V&A Friday Late takes place on the last Friday of each month, when the museum stays open until 10pm, and events which include performances, arts & crafts, film screenings, fashion, debates, workshops, special guests and DJs, start at 6.30pm.
So I went along to this free (woohoo!) event where you could take part in a 50s pin-up/pin badge making workshop, screen printing, an exhibition tour and film quizzes, as well as watching classic film trailers or getting a Hollywood makeover at the hair and make-up booths.
Funnily enough, although I had a wander around, I didn't actually end up participating in any of the happenings, and instead spent most of the time in the foyer where the DJ was, chatting to friends and listening to the music! The queues to take part in the various workshops were fairly long, and I enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere, rather than feeling like I had to come away from the event with a screen printed scarf.
As there was a bar set up in the foyer, these evening events are a great alternative to just going to the pub! I am currently cutting back on my alcohol intake, so this kind of night out is great, because even if your friends are partaking in a cheeky tipple and you're not, it's far more interesting than just sitting in the pub whilst everyone around you is getting drunkie drunk...
Which leads me to my next point: the V&A is such a beautiful setting to spend an evening, especially because you get to see the courtyard all lit up. I really like the idea of a museum being a place to socialise and get dressed up for - a grand setting to visit and appreciate as a venue, rather than just to go and try to cram in as many exhibitions as possible.
One thing I was surprised about was the lack of dancers! The DJ was playing fun music, and clearly, there was a lot of space for dancing. I would have thought that the museum would have invited along some dance teachers, as a bit of swing dancing would have gone quite well with the theme. In any case, a couple of our friends had a few dances together, and had the crowd entranced with their moves! Unfortunately, the rest of us happy footed folk were all girls, so we had no one to give us a spin on the museum's mosaic tiles.
Funnily, a friend and I became the subjects of many photographers, as people (both photographers and general visitors) asked to take our photo all night! So this is how it feels to be followed around by the paparazzi? Well, I am curious to see where our photos will pop up...
I wont be around for the next couple of Museum Lates, but will be keeping an eye out for future events, as I had a fun night!
The photos of you and your friend ended up in the V&A magazine and I have the evidence!
ReplyDeleteI want to seeeeeeeee! :)
ReplyDelete