Ciara Norman, Safety, Health, and Environment Manager at V&A Dundee – an Association of Event Venues (AEV) member – talks about combining aesthetic form with compliant function.
Standing as a stunning symbol of great design and innovation, V&A Dundee showcases Scotland’s rich design heritage from within a striking, angular facade mirroring the rugged cliffs of the country’s coastline. The building is designed to be a welcoming space for everyone to visit and reconnects the city to the waterfront.
Health and safety isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when people think of creativity and design at V&A Dundee. My role sits with uniting creativity and enabling an inspiring design experience, while overseeing the control of the risks.
For events and hospitality, safety planning begins long before visitors arrive. Every exhibition, temporary structure, lighting rig, catering, or AV set up must be risk assessed not only for guest safety, but for its interaction with the building and the environment. From exposed waterfront conditions and changing weather patterns to expansive internal spaces,complex visitor flows, and risk management, all are part of the daily routine of my role.
Our aim is always to ensure that creative exhibitions and event concepts can be delivered without compromising safety or the integrity of our iconic venue. Equally important is our culture. One of the most important duties in my role is to collaborate with the many teams working within the museum such as curators, visitor experience, event management, facilities, and external contractors to create a safe environment for all. Our teams are empowered to take ownership of safety and to work with me to allow their ideas to move forward.
V&A Dundee recently joined AEV to collaborate with other event venues. The AEV working groups have been a valuable tool to exchange knowledge and get solutions to everyday or one-off problems that arise within our different teams.
When safety is managed well, it becomes almost invisible, allowing guests to focus on the experience, the design, and the atmosphere in the building. In a venue as unique as V&A Dundee, achieving that balance is both the challenge and the reward of the role.