Credits: Christine Barton Photography
We’re excited to be bringing a powerful new exhibition celebrating the lives, voices and experiences of women across the Isles of Scilly as a permanent feature of the new Isles of Scilly Museum and Cultural Centre.
The project brings together an extraordinary archive of 60 women’s stories gathered from across the islands. From young women to some of Scilly’s oldest residents, the collection reflects a rich cross-section of island life — those who live and work on the islands, who have raised families there, and who carry deep connections to its communities and landscapes.
Over multiple visits to the islands, we conducted in-depth interviews and hosted a series of community sharing events titled No Woman is an Island, creating space for stories to be told and preserved.
We will be working in collaboration with the Isles of Scilly Museum and Cultural Centre and exhibition designers Imagemakers to create a major new permanent display in the new museum’s galleries. The exhibition will be accompanied by a specially commissioned 20-minute film, bringing the voices and experiences of Scilly’s women vividly to life.
This is the first project of its kind to focus solely on the stories of women from across the Isles of Scilly, marking a significant moment in recognising and preserving an often-underrepresented part of the islands’ heritage.
Lydia Bassett, director of the Isles of Scilly Museum and Cultural Centre, said: “These are the kinds of stories that don’t always make it into the history books, but they are absolutely central to life on the islands. What Scary Little Girls have created is something really special – a rich, honest and deeply human picture of Scilly, told through the voices of women who live it every day. We’re so proud that this will become a permanent part of the new museum, and that these stories will be shared with visitors and islanders for generations to come.”
The exhibition will also feature an illustrated map by artist Vickie Heaney, offering a visual interpretation of the islands through the stories collected. The History Press has also commissioned a book based on the interviews.
As our travelling Karavan, their mobile archive of Cornish stories, could not be transported to the islands, five female artists from across Scilly were commissioned to create intricate suitcase dioramas inspired by the archive.
Our Artistic Director, Rebecca Mordan, said: “These are stories of work, family, resilience, creativity and community – and they deserve to be seen and heard. It’s been a privilege to spend time on the islands and to work with so many generous women. To now see these voices become part of a permanent exhibition feels incredibly meaningful, and we hope it resonates with everyone who experiences it.”
Read more about the museum here and watch this space for updates on the exhibition!
