Editing Victoria and Albert Museum (section)

===Theatre and performance===
The V&A holds the national collection of performing arts in the UK, including drama, dance, opera, circus, puppetry, comedy, musical theatre, costume, set design, pantomime, popular music and other forms of live entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre-performance|title=V&A · Theatre & Performance|website=Victoria and Albert Museum}}</ref>

[[File:Taylor Swift Songbook Trail Eras Tour film premiere 02.jpg|thumb|upright|Taylor Swift gown by [[Oscar de la Renta]], Prince Consort Gallery, 2024]]
The Theatre & Performance collections were founded in the 1920s when private collector, [[Gabrielle Enthoven]], donated her collection of theatrical memorabilia to the V&A. In 1974 two further independent collections were compiled to form a comprehensive performing arts collection at the V&A.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb71-thm/466|title=British Theatre Museum Association Archive – Archives Hub|website=archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk}}</ref> The collections were displayed at the [[Theatre Museum]], which operated from Covent Garden until closing in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5381092.stm|title=London's Theatre Museum to close|date=26 September 2006|website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Theatre & Performance galleries opened at South Kensington in March 2009 <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/vanda-opens-doors-to-new-theatre-collection_17546.html|title=V&A Opens Doors to New Theatre Collection &#124; WhatsOnStage|website=www.whatsonstage.com|date=17 March 2009 }}</ref> tracing the production process of performance and include a temporary exhibition space. Types of objects displayed include costumes, set models, wigs, prompt books, and posters.

The department holds significant archives documenting current practice and the history of performing arts. These include the English Stage Company at the [[Royal Court Theatre]], [[D'Oyly Carte Opera Company|D'Oyly Carte]] and the design collection of the [[Arts Council of Great Britain|Arts Council]]. Notable personal archives include [[Vivien Leigh]], [[Peter Brook]], [[Henry Irving]] and [[Ivor Novello]].

Rock and pop are well represented with the [[Glastonbury Festival]] archive,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/the-glastonbury-festival-archive|title=V&A · The Glastonbury Festival Archive|website=Victoria and Albert Museum}}</ref> Harry Hammond photographic collection<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-harry-hammond-photographic-collection|title=V&A · The Harry Hammond photographic collection|website=Victoria and Albert Museum}}</ref> and [[Jamie Reid]] archive documenting punk. Costumes include those worn by [[John Lennon]], [[Mick Jagger]], [[Elton John]], [[Adam Ant]], [[Chris Martin]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Shirley Bassey]] and the stage outfit worn by [[Roger Daltrey]] at [[Woodstock]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O184360/rock-and-pop-unknown/|title=Rock and Pop Costume &#124; Unknown &#124; V&A Explore The Collections|first=|last=|website=Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections|date=3 December 1969 }}</ref>

In 2024, the museum displayed costumes worn by [[Taylor Swift]] over the course of her career. The exhibition, titled ''Taylor Swift Songbook Trail,'' was conceived by theatre designer [[Tom Piper]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roche |first=Daniel Jonas |date=2024-07-03 |title=An exhibition about Taylor Swift designed by Tom Piper is taking over London's V&A Museum |url=https://www.archpaper.com/2024/07/an-exhibition-about-taylor-swift-designed-by-tom-piper-is-taking-over-londons-va-museum/ |access-date=2024-10-05 |website=The Architect’s Newspaper |language=en-US}}</ref> as an "approximately 1 mile long" [...]  "journey through V&A South Kensington's galleries" with "13 stops".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Snapes |first=Laura |date=2024-07-24 |title='She could have lived in these galleries to create the music': Taylor Swift in among the V&A permanent collection |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/jul/24/victoria-and-albert-museum-taylor-swift-songbook-trail |access-date=2024-09-30 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name="Swift-2024">{{Cite web |title=V&A trail: Taylor Swift {{!}} Songbook · V&A |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/va-trail-taylor-swift-songbook |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Victoria and Albert Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Creating the Songbook Trail – Talk at V&A South Kensington · V&A |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/rl1kmbem5Z/creating-the-songbook-trail |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Victoria and Albert Museum |language=en}}</ref> Most of the displays were dispersed throughout the museum, and the "rarely-seen Prince Consort Gallery" was entirely devoted to the exhibition.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Zemler |first=Emily |date=2024-07-27 |title=Inside Taylor Swift's Massive New Costume Exhibit |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-pictures/taylor-swift-costume-exhibit-1235067880/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Seth |first=Radhika |date=2024-07-27 |title=All the Easter Eggs to Look Out For at the Victoria and Albert Museum's New Taylor Swift Exhibition |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/taylor-swift-exhibition-victoria-and-albert-museum-tour |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Völter |first=Helmut |date=September 2016 |title=The Cabinets, Prince Consort's Gallery |url=https://www.goethe.de/resources/files/pdf164/helmutvoelter_cabinets.pdf |website=[[Goethe-Institut]]}}</ref>