This month, Battersea Arts Centre will be hosting an online festival of short films, exploring parenthood. The Motherhood Project will take place from Monday 19th to Sunday 25th April 2021, with dramatic monologues and personal reflections from some of the UK’s leading artists.
There’ll be 15 short films exploring the guilt, absurdity and taboos surrounding motherhood. You can expect contributions from Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Athena Stevens, Anya Reiss, Juno Dawson, Lemn Sissay and Naomi Sheldon.
The festival curator Katherine Kotz, invited writers, artists and technicians to join forces and donate their time for the project and create some exciting new pieces. Interrogating the relationship between parent and child, autonomy and responsibility; dramatic pieces have been contributed by Irenosen Okojie, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Hannah Khalil, Anya Reiss, and Suhayla El Bushra. Along with Naomi Sheldon, E.V Crowe, Jodi Gray, and Kotz herself.
For this event, artists and activists will also be sharing their experiences and expectations of parenthood. Actor, writer and disabled rights activist, Athena Stevens talks about the tension between having children and being a ‘reasonable’ woman. And Juno Dawson, journalist, author and trans rights activist, discusses bodily autonomy and the relationship between motherhood and womanhood. Whilst Kalhan Barath reflects on caring for other people’s children, having decided not to have her own.
In between sharing his poetry, Lemn Sissay MBE talks about his relationship with his mother and his journey towards understanding things from her perspective. The poet and playwright Joelle Taylor shares her poem about non-mothers who help to raise children. And Lakuta vocalist Siggi Mwasote explores her bond with her teenage daughter, escaping an abusive relationship, and how moving to a predominantly white area affected her daughter’s school years.
The tickets for this event will be offered on a pay-what-you-can basis and 50% of the sales will be donated to Refuge. Providing a wide range of specialist services to those experiencing domestic violence, Refuge has experienced an escalating rise in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. In May, the visits to their website – where it’s possible to request a safe time to be contacted by the National Domestic Abuse Helpline – saw a 950% rise compared to pre-Covid-19. People’s lives depend on them being able to access the specialist services Refuge provides. And now, more than ever, they are endeavouring to provide the confidential support needed.
Looking for more online events to inspire you? Try these.
When: 19th – 25th April 2021
Where: Online via the Battersea Arts Centre website
£: Tickets are on a pay-what-you-can basis
More info: bac.org.uk/whats-on/motherhood-project
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