It seems to me that the mix of work rest and play has gone awry. Many of us find ourselves far from a good blend, mix or combinations of these three critical factors in any creative business. Work has long been worshipped. Being oh so very busy, burning the candle at both ends and the midnight oil, the 5am club, all nights have all been badges of honour. Slowly, though, rest has found its way like the first crocus, into entrepenurial consideration. Even if just as a means to an end. Mindfulness, going offline, running your inbox rather than it running you, company culture, sleep are now all in the conversation.

And yet play feels too often neglected. Relegated to childhood, art school, the start up phase or ‘just when I get some time’. So in this gathering of conversations, we will explore the purpose of play and the practicality of play and how we keep it at the forefront even when the cash flow forecasts, the product plan, social media and your staff are all clamouring for your attention. Looking at different creative disciplines, enterprises and personalities, I hope that you will find yourself encouraged and challenged to remember that play is in fact a very serious business.

I have never been able to resist a gallery or museum shop, not once. It is that specific moment of wanting to turn an experience, a visual experience, into something more tangible. A single postcard will suffice, a coffee table book delights but trinkets and treasures are a real treat. And there aren’t many places that do this better than the V&A. A place where the very very old and the highly contemporary are plaited together to create a world away from the hustle and bustle attitude. Whether in its architecture, exhibitions or the collections in the shop, you know you are in the hands of an expert, innovative and playful staff.

One of them joins us today, Margaux Soland heads the Buying Team of V&A Retail. They look after all the shops across the London sites which includes South Ken, The Young V&A, and V&A East. In this episode, we will find out about how the team works, their relationship with the rest of the museum, Margaux’s role there, and that even an institution as authoritative and historic as the V&A can be playful.

The V&A Shop - /www.vam.ac.uk/shop/home