Fanniversary Conference

In partnership with the Open University, the Vagina Museum is hosting a one-day conference in celebration of our (f)anniversary: a day dedicated to exploring the contemporary role of feminism and gender within law, theatre, and the wider humanities.

Since the opening of the Vagina Museum in 2019 – the first brick-and-mortar museum dedicated to vulvas, vaginas and the gynaecological anatomy – the body has continued to be a prevalent point of discussion and contention within public discourse. Thus our mission to build a world where no one is ashamed of their bodies, everyone has bodily autonomy and all of humanity works together to build a society that is free and equal continues to be relevant. We endeavour to contribute to meaningful conversations about the human body; particularly in pushing these conversations beyond, or to challenge, cisnormative and patriarchal frameworks. 

In the UK, conversations surrounding mentrual health, menopause, endometriosis, sex work, LGBTQI+ rights remain taboo. Their association within a patriarchal society, with gendered bodies and with normative ideas of femininity and femaleness, whether or not they exclusively relate to women, means they have been systemically ignored, colonised, pathologised or politicised. This is not a historical phenomenon. In Northern Ireland, abortion was not decriminalised until 2019, and in 2022 Roe v. Wade was overturned, demonstrating how abortion rights are neither universal or secure. Every day technological innovations continue to streamline and optimise reproductive surveillance. Gender based violence, largely against marginalised genders, has risen in recent years – in the form of both direct violence and structural violence within healthcare, policing and law enforcement, and access to essential services. The increased visibility of diverse gender and sexual identities in the 2010s was followed promptly by increased scrutiny within political and public spheres, putting lived experiences under constant observation and debate. Across institutions, whether governmental, educational, medical or employment, this scrutiny is reproduced through practices, policies, access and perceptions that have regulated expression and  identity. 

For those of us working toward collective liberation, there is an urgent need to reflect upon and re-examine the contemporary landscape of queer and feminist scholarship, that is to say scholarship interested in power, within the myriad realms of law, medicine, literature, policy, education and beyond. We are calling for a re-engagement with the way bodies are discussed, cared for, legislated and experienced – throwing out a challenge to examine the shape of power, knowledge, identity, and access to rights and justice in 2026. Therefore, for our inaugural Fanniversary symposium, we are inviting researchers, academics, performers and facilitators whose work employs a feminist lens or otherwise centres gender within law, theatre, humanities, and other related fields to reflect on how these intersections shape our perspectives and practices. We welcome submissions from people at any stage of their career or practice.

We welcome proposals that may address, but are not limited to:

• Law, censorship, policy and the role of public institutions

• Reproductive justice & bodily autonomy

• Queer and decolonial perspectives on gender, sexuality and identity beyond dominant socio-cultural norms

• Lost voices, archival absences and forgotten histories

• Intersectional, feminist approaches in health, sexual education and community care

• Bodily activism, protest, feminist intervention, and the reclamation of agency
  

We are especially interested in work that bridges the gap between disciplines; works that agitate, distort and/or subvert heteronormative or cisnormative ideologies; and works that centre marginalised voices. 

Contributions may take the form of traditional academic papers, presentations, performance lectures, cabaret style performances between 10 and 15 minutes, or workshop facilitation between 30 minutes to an hour.

The conference is currently planned as a combined in-person and online event held at the Vagina Museum, with the option of presenting remotely or in-person.

To apply, please submit a title, a brief biography and abstract (up to 150 words) via the submission form here by Friday 6th February 2026, 5pm (GMT) with acceptance notices sent by Friday 20th February 2026.  

Funding support: A limited amount of funding is available for non-salaried or unfunded participants. As such, participants with access to institutional funding are encouraged to use those resources. Please indicate on your application whether you are eligible for a speaker fee (i.e you are not salaried by an institution for this work).

For any questions, please contact Dr Alex Lyons via alex.lyons@vaginamuseum.co.uk

Fanniversary conference will be held on Tuesday 21st April 2026.