Drawings installed in the After Birth Installation at The Royal Exchange Theatre as part of Co:Lab Festival 2018

After Birth was a multi media installation and performance shown in July at The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, that aimed to put the hidden issue of maternal mental health in public. People were encouraged to come 'with a babe in arms, alone or with a group to a safe space where the unspoken is expressed visually, musically and through performed monologues. Engage with the installation on your own terms or attend a performance' Health visitors where present after each performance should anyone have needed support.

The After Birth Team: Nicola Schofield - Writer, Jennifer Hardy - Musician, Naomi Kendrick - Artwork, David Haworth - Set Design, Sara Abanur - Actress, Amy Hailwood - Director, Grace Ng - Ralph - Producer

Nicola, Jennifer and I collaborated by producing new work (in our respective disciplines of writing, sound and drawing) drawing on our own experiences and working in response to each others work on maternal mental health. I then collaborated with David Haworth who built a set to house my drawings, Jenny's sound and the performance.

film clip of the installation available here courtesy of Andrew Brooks

Visitor feedback:
'Very moving, Brought back some memories. Brilliant'
'The use of different art mediums worked well, very moving and resonated with me despite not being a mother myself. Excellent well written and much needed.'
'An honest and powerful reality. This is surely a conversation that needs to happen and the right support to be given'
'An amazing performance - Heart felt thoughts'
'WOW - what a performance! A very honest portrayal of motherhood, thank you!
'Really poignant and thought provoking installation, has stimulated a lot of discussion'
'It touched me and made me feel empathy for all mums, Great exhibition'
'Brilliant. So much great work and fantastic collaborations. This kind of thing is really Worth investing in.'
'Gorgeous Installation. So Gentle. Id like to see more work like this! well done all involved'
'Incredible performance! As a supporter of new mums, I really felt I was watching real thoughts by one of our mums. Well done to everyone involved. Very candid and truthful'

 More images here photography and film by Andrew Brooks.
Jennifer's soundscapes can be heard here