Arts & Culture

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 podcast for the Cultural Sector.

The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

The country-wide economic squeeze has hit the arts and culture sector hard. Local governments -  under pressure to save money - are making cuts to their support for local arts organisations, sometimes removing funding completely.

Why are we in this situation and what can be done to make positive progress?

Host Tom Dawson is joined by three expert guests to understand the context and try to come up with some answers:

Stephanie Sirr - CEO of Nottingham Playhouse and  Co-President of UK Theatre

Zak Mensah - Co-CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust and a Trustee of Cultural Enterprises

Cllr Liz Green - Chair of the Local Government Association's Culture, Tourism and Sport board and Councillor, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 

The podcast for the Cultural Sector.

The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Sir John Soane was one of the world's most famous neo-classical architects. He built and lived in a house in London which, when he died, he left to the nation. The result is a house museum that has National Museum status and - according to the terms in Sir John's will - has been kept as it was at the time of his death in 1837. Rebecca Hossain is  Director of Commercial and Operations.

The museum displays Soane's collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models, paintings – including work by Hogarth, Turner and Canaletto  – and over 30,000 architectural drawings. It’s a vast, extraordinary collection, full of curiosities and surprises.

In this episode of 'Arts & Culture', host Tom Dawson visits the museum and speaks to Rebecca Hossain about the unique challenges and opportunities that a house museum like this presents. We find out why red wine is forbidden at functions, why there are no labels or signs in the museum... and how a crucial decision made during lockdown has opened up the museum to a whole new generation of visitors.

There are also brilliant insights into strategising decades ahead and how the physical nature of a museum presents a unique chance to build loyalty and camaraderie amongst its staff.

For more information on the museum, visit soane.org

The podcast for the Cultural Sector.

The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Young V&A is a museum for children and young people. It's located on the site of the former Museum of Childhood but re-launched  under a new brand and with a complete re-imagining in July 2023.

Amy Akino-Wittering (Head of Operations and Commercial at Young V&A) runs the day-to-day operation of the museum and played a key leadership role in its planning, design and launch. In this episode she shares with host Tom Dawson her learnings of "starting from scratch" with a new museum concept, plus gives insights from her career in the arts and culture sector.

There are really useful lessons here in prioritisation and vision - when you start with nothing but a blank page, what are the pillars that you build around? Amy also gives great direction in the crucial area of team management - how do you create the best platform for your staff to shine and, in turn, provide a great experience for visitors?

Children and young people are a notoriously hard audience to really serve well - it's easy to miss the mark. Amy gives great advice about observing and adapting. Plus, Amy's passion for constant improvement (through gathering feedback from the team members on the floor) really shines through.

Find out more about Young V&A here:

https://www.vam.ac.uk/young

The podcast for the Cultural Sector.

The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

The Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre is a tiny site... with a big name above the door. 

Roald Dahl is one of the world's most famous authors and his stories and characters have inspired generations of children and adults alike. Museum Director Steve Gardam shows Tom Dawson (Association For Cultural Enterprises) around, then explains how physical size does not have to be a limitation on the vision of a museum.

This fascinating interview features useful insights into strategy, long-term thinking and clarity of purpose. There are also valuable lessons around community, commercial pragmatism and leadership.

There are plenty of small cultural enterprises around the UK. This episode shares how great things can be achieved by any scale of operation.

The podcast for the Cultural Sector.

The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Rachel Mackay is Head of Hampton Court Palace - an incredible job title with a fantastic bonus included... she gets to live in a Royal Palace. It's not quite as fairytale glamorous as it sounds, but the role, and the Palace itself, provide Rachel with one of the most intriguing and rewarding roles within the cultural sector. What better place and person to start this new podcast from the Association for Cultural Enterprises?

The aim of this podcast is to discover, highlight and share best practice, innovation and insights from the galleries, museums and heritage sites that make up the UK's rich and varied cultural sector. How can cultural enterprises delight the public and also be financially sustainable? This podcast will find out and share the knowledge for everyone's benefit.

In this fascinating first episode, host Tom Dykes joins Rachel for a quick tour of Hampton Court before settling in her historic (every room has a story here) office to discuss everything from dealing with Royals, to roasting beef in original Tudor kitchens... from the latest theories on maximising visitor experience, to balancing revenue and disruption when it comes to granting filming licences.

The 'Arts & Culture' podcast publishes a new episode every month. Please subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review to support the podcast and do spread the word far and wide.

For more information on Hampton Court - https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/#gs.6b9zzw

Rachel's book about Visitor Experience - https://facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/?K=9781783305490

The podcast for the Cultural Sector.

The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/