V&A still advertising Academy courses after reports of proposed cuts

The V&A is still advertising Academy courses at South Kensington and online, with classes listed into November and December. The schedule includes art-history courses, workshops and professional training. It shows what students can book now, but not what the Academy will offer beyond the published programme.

The Art Newspaper reported on 26 October that the V&A was proposing substantial reductions to the Academy, putting many in-person courses at risk and potentially affecting around half the team. It said staff consultation was due to end that day. In the same report, the V&A said the review was ongoing and no final decisions had been made. The museum did not respond to this journal’s request for comment.

The latest published figures offer a measure of the programme’s reach. The V&A’s 2025–26 annual report says the Academy delivered 12 courses and eight study days for audiences attending online and in person, selling more than 1,700 hybrid tickets. The course Arts of Japan helped bring sales above £400,000 in the Academy’s biggest-ever quarter, in spring 2026. These figures show activity and sales, but do not establish the programme’s profitability.

The Academy connects adult learners with the V&A’s collections and expertise, from art-history study to practical workshops and professional development. That educational role has historical roots: the museum traces its founding purpose to teaching designers, manufacturers and the public about art and design.

The V&A has separately cited rising costs, economic uncertainty and lower visitor spending in explaining its institution-wide voluntary staff-exit scheme. It did not link that explanation specifically to the Academy. The museum has not publicly updated its position since telling The Art Newspaper that the review was ongoing and no final decisions had been made.