The Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) have partnered on an award-winning project, providing a creative outlet for parents who have suffered the loss of a baby during pregnancy or just after birth. It is estimated that one in four pregnancies end in loss during pregnancy or birth. However, the subject is not often spoken about, and this can lead to stigma and shame for those who experience loss. Still Parents aims not only to support parents through their bereavement, but also to open up conversations about baby loss more widely.
Participants come together monthly at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, drawing on the museum’s collections and using creativity to explore and express their feelings in a supportive community. The sessions, led by professional artists in a range of media, focus on making rather than talking, and conversations arise as a result of the art-making.
“There comes a point where you’ve talked about it so much that you need something else. So having that physical thing to hold onto, to make something once a month, it made a huge difference to me.” - Participant in Still Parents, End of Life Care and Bereavement Roundtable
The programme led to a public exhibition ‘Still Parents: Life After Baby Loss’ - an honest and powerful portrayal of baby loss told by those who have experienced it first-hand. It displayed artworks produced by participants alongside pieces from the collection, selected by participants, which resonated with their stories. These stories and the participants voices helped to personalise the statistics around baby loss and raise awareness. The exhibition helped break the silence surrounding baby loss and has become a catalyst for open conversations. Visitors have described the space as a positive, healing space, essential for building empathy.
