhibition.

V&A Dundee has been named as one of Scotland’s premier visitor attractions for international travellers to visit this year.

American news magazine, TIME, one of the most respected and informative guides to the world’s events, and famous for its iconic front cover images, has revealed that V&A Dundee and The Macallan Distillery have been listed as two of ‘The World’s Greatest Places 2019’.

Dundee City Council leader Councillor John Alexander said: “This is another exciting accolade for V&A Dundee and yet more recognition that Dundee is a thriving and exciting city. We have built an international reputation as a creative centre with arts and culture as a driving force in our ongoing transformation.

“The opening of V&A Dundee was a pivotal moment in this journey. I am pleased to see that hundreds of thousands of people have visited so far, far exceeding expectations. I hope that TIME Magazine’s award will help attract even more visitors to our city.”

The two Scottish attractions are joined on the list of 100 global destinations by the University Arms Cambridge.  These are the only destinations in the UK to be featured on this year's list.

V&A Dundee, an international centre for design for Scotland, was opened in September 2018, and has already attracted more than 750,000 people. Around a quarter of these visitors were reported to have come from the rest of the UK or overseas.

The first ever design museum to be built in the UK outside London, it was designed by internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and stands at the centre of a £1 billion transformation of Dundee’s waterfront. V&A Dundee has been credited with driving visitor numbers and spend to the city according the figures released by Dundee City Council earlier this year.  Tourists contributed £187 million to the local economy in 2018, an increase of £16m on the previous 12 months, with the number of day visitors to Dundee increasing by 36 per cent to 560,000 in the same period.

In response to the inclusion of both attractions being included in ‘The World’s Greatest Places 2019, Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a fantastic achievement for both the V&A Dundee and The Macallan Distillery. Both attractions represent the very best of Scotland’s tourism experience.

“The city of Dundee has seen enormous benefit from the opening of the world class V&A museum. Since it opened, the museum has attracted more than half a million visitors from all over the UK and throughout the world, and has been part of the rejuvenation of the waterfront in Dundee."

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: “The Macallan Distillery and V&A Dundee’s inclusion in this prestigious list of the top 100 places to see in the world this year is testament to both attractions’ stature in the UK.  I don’t think anyone could go to either location and not stand back in awe at these amazing feats of architecture, bringing their surroundings to life, as well as be drawn in to the experiences they offer visitors.

“Both attractions have been ground-breaking for their respective city and region. They have forged reputations for innovation, creativity, learning, community engagement and unforgettable experiences, helping to elevate the unique characters of both Dundee and Moray Speyside, and of Scotland, and put them in the map as a must-see places to visit.

“We can’t be complacent however and it is important that we continue to encourage the tourism industry to provide world-class service, facilities, events and attractions to keep up with ever-changing consumer demands and ensure visitors continue to have memorable experiences across Scotland.”

For more information about V&A Dundee and more things to see and do in Dundee, please visit: https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/dundee/

The UK’s coolest little city will be fizzing with videogames talent, innovation and fun for the next four months as a Summer of Games rolls out across Dundee.

Following the launch of V&A Dundee’s latest exhibition, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt on April 20, the city is gearing up for a programme of public, academic and industry events - from immersive tech conferences and videogames design competitions, to a public celebration of graduate talent, a family friendly digital treasure trail and the return of the nationwide UK Games Fund Awards.

Partners from across the city and beyond including the UK Games Fund, Abertay University, Dundee City Council, Creative Dundee, Biome Collective, V&A Dundee, InGAME, UK Interactive Entertainment, 4J Studios and the University of Glasgow will be offering up a feast of activities to showcase the work and creativity of the games sector.

Kicking the summer off will be Abertay University’s Digital Graduate Show, expected to draw a crowd of thousands from May 10-14 as students from Europe’s top games university showcase their achievements.

The free public show will feature everything from videogames and virtual reality experiences, through to animation, 3D modelling, character and concept design, coding, augmented reality and illustration, and is a draw for everyone from developers and culture vultures to game players and families.

Also in May, academic researchers and games industry professionals from across Scotland will descend on the city for an event led by the University of Glasgow, exploring the future of mixed reality tech such as VR and AR and their implications for how we play.

Panel event im/material: Virtual Encounters With Material Worlds will feature a discussion between academics, game designers, and digital storytellers, exploring the opportunities for storytelling and gaming created by the blurring between virtual and physical worlds.

On May 18, focus will return to the magnificent V&A Dundee for Arcadia conference co-curated in partnership with the city’s Biome Collective. Featuring world-leading designers and radical thinkers, the event will cover the full spectrum of game-making and explore its cultural impact.

That evening, Edinburgh-based We Throw Switches will take over the museum for Press Play - a one-off evening showcase of playable international design running from 7pm to 10pm.

As if that wasn’t enough for the opening month, games fans can also attend Creative Dundee’s biggest ever Pecha Kucha Night event at the Caird Hall on May 28, where legendary games composer Ged Grimes - creator of soundtracks for the likes of Earthworm Jim 3D, Enter the Matrix, Shrek 3 and the critically-acclaimed The Bard’s Tale IV Barrows Deep - will be among the speakers.

Throughout the summer, two Dundee-based videogames talent development competitions, Tranzfuser and Dare Academy, will feed into the Summer of Games programme.

Both contests, run by the UK Games Fund and Abertay University respectively, see teams conceptualise, pitch and create games before panels of industry judges select winning titles.

The Summer of Games will continue into June and July with a series of other activities, including a digital treasure trail for families as part of Dundee City Council’s Dundee Summer Streets Festival, a UK Hub Crawl workshop for local games companies from UK Interactive Entertainment and an R&D showcase event from the city’s new Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise (InGAME) project – a collaboration between the universities of Abertay, Dundee and St Andrews.

On September 4, the UK Games Fund Awards will be held at V&A Dundee, forming part of the final week of the superb Videogames Design/Play/Disrupt exhibition. 

The event will once again celebrate the UK’s grass-roots indie games sector, with awards including those for Best Studio and Games Development Genius, alongside a range of other accolades recognising and rewarding the innovation and hard work of the country’s game developer talent.

Finally, rounding off the summer in style, V&A Dundee will collaborate with Abertay University on a unique Game Jam to mark the end of the exhibition.

Members of the public can watch games being created live, as computer artists work with programmers, designers and sound engineers in the museum’s open spaces from September 6-8.

Paul Durrant, Founder and Chief Executive of the UK Games Fund said: “The benefit of having Dundee as the base for our UK operations is that we are able to participate in fabulous opportunities like this. We'll be sharing the delights of Dundee with over 150 members of our community representing 70 different games studios who'll we'll bring to the city from all corners of the UK during the Summer of Games."

Professor Gregor White, Dean of Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics said: “Dundee is one of the UK’s most innovative and forward-thinking videogames clusters and it’s fantastic to see such a wealth of activity taking place across the city. I’m delighted our academics, graduates and students have been able to get involved in such a wide and varied programme of events, catering to everyone from children discovering games for the first time to developers pushing the cutting edge of the medium.”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, Ukie CEO said: “Games now contribute massively to culture, society and the economy and Dundee is very much at the forefront of the games sector in the UK. It’s therefore brilliant to have an event like Summer of Games, being hosted in Dundee, that celebrates and showcases so many of the different aspects of the games industry and we’re delighted to be supporting it by helping local games businesses and students to get investor ready at our Hub Crawl.”

Chris van der Kuyl, Chairman of Dundee-based 4J Studios said: “Dundee has been firmly on the world map as an international hub for the videogames industry for a long time now, but this feels like the year that reputation is being cemented in minds of the public at large. The breadth of activity across this Summer of Games once again drives home that this sector is not just about playing or making games as entertainment – it’s about using games to explore new ideas, finding creative solutions to complex problems and giving young creative talent the opportunity to succeed.”

Gillian Easson, Director of Creative Dundee said: “This year is a great opportunity to show just how important Dundee’s creative industries are to Scotland and there’s never been a better chance to shine a light on all the amazing projects we have going on in the city. There’s so much talent in the videogames cluster and it’s a real privilege to collaborate with people working in the sector across Dundee through projects like Pecha Kucha.”

Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee said: “Dundee has a rich history of digital creativity and the annual Abertay Digital Graduate Show is always a highlight in the city’s cultural calendar. This summer will be a particularly exciting time for game players and anyone with an interest in art, creativity and design, from the many different events and talks to our major new exhibition, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt.”

Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council said: “It is great to see Dundee celebrating its rich video gaming heritage in so many ways this summer. The city’s Summer Streets Festival has been bitten by the videogame bug, as this year it will feature a digital treasure hunt for families to enjoy. Dundee is the place to be for videogames this summer and there is really something for everyone.”

Director of InGAME, Sean Taylor said: “It is great to see so much activity around the videogames industry in Dundee in store this summer and we are very much looking forward to revealing some of the key projects that InGAME will be focussing on. This industry is vitally important to Scotland and we are committed to working with local companies as we seek to increase the scape and value of the Dundee cluster.”

Director of Biome Collective, Malath Abbas said: “It’s fantastic to see the scale of activity taking place across Dundee this summer and that illustrates just how far the city has come in terms of understanding the wide-ranging scope and purposes of the games sector. Diversity and experimentation are key to our sector and Arcadia will help celebrate this! We are delighted to be bringing Arcadia back this year and V&A Dundee is the perfect setting for the great line-up of speakers we have in store.”

Follow #SummerOfGames this summer.