Florence Schechter - Speaker, Author, Museum Professional, Intersectional Feminist
Florence Schechter is the founder and director of the world's first bricks and mortar museum dedicated to the gynaecological anatomy, the Vagina Museum, founded in 2017. Her background is in science communication and has over 6 years of experience in public speaking and presenting live, on screen and radio.
After graduating in 2014 with a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham, she started her science communication career.
She built up a science YouTube channel with over one million views, then interned at QI, the hit BBC show, for 8 months and was the main researcher for their app "Qiktionary".
In 2016, she enrolled in the Wellcome Trust funded "Talent Factory", a mentorship programme for emerging science communication talent in the UK.
She was invited to be part of the Trajectory, Ideas and Ambassadors Board of Cheltenham Science Festival in 2017 which advises on programming and strategy for the annual festival. As a science communicator, she has presented around the world at science festivals, museums and conferences.
In 2017, she started the project to build the world's first bricks and mortar museum about the gynaecological anatomy - the Vagina Museum. She has won a number of awards for her work and been featured in the media internationally. The Vagina Museum has been covered in international news from The New York Times to The Guardian to The Lancet to TIME magazine to even appearing in a joke in SNL's Weekend Update. She has spoken at a number of conferences around the world about her work in activist museums.
Florence is an accomplished presenter on TV, radio and live on stage. She has been an expert contributor on TV documentary Engineering Catastrophes (Science Channel), a writer and presenter on the podcast Chemistry In It's Element (Royal Society of Chemistry), written for and presented on The Boring Talks (BBC) and voiced an explainer for the cancer charity Eve Appeal.
Her debut book "V: An empowering celebration of the vulva and vagina" is being published with Penguin in March 2023.
Education
2011 - 2014
BSc Biochemistry (Hons), University of Birmingham
Awards
2017
Highly Commended in Arts and Culture Category, Women of the Future Awards
2019
Pioneer of the Year, Sexual Freedom Awards
2020
Nominated Rising Star of the Year, DIVA Awards
Speaker appearances
6 November 2022
Keynote speech, Sexpression:UK National Conference
26 October 2022
Future of Sex Late, Science and Industry Museum
24 August 2022
Ugly Animal Preservation Society, Underbelly Cowgate
15 August 2022
Not Your Grandfather's Biology with Rachel Gross and Lucy Cooke, Vagina Museum
5-6 August 2022
Bajingo Bingo, Wilderness Festival
29 June 2022
Not Safe To Be Me Protest, Parliament Square
9 June 2022
Comedy Night, Cheltenham Science Festival
25 May 2022
Environmental Engagement in Practice, NCCPE
18 May 2022
20 April 2022
24 October 2021
IDAHOBIT Panel, LGBT Foundation
What do Animal Genitals Have to Tell Us About Ourselves?, Vagina Museum
This is a Vagina, Norwich Science Festival
13 October 2021
22 September 2021
22 August 2021
22 July 2021
It's About Bloody Time ft. Emma Barnett, Jewish Museum
Guest lecturer, Sotheby's Institute of Art
Bajingo Bingo, Green Man Festival
Taking Museum Engagement on Histories of Sexuality and Gender Online, University of Exeter
19 July 2021
12 June 2021
20 May 2021
27 February 2021
Learn Live: Vagina - Know Your Anatomy, British Library
Cosmic Shambles, Cheltenham Science Festival
Museum and Markets Conference, Chapman University, USA
Bajingo Bingo, St Hilda's College, University of Oxford
16 February 2021
3 December 2020
18 November 2020
21 October 2020
FUTURESEX WITNESS: Archives, Museums, and Spaces
Open Courtauld Hour: Rainbow Lenses, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Learn Live - Know Your Anatomy, British Library
Why Are We So Obsessed with Gay Penguins?, University of Exeter
6 June 2020
3 May 2020
10 March 2020
25 February 2020
Vulva Bunting Workshop, Cheltenham Science Festival
Secret Vaginas of Judaism, Limmud Festival
The Penis Gallery, The Book of Man Festival
Brief History of Vulvas in Art, Vagina Museum
21 February 2020
2 February 2020
15 January 2020
Queer Sex Panel, National Student Pride
Conway Hall Annual Ethical Gala, Conway Hall
Which Role for Museums in Community Advocacy on Global Challenges?, Museum Connections Conference, France
2 December 2019
Skeptics In The Pub, The Monarch
12 October 2019
6 October 2019
Badass Women's Hour, Talk Radio
What We’re Told Not To Talk About (But We’re Going To Anyway), Cheltenham Literature Festival
23 July 2019
Period Poverty and Sustainable Solutions in Africa, Zambia High Commission
30 June 2019
2 June 2019
3 May 2019
13 April 2019
The History of Vulvas, Bradford Literature Festival
Making The Case For Her: Breaking Taboos, Women Deliver Conference, Canada
Bodykind Festival Cabaret, Bodykind Festival
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum, Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium
28 March 2019
17 March 2019
10 March 2019
6 March 2019
Ri Youth Summit, Royal Institution
A Brief History of Vulvas in Art, Eroticon
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum, Burgh House
Changing Bodies, JW3
22 February 2019
20 February 2019
6 February 2019
22 October 2018
A Brief History Of Vulvas In Art, Uniqlo Tate Lates
Queer By Nature, Vault Festival
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum, Wellcome Trust
Project Pleasure, The Roundhouse, London
27 September 2018
14 September 2018
2 June 2018
17 May 2018
Agony Auncles of Science, Gravity Fields Festival, Grantham
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum, British Science Festival
Vagina Day, Feminist Library
Data Beers, Facebook HQ
28 April 2018
14 February 2018
21 January 2018
8 September 2017
Solitary Pleasures Conference, Freud Museum
Valentine's Day Vaginas, Royal Institution
Women's Radio Station Live, Jermyn Street Theatre
Dr Jiggs Bowson, British Science Festival
7 September 2017
5 September 2017
5 - 26 August 2017
5 August 2017
OutThinkers - Pride in STEM, British Science Festival
The Post-Antibiotic Apocalypse - NESTA, British Science Festival
Agony Auncles of Science, BarBados, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Skeptics On The Fringe, Banshee Labyrinth
28 June 2017
1 October 2016
5 July 2016
9 June 2016
Large Stand Up Collidor, Science Museum Lates
Science Showoff, Rhonda McGraw Theatre
Science Showoff, Royal Society
Animal Showoff, Grant Museum