Childbirth is synonymous with both pain and joy. In this enlightening discussion series we will explore what childbirth means to us today in the Western World and what it means to other cultures throughout history.

All events run 19.00 - 20.30.

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  Giving Birth

  10 March 2011. How we are born depends dramatically on where we are born. In the UK most women give birth in hospitals, but globally home births are the norm. Giving birth in the West is relatively safe, whereas in low-income countries it is often life-threatening. Why is this?

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  Engineering Birth

  17 March 2011. Caesarean sections were originally undertaken when the life of the baby or mother was at threat. Today a Caesarean section can be carried out as much for convenience as for safety. Are we taking the dramatic intervention involved in a C-section too lightly, and should they be curtailed?

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  Describing Birth

  28 April 2011. The representation of childbirth in the arts had for many centuries been confined to religious paintings and medical treatises. In the 20th century, this changed, as artists and writers began to explore the subject in more personal ways. This event will uncover the ways childbirth has been described and documented by artists, writers and photographers.

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  Ritualising Birth

  5 May 2011. Giving birth is an event rich in ritual. Here in the West it is often overlooked, perhaps because the great majority of births take place in hospital. This event will explore not only Western birth rituals, but also those from other cultures, how they are perceived when they are brought here and what we can learn from them.

 

Curated by Thereza Wells, Artakt, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London.

    

 

Image: Marilène Oliver, 2003