The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Readers’ verdict on what the V&A means to them
£80m site well received but some say cash was needed to fight poverty
A majority of Courier readers expect the new V&A Dundee to inject a significant cash boost into the local economy and say they are proud of the attraction.
An online survey by The Courier sought to shed light on what the £80 million project means to people across Tayside.
More than 400 people took part and almost a quarter said they expect the scale of economic boost to be “transformative” for Dundee.
On a scale of one to five, nearly half of respondents gave the top rating when asked how proud they are of the building and a further 17% gave a rating of four.
More than 60% said they rated the appearance of the Kengo Kumadesigned building as ‘excellent’.
Although the impression of the opening weekend was largely positive, most respondents were not fully convinced and only 28% chose the highest rating. They were also unsure about the exhibitions announced so far, although the most popular rating (29%) was for the second-highest level of satisfaction.
Participants said overwhelmingly that they plan to visit the centre either monthly (40%) or annually (41%) but more than a third said they would be unwilling to pay the current £6 minimum fee for adults to attend a paid-for exhibit.
A significant majority (71%) rated the V&A team’s efforts to connect with the local community between ‘excellent’ and neutral. Overall, respondents were more confident that the V&A will appeal to people living in Scotland than they were of its appeal to people in the rest of the UK and around the world.
One participant, who travels extensively in the United States, said: “Countless people there have told me that they have heard about V&A and are now considering visiting Dundee as part of trips to Scotland.
“Obviously great work publicising museum abroad. Made me proud to talk about the buzz in Dundee.”
Another wrote: “I’m a Dundonian living overseas, travelling home to Dundee next month with friends – a massive driver for the trip is the opening of the V&A. I can’t wait to see it!”
Concerns around the cost of the build, disability access, elitism and a desire for the budget to instead be used to tackle poverty and destitution were all frequently raised.
Others said they were concerned about whether the project would be able to deliver on economic promises or whether it would lead to “derelict former hotels, huge debts and an ugly concrete building we’re desperate to rid ourselves of”.
Made me proud to talk about the buzz in Dundee