This week, History and History of Art students visited the newly opened V&A East Storehouse, located a short walk from LAE near the Olympic Park.

Opened earlier this year, the Storehouse reimagines what a museum can be, and brings the behind-the-scenes world of curation and conservation into public view. Across its 30 floors, visitors can explore over 600,000 objects and library books from the V&A’s collections, gaining insight into how museums preserve, interpret, and display their works.

For our History of Art students, it was a chance to see the curatorial decisions that influence how we experience art, and to think critically about how exhibitions guide the stories we tell through visual culture. Meanwhile, History students were able to explore how artefacts and objects serve as primary sources, deepening their understanding of how material culture brings the past to life. The visit led to some lively discussion about how museums interpret historical evidence, and how those interpretations can shift over time.

In a hands-on workshop led by a curator, students explored the theme of identity through design and visual communication. Drawing inspiration from the artworks they encountered, they created personal charms reflecting their own identities and cultural heritages.

The trip offered a glimpse into the future of museums — and a fresh way for our students to connect their classroom learning to the wider world of art and culture.