The financial commitment made by the Scottish Government means the V&A project can now appoint staff and progress with fund-raising, but it is also about raising public awareness outside of Dundee.
Professor Georgina Follett is deputy principal of Dundee University and dean of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.
A graduate of the Royal College of Art with over 40 years’ contemporary craft practice, she is passionate about the benefits the V&A at Dundee can bring.
Professor Follett said, “It’s another milestone and it’s the start of the beginning.
“I honestly think this is such a good project and it is so important for the city, for the creative industries and for design professionals and it’s all there it’s a magic package.”
Professor Follett believes that to establish a new economy for the creative industries in Dundee, the correct infrastructure needs to be in place and the V&A is the city’s chance to seize that opportunity.
She said, “The culture minister came and met with four of our young researchers and we showed her the type of research that we do, which is not typical for an art college.
“We wanted to show the impact the V&A at Dundee can have and how using knowledge exchange can help commercialise products.
“The V&A will give industry the opportunity to take projects that have a research base, and are fully articulated, and commercialise them.”
Another thing people can look forward to is the beginning of exhibitions that will demonstrate the kind of content soon to be on show in the new building at Craig Harbour.’Mind-blowing’ supportProfessor Follett said, “The exhibitions start from November of this year and, from now on, on an annual basis in the McManus Galleries, there will be a show from the V&A here in Dundee, leading in to the full opening. There is also a learning and outreach programme that we have to deliver.”
The exhibition of the Kengo Kuma design model goes on show at Holyrood on Monday then travels to The Lighthouse in Glasgow at the start of February before ending its tour at The V&A in London in April.
Professor Follett said, “This is now a chance to show off the amazing building that will be coming to Dundee and to get the full buy-in of the wider community.
“We know Dundee backs and supports the project because of the attendance and response to the Making It Happen exhibition last year, so now it’s about communicating that excitement to the whole of Scotland and the UK and building expectations.”
She added, “The support of the people of Dundee meant so much to the project because they backed it so unanimously and they almost launched it themselves.
“For a city to come together and say ‘we really want this’ is just mind-blowing to me.”
The pledge also means the project can begin to appoint staff, progress with fund-raising and establish itself in an office.
Professor Follett said, “The appointment of a project director later in the year is going to be so important having somebody with the vision to carry it forward is really significant to us.
“We are also looking for a project office at the moment, so that people know where we are because it can be quite hard when we are all dispersed.”
She added, “This model has served us brilliantly in terms of playing to everybody’s expertise, but now we need a coherent and cohesive team to deliver the final project somewhere that has visibility.”