the birth archive

The Birth Archive is for women who feel called to explore all things around birth, the wild spectrum of women’s lived experiences, whilst being dedicated in a creative practice through research and making.

curiosity, willingness and a desire to explore with an intimate group are more important ingredients.

it may be particularly resonant for women who are:

• artists, writers, or makers

• birth workers, doulas or midwives

• researchers and educators interested in the spectrum of womanhood

• … exploring their relationship to sexuality and creativity

• … intrigued about women's oral stories and ancestral knowledge

• … wanting to develop a slower, research-led artistic practice

no. your own experience of birth is not a requirement. we are interested in birth as a creative experience, while recognising that people encounter it from very different positions; as mothers, daughters, partners, birth workers, artists, researchers or storytellers.

the container is an inquiry into birth, womanhood, creativity, power, and cultural memory. there are many ways of relating to birth, and we are interested in the diversity of those perspectives.

we will explore this together during our first month. you will receive supportive prompts and suggestions for approaching the conversation with care, respect and clarity.

the woman sharing her story should understand the nature of the project and how her story may become part of the creative material, and explicitly consent to this. an agreement will be made before the conversation, around how the story can be used. anonymity will be protected, unless the person wishes otherwise.

the emphasis is not on conducting an interview but on relationship, listening and witnessing; allowing the story to unfold in its own way, while remaining attentive to how you are moved, impacted and changed by what you hear.

to hear any birth story is an honor. yet some stories can contain grief, loss, violence, medical intervention, and other intense experiences.

we will explore how to stay with the complexity of these stories, whilst following what it awakens in our selves and in our creative practice.

the intention is to develop a tangible creative response over the nine months, but the emphasis is on process.

at the end of the nine months you might have a performance, film, text, publication, installation, visual artwork, or something that emerges from our research together.

you don't need to know what you're making before you begin.

this is designed as a sustained and intimate practice. there will be one live online session each month, alongside research materials and creative prompts to explore in your own time.

you do not need to produce something every week. some months you might engage deeply; other months you might simply listen, notice, read, let a question sit with you or be inspired by what others are creating / making.

the intention is to create continuity, and a rhythm that can exist alongside the rest of your life.

nine months gives us enough time to listen, research, question, experiment, lose our way, follow unexpected threads, and allow something to develop gradually. there is value in having a structure and a long-form container: to give something the space it needs to deepen.

this is a long-form creative practice to return to month after month in a collective field.