Curtain Up!, the special exhibition celebrating 40 years of theatre on Broadway and in the West End is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards earlier this year, the exhibition is running in the UK until August and will showcase past winners of the Olivier Awards in a celebration of theatre and the arts. Following its stint in London the exhibition will transfer to New York, to go on display at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in the autumn.
Both venues in the two cities are collaborating with the Society of London Theatre in the UK capital, sharing the responsibility of honouring the shared artistic heritage which connects London and New York. Designed by Tom Piper, the artist responsible for the poppy art installation at the Tower of London in 2014 in order to mark the centenary of the First World War, the exhibition was curated by the Victoria & Albert Museum’s theatre department, with support from the Library for the Performing Arts.
In huge collection of material, the exhibition serves to both inform and entertain as visitors can learn more about the sometimes elusive world of theatre. Additional theatrical artifacts and material will be displayed from theatre collections across the UK and the US in order to enhance and support the exhibition. There has been much support for the exhibition, celebrating the unique relationship that has been created between the two cities and what they offer in terms of theatre. Many shows transfer across the pond, meaning audiences can experience further theatrical delight.
Alongside the exhibition an education programme will be run, which will be aimed at encouraging young people to get involved in the performing arts and spark a lifelong interest.
The Curtain Up! exhibition
Curtain Up!, the special exhibition celebrating 40 years of theatre on Broadway and in the West End is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards earlier this year, the exhibition is running in the UK until August and will showcase past winners of the Olivier Awards in a celebration of theatre and the arts. Following its stint in London the exhibition will transfer to New York, to go on display at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in the autumn.
Both venues in the two cities are collaborating with the Society of London Theatre in the UK capital, sharing the responsibility of honouring the shared artistic heritage which connects London and New York. Designed by Tom Piper, the artist responsible for the poppy art installation at the Tower of London in 2014 in order to mark the centenary of the First World War, the exhibition was curated by the Victoria & Albert Museum’s theatre department, with support from the Library for the Performing Arts.
In huge collection of material, the exhibition serves to both inform and entertain as visitors can learn more about the sometimes elusive world of theatre. Additional theatrical artifacts and material will be displayed from theatre collections across the UK and the US in order to enhance and support the exhibition. There has been much support for the exhibition, celebrating the unique relationship that has been created between the two cities and what they offer in terms of theatre. Many shows transfer across the pond, meaning audiences can experience further theatrical delight.
Alongside the exhibition an education programme will be run, which will be aimed at encouraging young people to get involved in the performing arts and spark a lifelong interest.