Beatrix Potter and War Horse among exhibits revealed for new-look Museum of Childhood

Illustrations by Beatrix Potter and a life-sized puppet from award-winning play War Horse are among the exhibits that will be on show at the V&A Museum of Childhood after its £13m transformation.

The Bethnal Green institution last year unveiled plans for the ‘biggest redesign in its 147-year history’, which will see it close for two years from 11 May.

Now the museum has revealed some of the star attractions visitors can expect to see when it reopens, including work by artist David Hockney and fashion designer Virgil Abloh.

Hollywood props such as the original Superman costume and Mary Poppins’ umbrella will feature in theatrical displays, with the hope that they will inspire a new generation of storytellers.

V&A director Tristram Hunt said: “We want to empower children to realise that every act of creativity is wondrous, whether it’s self-expression through their clothes, building a world on Minecraft, or launching a school climate strike.

“By bringing together the V&A’s world-class collections with immersive displays anchored in children’s everyday lives, we will offer an outstanding day out for families, for free.”

The museum will host a three-day RE-INVENT festival over the first May bank holiday, which it says will provide a taste of the future while also celebrating its final weekend before closing for renovations.

The reopening will introduce three galleries, PLAY, IMAGINE and DESIGN – all shaped around the ways in which children aged 0 to 14 explore and learn.

A large-scale alphabet will run the length of PLAY, alongside a series of interactive displays and sandpits to nurture children’s motor skills, and a special area dedicated to pre-walkers will offer textured displays for sensory exploration.

The gallery will also shine a light on stories behind some of the most popular games from around the world, including chess, Exploding Kittens and mobile app Monument Valley.

IMAGINE will trace the myths, fables and inspirations behind characters like Paddington Bear, Pikachu and the Loch Ness Monster.

Visitors will also be able to piece together stories of their own on an adventure into fantasy worlds through Alice in Wonderland-inspired rooms and optical illusions.

DESIGN will feature The Designer’s House – the new home for a relaunched artist-in-residency programme.

Examples of innovative contemporary design, including Olafur Eliasson’s solar-powered lights and the Micro Scooter, and spaces for hands-on making, will encourage young people to experiment and dream up their own ideas.

The museum has also announced plans to embed itself in the local community while it is closed.

A two-year partnership with the Idea Store Whitechapel from May this year will provide a free programme of activities for families in east London.

Other special events and commissions will run during the construction period, with details to be revealed in future.

Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali said: “London owes its international recognition as one of the world’s most creative capitals thanks to the hundreds of creative businesses that have established themselves in and around my constituency.

“So I’m delighted to see that the V&A Museum of Childhood is harnessing this huge potential for forging new partnerships across the borough by embedding themselves in the local community whilst their building is closed for construction.”

The Citizen reported details of the museum’s redesign, to which local children, parents and teachers contributed, last October.