The Labour of Care
An exhibition dedicated to centring the voices and experiences of midwives and maternity healthcare professionals.
Developed in partnership with Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). 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 On Shift by Jamaican-born poet Courtney Conrad, developed through a joint commission with Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research, Imperial College London and the Birth Rites Collection.
1 August 2026 – 29 August 2027
Image Credit: 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.
Developed in partnership with Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), and supported by Rayne Foundation, Friends of the Whitworth and Sands Still Birth charity.
Public programme
Discover the series of free talks, tours, workshops and gatherings to explore the themes of the exhibition including care, creativity and wellbeing.
Public Talks
Care-led Co-Creation
Sharing creative approaches, resources and learning with the Still Care project team and participants.
Friday 23 October 2026, 11am-3pm
Midwifery Today
A panel discussion with maternity care providers, hosted by practising NHS midwife, activist and bestselling author Leah Hazard.
Saturday 24 October 2026, 2-4pm
Curators Tours
- Thursday 1 October 2026, 6-7pm
- Thursday 4 March 2027, 6-7pm
- Thursday 8 July 2027, 6-7pm
Creative Workshops: Designed for midwives and maternity health care providers
Japan Day: Kintsugi Clay Workshop with Artist Rachel Ho
Friday 11 September 2026, 1:30-4pm
Afrikan Yoga with Wellbeing Practitioner Naomi Pemberton
Sunday 24 January 2027, 1:30-4pm
Please note, booking links and further details will be added soon