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Biography

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 Jun 2023
V: The Talk
Cheltenham Science Festival
24 May 2023
Book Lab
Burgh House
11 Apr 2023
Vulvas. Period
Edinburgh International Science Festival
17 Mar 2023
Guilty Feminist
Kings Place
14 Mar 2023
V: The Talk
London LGBTQ+ Community Centre
12 Mar 2023
WOW Festival
Southbank Centre
7 Dec 2023
Keynote speech, SCI:COM conference
AVIVA stadium, Dublin, Ireland
30 Nov 2022
F for Feminism panel
Bloomfest, Taboola
6 Nov 2022
Keynote speech, Sexpression UK National Conference
Leeds University
26 Oct 2022
Future of Sex Late
Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
24 Aug 2022
Ugly Animal Preservation Society
Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh
15 Aug 2022
Not Your Grandfather's Biology with Rachel Gross and Lucy Cooke
Vagina Museum
5 Aug 2022
Bajingo Bingo
Wilderness Festival
9 Jun 2022
Comedy night
Cheltenham Science Festival
25 May 2022
Environmental Engagement in Practie
NCCPE
18 May 2022
IDAHOBIT Panel
LGBT Foundation
20 Apr 2022
What do Animal Genitals Have to Tell Us About Ourselves?
Vagina Museum
24 Oct 2021
This is a Vagina
Norwich Science Festival
13 Oct 2021
It's About Bloody Time ft. Emma Barnett
Jewish Museum, London
22 Sept 2021
Guest lecturer
Sotheby's Institute of Art
22 Aug 2021
Bajingo Bingo
Green Man Festival
22 Jul 2021
Taking Museum Engagement on Histories of Sexuality and Gender
University of Exeter
19 Jul 2021
Learn Live: Vagina - Know Your Anatomy
British Library
12 Jun 2021
Cosmic Shambles
Cheltenham Science Festival
20 May 2021
Museum and Markets Conference
Chapman University, USA
27 Feb 2021
Bajingo Bingo
St Hilda's College, University of Oxford
16 Feb 2021
Archives, Museums and Spaces
FUTURESEX WITNESS
3 Dec 2020
Open Courtauld Hour: Rainbow Lenses
The Courtauld Institute of Art
18 Nov 2020
Learn Live - Know Your Anatomy
British Library
21 Oct 2020
Why Are We So Obsessed with Gay Penguins?
University of Exeter
6 Jun 2020
Vulva Bunting Workshop
Cheltenham Science Festival
3 May 2020
Secret Vaginas of Judaism
Limmud Festival
10 May 2020
The Penis Gallery
The Book of Man Festival
25 Feb 2020
Brief History of Vulvas in Art
Vagina Museum
21 Feb 2020
Queer Sex Panel
National Student Pride
20 Feb 2020
Queer By Nature
Vault Festival
2 Feb 2020
Conway Hall Annual Ethical Gala
Conway Hall
15 Jan 2020
Which Role for Museums in Community Advocacy on Global Challenges?
Museum Connections Conference, France
2 Dec 2019
Skeptics In The Pub
The Monarch
12 Oct 2019
Badass Women's Hour
Talk Radio
6 Oct 2019
What We’re Told Not To Talk About (But We’re Going To Anyway)
Cheltenham Literature Festival
23 Jul 2019
Period Poverty and Sustainable Solutions in Africa
Zambia High Commission, London
30 Jun 2019
The History of Vulvas
Bradford Literature Festival
2 Jun 2019
Making The Case For Her: Breaking Taboos
Women Deliver Conference, Canada
3 May 2019
Bodykind Festival Cabaret
Bodykind Festival
13 Apr 2019
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum
Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium
28 Mar 2019
Ri Youth Summit
Royal Institution
17 Mar 2019
A Brief History of Vulvas in Art
Eroticon
10 Mar 2019
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum
Burgh House
6 Mar 2019
Changing Bodies
JW3
22 Feb 2019
A Brief History Of Vulvas In Art
Tate Modern
6 Feb 2019
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum
Wellcome Trust
22 Oct 2018
Project Pleasure
Roundhouse
27 Sept 2018
Agony Auncles of Science
Gravity Fields Festival, Grantham
14 Sept 2018
Why The World Needs A Vagina Museum
British Science Festival
2 Jun 2018
Vagina Day
Feminist Library
17 May 2018
Data Beers
Facebook HQ
28 Apr 2018
Solitary Pleasures Conference
Freud Museum
14 Feb 2018
Valentine's Day Vaginas
Royal Institution
21 Jan 2018
Women's Radio Station Live
Jermyn Street Theatre
8 Sept 2017
Dr Jiggs Bowson
British Science Festival
7 Sept 2017
OutThinkers - Pride in STEM
British Science Festival
5 Sept 2017
The Post-Antibiotic Apocalypse - NESTA
British Science Festival
5 Aug 2017
Skeptics On The Fringe
Banshee Labyrinth
5-26 Aug 2017
Agony Auncles of Science
BarBados, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
28 Jun 2017
Large Stand Up Collidor
Science Museum Lates
23 Dec 2016
Science Showoff
Croydon Comedy Festival
1 Nov 2016
Scarier Than Fiction
The Harrison, London
1 Oct 2016
Science Showoff
Rhonda McGraw Theatre
7 Sept 2016
Your Favourite Dead Scientist Was A Dick
The Star of Kings, London
5 Jul 2016
Science Showoff
Royal Society
9 Jun 2016
Animal Showoff
Grant Museum
16 May 2016
Science Showoff
The Star of Kings, London
17 Dec 2015
Scriggler Live
The Finborough Arms
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