I would like to share with you a letter from Margaret Benton the former Director of the Covent Garden Theatre Museum, which was closed by the V&A. While the Theatre & Performance department will survive in a much truncated form along with Furniture and Fashion, her letter highlights the importance of saving staff, and their expertise plus having a specialist approach to the materials via having a dedicated Theatre & Performance department.  

Thank you again for your support,  we should know shortly the final outcome of this V&A reorganisation. Keep sharing this petition and if you have not already done so please write a letter to Dr, Hunt.   Templates available via the SIBMAS website.  

Dear Dr. Hunt

I am deeply disturbed by the proposal to abolish the V&A’s Theatre and Performance department, the collections of which are the most valuable of their kind in the world.  I beg you to reconsider the plan to merge these collections and their specialist staff with those of such different art forms.  This plan will destroy the integrity and intellectual value of the Theatre and Performance collections and lose the respect and support of performing arts professionals, academics and educationalists world-wide. 

I was the Director of the V&A’s Theatre Museum from 1990-2003 and sadly know all too well the V&A’s historic failure to grasp the importance or understand the nature of its performing arts collections. These collections provide the most comprehensive record of theatre in Britain, the nation’s premier art form, and create an unparalleled educational resource.  They cover a different subject matter and require different collecting skills and interpretation from the main V&A collections of art and design. Without the continued pro-active documentation of this ephemeral art form by a specialist unit, their value will slowly but surely diminish.

While regrettable, I could understand the reasons for abandoning the unsuitable Covent Garden building and bringing back the displays to the main South Kensington site.  And I welcome the prospect of the new Research Centre at Stratford East, but not at the expense of the V&A severely damaging its hitherto under-exploited yet potentially most exciting asset - the Theatre and Performance collections 

A clear identity and a recognised group of specialist curators and archivists are essential to continue to build both the collections and a strong relationship with the performing arts profession without which the collection will die. In turn, performing arts professionals can do so much to make the V&A a truly vibrant place for the general public.  However important or beautiful an exhibition of the V&A’s furniture collection, for example, - I doubt that it would have the educational value of an exhibition on the interpretation of Shakespeare or the audience appeal of a show on David Bowie - particularly when live performers can animate the space and interact with visitors and students.

I initiated the National Video Archive of Performance and worked extremely hard to strengthen the intellectual integrity and educational value of the V&A’s Theatre and Performance collections.  Its specialist archivists and curators continue to be leaders in their field and are crucial to academics, educationalists and theatre professionals throughout the world.   It is very sad to see the V&A seemingly set on demolishing what is one of its most important assets. I just hope that you will rethink before dismantling the unit or losing key staff.

With thanks

Yours sincerely

Margaret Benton

Image: "Theatre Museum London" by Maria Teresa Adalid is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0