Hundreds of artists to stage V&A 'sketch-in' protest against museum's drawing 'ban'

Protest: Sketchers are barred at the Undressed exhibition
Anthony Devlin/PA
Mark Chandler14 May 2016

Hundred of art students are set to descend on the V&A tomorrow for a "sketch-in" protest against the museum's drawing “ban”.

The venue has barred artists and their sketchbooks from some of its temporary exhibitions, including its current underwear show, blaming “loan restrictions”

But student campaign group Arts Attack has branded the policy “ludicrous” and plans a drawing protest at the museum on Sunday at midday.

So far 300 people have said they will attend the sketch-in, with more than 1,000 others expressing an interest on a Facebook page urging them to bring their “sketchbooks, pens, crayons” or “medium of choice” to the event.

Meanwhile, a petition calling for a reversal of the ban has also been signed by around 800 people.

A spokeswoman for Arts Attack, who would only give her name as Autumn, said: "This isn't going to be damaging, dangerous, scary thing.

"We don't plan to do anything other than stand around and sketch and have a nice time."

She said: "A lot of people that sketch in museums and galleries are simply there to learn. It's for their own reference and they don’t have any other intentions behind it.”

The V&A insists it welcomes sketchers and the policy only applies to certain temporary exhibitions.

But Autumn said: "This is basically imposing more charges to access culture. They're saying if you want a record of these things you have to buy the book or you have to jump through some other loopholes.

"This is about reclamation of publically accessible artwork and saying we don’t want this to become the norm and we don’t want it to become the sector norm."

Tim Reeve, deputy director of the V&A, told the Standard: “It is nothing new that we have to restrict sketching from time to time in temporary exhibitions, but it is some not all, and we work very hard with lenders to keep it to a minimum.

“World class exhibitions need world class objects. Sometimes fine judgements have to be made, and we will not compromise on quality."

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