Birth and Breasts in the NHS

I’ve been there, damned NHS…honestly i was really traumatised by the whole childbearing experience…

I have found passages and images in gynaecologists books – recommending that the opposite of what happened to me would be the ideal.

I’m beginning with some research into Birth and breastfeeding. I’ve looked at clinical texts and adisory books for parents.

I can’t help linking everything i research to my own experience of child bearing and birth – so I’m just going to go with it and see where it leads.

There was a recent symposium at the Whitechapel gallery about childbirth in art, so I’m optimistic about there being a current interest in the subject.

I have found the ‘Birth Rites Collection’

www.birthritescollection.org.uk

Which also has some beautiful artwork looking at the experience of child bearing, I’ve contacted Helen Knowles who set up the collection so am looking forwards to a conversation with her within the next couple of weeks.

So….here we go.

This residency is at a random place for me right now. I’ve been working for a a year already – most recently witha project promoting home cooking to the people of Barkking and dagenham. In a round-about attempt to have an attempt on the obesity levels in the area.

However in retrospect the past year could have been a bit more fun – I got bogged own in the beuraucratic nonsense and target hitting that radiates from the NHS.

Another important consideration is that I was commissioned just before the recession, most people who were involved in the initial project have been sacked or have so much work on that I am in a situation of complete independence.

Which feels great in some ways (currently have complete creative freedom), but hard in others (no-one is taking any notice of what I’m doing…lonely times)

I’m hoping to get some feedback and advice here.