Feeding Chair (2022) is a collaborative, touring artwork that invites parents and carers to feed their babies and young children in public venues.
Featuring artwork by Jade de Montserrat, the chair integrates audio and video works by artists and activists about infant feeding, gender and public space. The work acts as a focus for sharing experiences and challenging social attitudes towards feeding and mothering.
Chapter are partnering with The Birth Partner Project, a Cardiff-based charity which provides volunteer birth partners to support women seeking sanctuary who would otherwise face pregnancy, birth and early motherhood alone, to think about how our café can contribute to the public health of our local communities and become a more welcoming shared space that meets the needs of parents and carers with young children.
The chair is accompanied by the Feeding Futures Floor Flag, created by Sally Sutherland as a site for intergenerational connection, feelings, listening and a better understanding of diverse experiences of infant feeding.
Alongside the installation, Chapter will celebrate World Breastfeeding Week with a series of events:
Milk Report
Wednesday 6 August, 11am
A short film by the Bristol-based artists and designers Conway and Young, which explores the politics and economics of care through the lens of feeding a baby. The 20-minute film focuses on the improvised, chaotic, interdependent and messy nature of reproductive labour.
There will be a short Q&A following the film with the artists.
Babies are welcome, this is a relaxed screening with no worries about causing a disturbance, sound in the cinema will be lowered to a safe volume.
Milk Report was produced as part of the Feed project. Feed is an arts-based project that promotes inclusive, sustainable approaches to infant feeding and public space.
Plus, hosted by The Mama Cwtch:
Matrescence Workshop (Postnatal): Free taster session by The Mama Cwtch
Saturday 2 August, 9.30am - 11am
Aimed at new mothers. Partners and little ones are very welcome to join.
Matrescence Workshop (Antenatal): Free taster session by The Mama Cwtch
Saturday 2 August, 11.30am - 1pm
Aimed at expectant mothers. Partners are very welcome to come along.