Oxytocin - Mothering the World

OXYTOCIN MOTHERING THE WORLD 2019

Under the umbrella of the Procreate Project, Oxytocin is an event about mothers and carers staged in a setting that uniquely melds a rich programme of performances and live art with discussion panels and workshops.

It creates a platform for critical art practices, maternal and feminist theories and health services.

The symposium highlights new ideas whereby infrastructures and creative programs can support and facilitate healthy families thus challenging attitudes towards motherhood, female sexuality, birth, depression and human rights.

For the Oxytocin's second edition, Procreate Project (PCP) enters into a partnership with Birth Rites collection ( BRC) located at Guy’s Campus, King’s College, London (KCL), to deliver a performance programme responding to a curatorial theme questioning iconography, cultural connotations and stereotypes associated with the word ‘Mother/Mothering’ and how they effect as well LGBTQIA families.

This years curatorial approach will look to unpick urgent issues that are still hardly discussed and represented in public contexts. These include; gender and rights in reproductive and maternal health and reflections around the use of the word 'Mother' and its historical connotations. This will be initiated through an essential artistic dialogue between artists reclaiming this word and their role as ‘mothers’ in their art practises and public lives, and LGBTQIA parents who have refused to be recognised in those terms and pushing for other ways of self identification, expression and care.

The panels will host academics, health professionals and artists examining these subjects as well as start a discussion about sensitivity to the the LGBTQIA and non binary parents, research about gay and lesbian parents experiences of maternity services and also surrogacy. In addition we will look at issues for new mothers in how they find ‘motherhood’ framed as an institution and media narratives.

The artistic programme will re-stage existing performances in and around Guys Campus responding to the curatorial theme and premier three newly commissioned works. Full programme can be found on our website.

For any enquiries please contact us at [email protected]

* Children are welcome at all times and must be supervised by their parents/carers. We are arranging a room with toys and materials for children to use and engage with. We will confirm all the details in due course.

** Lunch is not provided, if you need information about facilities in and around the campus please get in touch.

*** If you require special assistance on the day email us and we will be happy to help.

**** If you are experiencing financial hardship and cannot afford the ticket price please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.