Former V&A Academic Programs Head Accuses Museum of “Racist” Behavior

A recently shared letter from Yuko Kikuchi, who resigned from her post in January, asks the British institution to address its “culture of systemic racism.”

A newly shared letter reveals that alleged "racist" and "culturally insensitive" behaviors contributed to Yuko Kikuchi's January resignation from her post as head of academic programs at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London.

In a January 26 letter she shared with The Art Newspaper, Kikuchi cited pushback on her proposals, feelings of marginalization among senior staff as the only person of color, and microaggressions—all of which impeded her mental health. Writing directly to V&A Director Tristram Hunt and museum research committeetrustees, she indicated there was "a culture of systemic racism within the organisation that ... needs to be addressed."

The Tokyo-born researcher has lived in the UK for over three decades, where she founded a dedicated research hub for transnational arts and continues to teach craft and design history. Upon her appointment to the museum in 2023, however, Kikuchi wrote in her letter that "she felt unwelcome from day one."

Her former position required her to develop the museum's educational content and curricula, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities. Some programs are institutional collaborations, such as the history of design MA program with the Royal College of Art (RCA), which Kikuchi helped lead.

Given her research on East Asian histories in places like Britain, Kikuchi pitched her colleagues about adding decolonization material to the MA program in 2024. She told The Art Newspaper that other V&A tutors pushed backon that material, suggesting it be moved to the second term in favor of a "Eurocentric curriculum" in the first.

It was also reported that a senior colleague asked Kikuchi to refrain from using words like "decolonial" and "post-colonial" when speaking to other museum staff, which the V&A 2025-2026 annual report lists as 65% White (among those who chose to declare their racial identity).

Included in Kikuchi's letter were the signatures of a dozen academics, and an appendix with student testimonials recounting other alleged instances of cultural insensitivity, racial discrimination, and problematic curricula.

In a joint statement shared with Hyperallergic, the V&A and RCA expressed their commitment to "stand firmly against unlawful discrimination in all its forms, and take any incidents of discrimination or reporting of unsafe learning environments extremely seriously."

The statement also expressed a focus on strengthening the MA program through student engagement, and a joint effort to "support a global and inclusive curriculum." In the closing remarks, the museum insisted that it's "actively interrogating its colonial heritage through its public programmes, education initiatives and collections research."

Kikuchi has not yet responded to Hyperallergic's request for comment.

According to the letter reviewed by The Art Newspaper, one student stated that a museum course omitted the experiences of enslaved people in discussions of 18th-century Jamaica, opting to explore the feelings of the white population instead.

Another stated that a lecturer "shut the conversation down" when asked whether the V&A would consider repatriation efforts for the museum's collection of Maqdala objects. During the 1868 expedition toAbyssinia, the British army looted a number of Maqdala objects from Ethiopia, several of which — including a golden crown, precious golden vessels, and cultural garb — have resided within the V&A for over a century.

Discussions of repatriation have repeatedly come up in conversations with Hunt, who became director ofthe V&A in 2017. One year into his tenure, Hunt ruled out a full restitution of the looted Maqdala objects, despite the request from Ethiopian ambassador Hailemichael Aberra Afework. The director instead agreed to a long-term loan agreement.

In 2023, the museum also faced backlash for its removal of LGBTQ+ materials from its gift shop. Three groups met with Hunt to repeal the removal of those materials, though their request was apparently denied.

Just over a year ago, a group of Year 10 schoolchildren from Bristol also reported inappropriate racial behaviors from V&A staff, who allegedly searched and followed them. The school cut their trip short, with one member of the school staff setting up a petition to boycott and demand an apology from the museum.

The museum has made some efforts to combat their allegations of discrimination, including the introduction of inclusivity training for staff members and the launch of an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion forum.

Speaking to The Art Newspaper, Kikuchi expressed that, given the alleged stressors of the job and itsimpact on her mental health, from poor sleep to depressive symptoms, she realized she could no longer stay there. "I was very, very excited about this job," she reportedly said. "I really didn't expect to quit after two years."

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