A new BBC documentary series is to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most famous museums.
Secrets Of The Museum will pull back the curtain on the inner workings at London’s Victoria & Albert, a world leader in art and design.
The six-part series, due to air on BBC Two next year, will follow the V&A’s specialist teams and reveal the “tricks of their trade”, the BBC said, as they go about acquiring, cleaning, conserving, loaning and displaying some of the museum’s more than two million objects.
Some of the rare and valuable items at the museum include Charles Dickens’ original manuscripts, Brexit-inspired vases made by the artist Grayson Perry, Kylie Minogue’s travelling wardrobe and a record-breaking bike belonging to Olympian cyclist Bradley Wiggins.
Alistair Pegg, director of programmes at Blast! Films, the company making the series, said: “Access to make a series inside the V&A is a documentary-maker’s dream and we’re looking forward to bringing a side of the museum to life that visitors never get to see – from discovering some of the thousands of items kept in the stores, to revealing the expertise and dedication of staff working to preserve and protect a huge range of wonderful objects.”
Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said: “Our aim at the V&A is to champion creative industry, inspire the next generation and enrich everyone’s imagination.
“We hope this series will inspire a new generation of designers and makers, museum-goers and day-trippers to fall in love with the V&A and its remarkable collection.”
The V&A – named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – has a collection spanning 5,000 years of human creativity.