...By Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.
The Vagina Museum, which was evicted from its previous location earlier this year, has announced that it has found a new venue.
However, in order to secure the new property, the museum faces the challenge of raising an ambitious £85,000.
The urgency of the situation has led the museum to describe it as a “now-or-never” struggle to reopen.
To date, they have managed to raise £42,000 through crowdfunding and donations, but they have set an early June deadline to reach their fundraising target.
The new site, situated in East London, consists of a pair of railway arches that can accommodate a modest exhibition and event space.
The museum’s managers express their satisfaction with this choice, highlighting that it meets all their requirements and is conveniently located not far from their previous home in Bethnal Green.
Out of the £42,000 raised so far, approximately £10,000 has come from friends and family of the museum’s staff and volunteers, who have actively reached out for support.
The director of the museum emphasizes the urgency of the situation, stating that a substantial cash injection is urgently needed.
The Vagina Museum, self-proclaimed as the world’s first bricks-and-mortar museum dedicated to vaginas, vulvas, and gynaecological anatomy, initially launched as a pop-up in 2017.
The museum has always offered free entry to the public, relying on merchandise sales and donations to sustain its operations.
After finding a permanent home in Camden Market in 2019 and subsequently closing due to the pandemic, the museum relocated to a site in Bethnal Green in 2022 under a property guardianship scheme.
However, it was unexpectedly evicted from the premises in March of this year.
While awaiting a secure home, parts of the museum’s permanent exhibition are being stored at the homes of staff and volunteers.
If the fundraising target is met and the new site is successfully secured, the museum anticipates reopening in the late summer, allowing visitors to once again explore its unique collection and educational offerings.
