The V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge is designed to encourage young people to engage with design in a way that is both meaningful and impactful. By inviting a figure like Bains to the panel, the museum aims to bridge the gap between high-performance mindsets and creative problem-solving. In anticipation of the new season, we sat down with Bains to discuss her role on the judging panel and the profound importance she places on design in her own life and career.<\/p>\n
A Mindset for Innovation<\/h3>\n
When asked about her expectations for the upcoming challenge, Bains expressed genuine enthusiasm for the fresh perspectives students bring to complex issues. She noted that her life as an elite athlete requires a constant state of problem-solving\u2014whether it is refining a training technique, recovering from a setback, or optimizing performance through equipment adjustments. <\/p>\n
"I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing the creativity and imagination of the students and how they approach real-world problems," Bains explained. "As an athlete, I\u2019m always looking for ways to improve performance, overcome challenges, and find solutions to problems, so I\u2019m excited to see how the students apply that same mindset through design."<\/p>\n For Bains, the value of the competition lies in its ability to empower young participants to trust their own instincts. She emphasized that the goal of her role is to act as a catalyst for student confidence, encouraging them to think beyond conventional boundaries. She hopes that by observing their innovative processes, she can help them realize that their ideas, regardless of their age or experience level, have the potential to spark significant change in the world around them.<\/p>\n The V&A Innovate challenge for 2026-27 is anchored by three central themes: "Simplify," "Empower," and "Nurture." These themes serve as the guiding principles for student submissions, and Bains has a clear vision of what they represent. To her, these concepts are not merely abstract ideas but are fundamental pillars of a life well-lived and a career well-built.<\/p>\n "To me, these three themes are all about making a positive difference," she said. "Simplify means finding ways to make things easier, more efficient, or more accessible. Empower is about giving people the confidence, tools, and opportunities to reach their potential. Nurture means creating an environment where people can learn, grow, and develop."<\/p>\n Reflecting on her own journey as a powerlifter, Bains noted that these themes are deeply personal. Throughout her career, she has relied on a support network that nurtured her potential and empowered her to push past the limits of what was expected of her. She believes that the challenge serves as a vital reminder that innovation does not always require grand, sweeping gestures. Often, it is the small, thoughtful changes\u2014designed with empathy and clarity\u2014that have the most profound impact on an individual\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n While the V&A is world-renowned for its artistic collections, Bains emphasizes that for her, design is fundamentally about utility and the human experience. She views design as the bridge that connects abstract concepts to the practical reality of improving daily life. <\/p>\n "Design is important because it helps turn ideas into practical solutions that can improve people\u2019s lives," she remarked. "In sport, the design of equipment, training spaces, and technology can make a real difference to performance, safety, and accessibility."<\/p>\n Her appreciation for design is rooted in its ability to anticipate needs that users might not even be fully aware of. Bains pushes back against the notion that design is purely aesthetic; instead, she argues that successful innovation is born from a deep, empathetic understanding of the user. Good design, in her view, is the outcome of questioning how things function and identifying where there is room for improvement.<\/p>\n When considering which innovations she personally finds indispensable, Bains points to her smartphone. While it might seem like a common tool, she views it as a masterclass in how technology can simplify a complex, multi-faceted life. For a professional athlete who also manages a coaching business, produces content, and maintains a demanding training schedule, the device is an essential hub for productivity.<\/p>\n "It allows me to manage my coaching business, communicate with clients, track my training, create content, and stay connected with people wherever I am," she noted. "As someone who balances several different roles, having so many tools in one device makes my life much easier. It\u2019s a great example of how innovation can simplify everyday tasks and give us more opportunities to focus on the things that matter most."<\/p>\n As students begin to prepare their entries for the 2026-27 challenge, Bains offers a set of core principles to guide them. Her primary message is one of courage and curiosity. She urges students to reject the fear of failure, which she sees as the greatest barrier to progress. In the world of powerlifting, failure is not the end of a journey; it is a data point that provides the necessary information for future success. <\/p>\n "My biggest advice is to be curious, think creatively, and don\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes," Bains advised. "Some of the best ideas come from asking questions, challenging the way things have always been done, and looking at problems from a different perspective."<\/p>\n She also stressed the importance of collaboration, reminding students that the most effective teams are those that leverage the diverse strengths of their members. She encouraged participants to listen to one another and to remain flexible, noting that the "perfect" idea is rarely the first one. Instead, it is the product of iterative testing and the willingness to pivot when a solution does not perform as expected.<\/p>\n "Most importantly, don\u2019t worry about having the perfect idea straight away," she added. "Test your ideas, learn from what doesn\u2019t work, and keep improving. In sport, I\u2019ve learned that progress comes from being willing to learn and try again, and the same applies to innovation. Believe in your ideas and remember that you don\u2019t have to be an adult or an expert to make a difference."<\/p>\n The 2026-27 Innovate National Schools Challenge is currently accepting registrations from student groups across England. Teachers and students are encouraged to visit the official V&A website to access the theme inspiration packs and detailed toolkits, which provide the framework for their design journeys. By combining the museum\u2019s resources with the wisdom and experience of judges like Karenjeet Kaur Bains, the challenge seeks to foster a new generation of problem-solvers equipped to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has officially announced that record-breaking powerlifter and television personality Karenjeet Kaur Bains will join the judging panel for the upcoming V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge 2026-27. The appointment brings a unique fusion of athletic discipline, advocacy, and a passion for design thinking to the prestigious national competition, which tasks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[262],"tags":[274,4185,3020,1527,275,4208,126,4187,4251,4183,4184,2507,131,276,4209,4188],"class_list":["post-3269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asian-art-and-culture","tag-asian-art","tag-bains","tag-challenge","tag-champion","tag-culture","tag-gladiator","tag-heritage","tag-innovate","tag-judge","tag-karenjeet","tag-kaur","tag-named","tag-national","tag-philosophy","tag-powerlifting","tag-schools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Introducing](\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vatika-biceps-1-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nDefining the Themes: Simplify, Empower, and Nurture<\/h3>\n
Design as a Practical Tool for Progress<\/h3>\n
![\"Introducing](\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vatika-biceps-1-610x407.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nThe Role of Technology in Modern Life<\/h3>\n
Advice for the Next Generation of Innovators<\/h3>\n
![\"Introducing](\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/kjeet.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n