with curiosity and without fear
a workshop with researchers, designers and practitioners working in maternal health, sexual health and obstetrics
Vagina Museum, Arches 275-275 Poyser Street, London E2 9RF
Wednesday 5th November 2025, 10:00 to 13:00
This is a workshop with designers, researchers and practitioners of midwifery, sexual health and maternal/perinatal care. The goal of this workshop is to collaboratively discuss and address fears, anxieties, care and curiosities towards the postpartum body that new mothers might encounter, and explore ways in which design could support bodily ways of self-knowing, without fear and with curiosity.
During our workshop, designer Laetitia de Allegri will draw possible design configurations of chairs, mirrors or related objects that might respond to the issues discussed during the event. The drawings might later be developed, refined or left as they are for public display.
We will ask participants permission to document this event, as this workshop is part of the research project Maternal Machines: Design Speculations about Fantasies of Care, funded by Wellcome and led by the lead workshop organiser, Paulina Yurman. Given the delicate and intimate nature of the topics discussed, the documented conversations and relevant material emerging from the workshop will be treated with care and sensibility and will be stored securely.
10:00 am Coffee and introductions, plasticine exercise
10:45 Describing the postpartum from various perspectives
11:45 Fears and curiosities, design precedents, chairs
12:30 Wrap up
13:00 End