Senior Creative Manager Jon Morse on licensing for The Victoria and Albert Museum

Alright: The Victoria and Albert Museum… The V&A. I might have to start with a stupid question! For those that don’t know it – I mean, who doesn’t know it?! But for those that don’t know it, how would you describe the V&A?
The V&A was founded in 1852 as a place to celebrate creativity and craftsmanship, allowing everyone to discover and explore the world’s artistic cultures. We have a rich and diverse collection of artefacts that spans 5,000 years of creativity across fashion, art, ceramics, glassware, sculpture and much more! We are also proud to hold many of the UK’s national collections including photography, theatre and performance.

Most people will know you for your museum at South Kensington, but that’s not your only site?
No, you’re right. South Kensington was founded in 1852, but we have V&A Dundee, the V&A Collection at Wedgwood and Young V&A making us a family of museums. Excitingly, we have two further locations opening in East London in 2025 on the London 2012 Olympic Park site.

I was just looking at that, Jon – we could do an interview on that alone! Maybe we should talk to someone about that when the sites open… They look extraordinary. In the meanwhile, I’ll put a link to info on that here. So now: what makes the V&A so special for you, Jon?
For me, the V&A is so special because the corridors and spaces echo with the footsteps of iconic past creatives who have spent many hours here being inspired by the collections. For example, Beatrix Potter took inspiration for clothing for The Tailor of Gloucester from an 18th century waistcoat we have in the archive. Alexander McQueen summarised it perfectly when he said, “The collections at the V&A never fail to intrigue and inspire me.”

Great answer, thank you! You’ve been in your role there for just over a year: now that you’re settled in, what – broadly speaking – do you do on a day-to-day basis?
Yes, I joined the V&A in April 2023 as Senior Creative Manager. My role is to oversee product development, brand application and marketing creative across the licensing programme of over 85 global licensees with the support of our great team. We can be developing fine jewellery one day and home interiors the next, so the role is extremely varied. It’s also an incredible opportunity to work alongside creatives from diverse categories across global territories in the form of our partners.

Fantastic. And given that the museum has around three million artefacts from over 5,000 years of art and design, I’m really curious… How on earth do you start working out which things have got licensing potential?
That is a great question! Of course, having such a vast amount of inspiration to consider is a blessing but can also potentially be a bit overwhelming.
We have perennial themes that have proven popular and commercially very successful such as William Morris’s Arts and Crafts patterns and Sir John Tenniel’s Alice in Wonderland illustrations…

However, we’re always encouraging licensees to explore the archive further. One way that we make the archive more accessible to licensees is to select assets that complement current and emerging design trends. This enables us to group archived assets into collections based on a theme, confident that they will have commercial, as well as aesthetic, merit.

Tell me about the rest of that process!
It’s a closely guarded secret! But what I can share is that we are proud to offer a truly bespoke service for licensees, which they consider to be a real privilege. We approach every project collaboratively and we encourage licensees to be creative and to sometimes reimagine our archive into something that is attractive and relevant to customers today.

Something I’ve noticed is that the V&A seems to have a ‘class of its own’ quality. I say that because people will often tell me they’re going to a museum in exactly those words: “I’m going to a museum.” But when they’re going to the V&A, they specifically say so: “I’m going to the V&A.” Is that where the museum positions itself? How does it do that?
I’ve noticed the same! I’ve been amazed at how much affection people have for the V&A and I think this is partly down to its founding principle that art is for everyone. It was the first museum to open in the evenings so that ‘working people’ could visit. It was also the first to have an onsite café for refreshments – one designed by William Morris, no less; you can still visit it today!

Also, everyone who works here carries an equal amount of pride and responsibility to preserve and share its artefacts. After all, the collections are owned by all of us. We’re a national institution and our permanent collections are free to access. Anyone in the world can come to South Kensington and make an appointment to view century-old French bookplate designs in our National Art Library, stunning Spitalfields Silks in the British Gallery or have lunch in a café designed by one of the best-known pattern designers in the world.

Amazing. You mention that founding principle there – that art is for everyone. What, then, are the V&A’s values? What’s its mission?
Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. We’ve done this successfully at South Kensington for over 170 years, but we’re particularly excited about diversifying our collections and audiences through the new sites we discussed – Young V&A and V&A East Museum and Storehouse. The licensing programme is an important part of this… We’re able to share the incredible and expansive design archives with audiences not just in London but across the globe.

On that then, Jon, what do you look for in a licensing partner? And in a product offering?
There are many strands that can make a licensee a suitable partner for the museum. Two areas I oversee that are particularly important are the quality of design – so expertise in handling and reimagining surface print and pattern, and excellence in craftsmanship and manufacturing… We’re always looking for something a little unexpected in terms of design or product offering, and we’re exploring ways to ensure our products are less harmful to the planet. As I mentioned earlier, collaboration is critical for us. Each project really is a journey that combines the expertise of our team with the creativity and consumer insight of our licensees.

Great answer. What’s your own background, Jon? How did you come to be doing what you do?
I was a senior graphic designer for many years before joining the V&A – mostly designing products and packaging for high street retailers on both licensed and own-branded projects. I’d really enjoyed mentoring junior designers and so the Senior Creative Manager role in the V&A’s brand licensing team seemed like a great fit for my skillset and interests.

What else makes you a good fit for the V&A?
Like everyone at the museum, I hold a passion for art and design. That has come through really strongly through all the interactions I’ve had at the museum. It’s wonderful to be working alongside talented people, from all over the world, who share that interest. I visited the V&A many times during my education – the first time during my A-Level Art course – and I still feel a real buzz every time I’m in the building amongst all the artefacts.

What’s the one thing I could’ve asked you today but didn’t?
Does the V&A have its own beehives?

Wow. It would’ve been quite awhile before I thought to ask that! Great question! What’s the answer?
Ha! Indeed, it does. They’re on the roof!

Brilliant! Maybe that explains the buzz you get every time you’re in the building… Ha! I can’t believe I’m going to sign off on that pun, Jon; I’ve sullied the whole interview!