Daughters of the Revolution is an experiment in creating an experiential understanding of women’s experience of giving birth in Ireland. Working across the artistic disciplines of visual art and theatre performance and interwoven with public engagement and discussion, 4elements will take you on an epic journey through pregnancy, birth and the HSE.
This project is comprised of three strands: A theatre performance, visual arts installation, and an expert panel in discussion with the audience.
Theatre Performance:
Daughters of the Revolution, by Kate Harris, is a satirical and irreverent play, examining exactly what women have to go through to get from pregnancy to birth. And once you go down the rabbit-hole of the maternity services…who knows what could happen. With original music by award winning composer Doc O’Connor.
The play is based on research into women’s experience of maternity carried out by 4elements Theatre Company, in partnership with AIMS Ireland, with the Research and Development grant from CREATE in 2013, and on-going research into the experiences of maternity services from the perspective of midwives with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, TCD.
Art Installation:
Centered on issues of agency and body autonomy as experienced by women in the Irish maternity services, the exhibition investigates the social perceptions around maternity.
The exhibition will include contributions from artists Anne Marie Kilshaw-Visual Arts Director of The Complex, Laura Fitzpatrick, Bronwyn Gaffney, Paul Timon from the Dublin Camera Club, and a text pieces from US artist, Coral Mallow.
Post-Show Panel Discussion:
The panel will bring together experts in the field of maternity and social policy to engage in open and honest dialogue with the audience in a safe, creative space. The conversations are recorded and edited to be uploaded as podcasts to a dedicated SoundCloud account under the title Daughters of Revolution.
Impact:
Daughters of the Revolution is an experiment in using art and performance to shape a public response to the crisis in the Irish maternity services. We are women exploring the underlying conflict between women’s bodily autonomy and the law, with humour and our unique insight into the experience of maternity in Ireland.