The Labour of Care
1 August 2026 – 29 August 2027
An exhibition dedicated to centring the voices and experiences of midwives and maternity healthcare professionals.
This exhibition presents artworks to explore care, labour and emotional resilience at the frontline of maternal health, providing insights into the realities of working in maternity services at a time of growing pressure on the profession.
Developed from Still Care, a pioneering programme of artist-led workshops that began at the Whitworth in 2023, the exhibition creates space for maternity staff to pause, reflect and reconnect beyond the demands of the clinical environment.
Through creative practice and collective dialogue, midwives and maternity healthcare professionals have shaped an exhibition that speaks powerfully to the humanity, complexity and emotional intensity of caring for others. Their stories and perspectives form the heart of the exhibition.
The exhibition features new artworks created by healthcare professionals in their workshop sessions presented side-by-side with selected works from the Whitworth’s internationally renowned collection, placing participants lived experiences in dialogue with artists including Marina Abramović and L.S. Lowry. Presented together, they create a rich visual and emotionally resonant landscape that considers care as both an intimate act and a wider social condition.
Paintings by Ghislaine Howard and Caroline Walker explore the experience of childbirth and everyday acts of care. The exhibition also presents the premiere of Burnout has a Body by poet Courtney Conrad, developed in response to a Still Care creative writing workshop.
Caption: Caroline Walker, Study for Ultrasound, 2021. Oil on paper © Caroline Walker. Courtesy the Artist; GRIMM, Amsterdam/New York/London; and Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh. Photo: Peter Mallet.
Supporters: Supported by Rayne Foundation, Friends of the Whitworth and Sands.
Further information:
- Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday, 10.00 am-5.00 pm; open until 9.00 pm on Thursdays
- Location: The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER
- Getting there: By foot: 20-30 minures from Manchester city centre; By Bike: Sheffield stands and lockers (£1 coin, refundable) both available at the gallery; By Bus: 15, 41, 42, 43, 140 – 143, 147 – ask for bus stop nearest MRI, Oxford Road; By Metrolink: St Peter’s Square (plus 10 minutes on the bus or 20 minutes on foot); Train: Oxford Road (plus 10 minutes on the bus or 20 minutes on foot); By Car: On-street parking (maximum stay, 2 hours) on Denmark Road. Nearest car park Cecil Street
- Admission is free
