Hi everyone! My name is Alexandra and I live in Australia. I grew up in a small outback town in Australia with lots of siblings, but we moved around a bit and are now settled in Canberra, the nation’s capital. I went to university here to study archaeology and anthropology for my bachelors, and this led me into a really rewarding masters degree in museum and heritage studies. For the last year or so I lived and worked in the UK. I spent a lot of my time visiting museums, galleries, and heritage sites around England and it is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I’ve moved back to Canberra now and am ready to start building a long-term career in museums and education, with the first step being my role here at Girl Museum
I have loved history for as long as I can remember and this was encouraged by my parents who were always taking my siblings and I to various exhibitions and heritage sites. As an adult I have kept up this habit and am always up for an adventure in my spare time! At home I enjoy any sort of crafting — sewing, embroidery, crocheting, clay sculpting, drawing. If it involves creating something then I am guaranteed to enjoy it. I also have a bit of an obsession with horror movies, but only when someone is home with me!
My favourite museum at the moment has to be the V&A. It has some absolutely beautiful examples of art and workmanship and is one of the first places I visited when I moved to London. I spent a lot of my free days here, and as a bonus it is absolutely free to visit (excluding certain exhibitions). It also has a beautifully decorated café which I could sit in for hours studying the artwork.
I’m not too sure what my dream job would be yet, but I know I would love creating and directing educational programmes for institutions such as the National Trust or Sydney Living Museums. Sharing my love of history and heritage while having the opportunity to teach and engage others is my ultimate goal.
In my opinion the biggest issue facing girls I know is confidence. Many girls have low self-esteem, negative body image, and feel pressure from society to look and act a certain way. In the past women often had very specific roles they were expected to play, and I think this still permeates how girls act and think today. Even though we as a society are trying to move away from such stereotypes, we still have a long way to go. Showing girls that they can think, act, and look however they want is so important and I hope that institutions like Girl Museum will be able to do just that!
-Alexandra Kenny
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.