The Victoria and Albert Museum's (V&A) plans to open an outpost in Dundee have moved a step closer after budget and curatorial proposals for the satellite branch were outlined at a seminar in the Scottish city.
The proposed venture, a joint initiative between the V&A, Scottish Enterprise and Dundee's two universities and city council, would be the centrepiece of the £270m Dundee Waterfront Project. Scheduled for completion by 2013, the new museum is to cost £42m and have an annual operating budget of about £2.7m.
V&A director Mark Jones told delegates that he was "heartened" by support for the plan, but the success of the project would be dependent on "radical" improvements to visitor access to the city.
The London museum will not be involved in funding the project. The conference report stated that "the safest form of continuing funding is from an endowment of money . . . [other] possible sources of continuing support to cover a gap in financing operating costs are specific government programmes [for example, education] and arts, tourism or government organisations".
V&A blockbuster exhibitions and touring shows would occupy the 1,200 sq metre main gallery, with semi-permanent exhibitions curated by the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in an adjoining smaller space.
The proposed venture, a joint initiative between the V&A, Scottish Enterprise and Dundee's two universities and city council, would be the centrepiece of the £270m Dundee Waterfront Project. Scheduled for completion by 2013, the new museum is to cost £42m and have an annual operating budget of about £2.7m.
V&A director Mark Jones told delegates that he was "heartened" by support for the plan, but the success of the project would be dependent on "radical" improvements to visitor access to the city.
The London museum will not be involved in funding the project. The conference report stated that "the safest form of continuing funding is from an endowment of money . . . [other] possible sources of continuing support to cover a gap in financing operating costs are specific government programmes [for example, education] and arts, tourism or government organisations".
V&A blockbuster exhibitions and touring shows would occupy the 1,200 sq metre main gallery, with semi-permanent exhibitions curated by the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in an adjoining smaller space.
