When Florence Schechter looked for a Vagina Museum to help her answer a research question... and found there wasn't one (even though there was a Penis Museum) she decided to make one herself. She had a great idea, an engaged audience and powerful purpose, but she found apathy and a lack of meaningful support from the established existing museum sector.

Undeterred, Florence found a way. By harnessing the power of data, pop-ups (with strategic purpose, not just for the sake of it) and an innovative mix of revenue streams, the Vagina Museum has gone from strength to strength. Now located in a unique railway-arch setting in Bethnal Green, The Vagina Museum is admired for its innovative and disruptive approach. It also has a vast young following that many other museums can only dream of engaging. 

In this episode, host Tom Dawson visits the museum and asks Florence to share her insights, which are honest, powerful and passionate. There is so much fire and inspiration here for anyone who has a new idea  that they really believe in. Florence challenges the concept of what a museum is or should be and questions the need for a collection. She gives great advice on harnessing social media and looking beyond predictable sources of funding. There are also brilliant pointers for any cultural organisations looking to better harness the commercial power of retail and events.

At the heart of it all is The Vagina Museum's consistent and clear mission to communicate that the gynaecological anatomy is a part of the body that we shouldn't be ashamed of... but we should celebrate.

(Please note that this episode contains very strong language.)

To find out more about The Vagina Museum, go to vaginamuseum.co.uk

The Arts & Culture Podcast aims to seek out and share best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is Director Of Digital for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/