Ensemble Of Mothers
Part support group, part creative group, for Mothers who would like to come together to move, sing and create in a supportive and non-judgemental environment.
Where it all began
In January 2020 we started working with mothers in and near Stoke-on-Trent to make a new show about motherhood. This followed a residency with professional mother-artists in April 2019, as well as weekly workshops with families at the Gingerbread Centre which started in Autumn 2019. Unfortunately the project never made it to a performance as the pandemic put our activities on hold. Despite this we continued to explore the themes of motherhood and below you can see the creative activities we were able to develop during these strange times….
Maternal Journal
In February 2021 we started running Maternal Journal sessions. Maternal Journal provides a positive outlet for some of the feelings and challenges we experience in pregnancy and parenthood. Through blocks of creative workshops, we explore the practice of journaling. These sessions are informal, relaxed and offer a non-judgemental place to connect with other mothers. Email us if you’re interested in taking part in future sessions, and for more about Maternal Journal visit the website
Mother to Mother
Led by Gabriella Gay and Kwanzaa Collective UK - Mother to Mother provided a positive supportive space for mothers of children of colour to voice the challenges and celebrate the successes. Through a series of creative workshops and one-one conversations Gabriella is gathering mothers experiences and will produce creative responses… coming soon!
Isolation Conversations
We interviewed 20 mothers in their homes in January and February 2020 and continued conversations over Zoom during the first UK lockdown. The below video includes the voices of some of the mothers who took part in these Isolation Conversations. We plan to make a longer audio installation using these interviews in Spring 2021.
Music: Paul Rogerson
Dancer: Patsy Browne-Hope
We created postcard packs with creative tasks and tips from mothers for mothers! 100 packs were posted to mothers in Stoke-on-Trent/Staffordshire during lockdown. You can request yours by sending your address to info@restoke.org.uk (Stoke-on-Trent/Staffordshire postcodes only) Or you can download a digital version here
Creator packs are funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council & Voluntary Arts England - you can read about other Stoke-on-Trent based initiatives to get creative at home on the Voluntary Arts Website. Mother is funded by Arts Council England, Cultural Destinations (#MyStokeStory) and Awards for All.
Designed by: Sarah Nadin
Tasks by: GKA Gay, Jenny Harper, Sarah Nadin.
