The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) East has officially opened global applications for the inaugural Design Trust Fellowship, offering a one-of-a-kind opportunity for creative practitioners to dive into object-based research and produce a new commissioned work inspired by textiles, fashion, and the layered narratives of clothing.
What’s Offered?
The Design Trust Fellowship at V&A East offers a generous funding package of HKD $275,000 (approximately USD $35,000), which covers the creative practitioner’s time, travel expenses to and from London, Hong Kong, and other relevant locations in China, accommodation during the fellowship period, and all research and production costs related to the final commissioned work.
Fellows are expected to conduct a minimum of three weeks of in-person research at the V&A East Storehouse in London. This opportunity is open to applicants based anywhere in the world, making it a truly global call for creative voice.
What Is the Design Trust Fellowship?
Launching in Autumn 2025, this one-year, fully-funded fellowship invites designers, artists, and creatives from around the globe to explore the theme “The Stories of Clothes.” Through archival research at the V&A East Storehouse in London, along with fieldwork in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and mainland China, the Fellow will develop a compelling creative output that interrogates the meaning, memory, and cultural symbolism of clothing.
The final commissioned piece—whether textile, installation, video, sculpture, or multimedia—will be exhibited for six months at the cutting-edge V&A East venue between Autumn 2026 and Spring 2027.
Theme: “The Stories of Clothes”
The Fellowship seeks bold, thought-provoking responses that address:
- The emotional and political lives of garments
- The relationship between bodies and the clothes that cover them
- The historical and contemporary narratives embedded in textile design, production, and disposal
- Counter-narratives and overlooked archives, inspired by the methodology of scholar Saidiya Hartman
Research is encouraged to be rooted in object-based methods, with a focus on archival storytelling, experimental practice, and cross-cultural insights, especially in relation to Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
How to Apply?
Applicants must submit the following documents in English:
- A research and conceptual proposal (max. 500 words and up to 5 images)
- A budget plan outlining use of the HKD $275,000
- A CV (max. 500 words).
Apply: https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/east/open-call-design-trust-fellowship-va-east
Applications should be sent via email to [email protected] no later than Friday, 22 August 2025 (midnight GMT). The selection panel—comprising members from the V&A East and Design Trust teams—may conduct interviews with shortlisted applicants before selecting the final Fellow by September 2025.