World’s only Vagina Museum to close after being booted out of premises – again
The Vagina Museum in London is being forced to find a new home once more (Vagina Museum)
The world’s only vagina museum dedicated to “vaginas, vulvas and the gynaecological anatomy” is being forced out of its premises – again.
London’s Vagina Museum – which is currently located at ENTER in Victoria Park Square, Bethnal Green – has been handed notice to leave the site
Less than a year after moving into its current home, the museum will close to the public on Wednesday (1 February) in order to vacate.
The Vagina Museum originally opened in Camden Market in 2019. Having survived the pandemic, it was forced to close in September 2021 after its landlord declined to renew its lease.
The museum was left homeless for six months until it found a new site in Bethnal Green, which it has occupied under a property guardianship since March 2022.
Since it opened, the museum has sought to create an accessible space which promotes queer and trans-inclusive education about anatomy.
This has – naturally – put the venue at the “epicentre of transphobia”.
During the ten months in its new home, the museum – which has free admission – has welcomed almost 40,000 visitors.
Florence Schechter, director of the Vagina Museum said: “As a property guardianship, we have always been aware that we may be asked for leave at very short notice.
“We are disappointed that this notice to vacate has come so soon. In the ten months the Vagina Museum has occupied our Bethnal Green home, we have achieved so much, welcoming thousands of people through our doors.
“Together with ENTER, we’ve transformed an empty, unused building into a thriving community space. We had exciting plans for future exhibitions which will have to be put on hold for now. We’ve proved once again the demand for a Vagina Museum.
“We are an agile and resilient organisation who has overcome homelessness before, and we’re optimistic that we will do so again.
“We are actively searching for a new home, and we invite anyone who can help us in this endeavour to reach out in solidarity with our vital educational work.”
Can you find the Vagina Museum a new home?
Zoe Williams, development and marketing manager for the Vagina Museum, told PinkNews that in terms of relocating it is “unfortunate we have to begin a sentence with ‘last time this happened’”.
She said the team are looking for a space which is around 2,000 square feet in size and in a location “where people visit”.
The new space for would be for the museum’s temporary and permanent exhibitions as well as for holding in person events.
The museum’s new home needs to be located within London as the team and volunteers all live in the capital. There is currently no new site confirmed for the Vagina Museum, if you think you could help email [email protected].
How did this story make you feel?
