Image: Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester is presenting ‘The Labour of Care’, an exhibition developed with midwives and maternity healthcare professionals and running from 1 August 2026 to 29 August 2027.
Developed in partnership with Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the exhibition explores care, labour and emotional resilience in maternal health. It grew from ‘Still Care’, an artist-led workshop programme that began at the Whitworth in 2023.
New artworks made by healthcare professionals during workshop sessions are shown alongside selected works from the Whitworth collection, including artists Marina Abramović and L.S. Lowry. Paintings by Ghislaine Howard and Caroline Walker explore childbirth and everyday acts of care.
The exhibition also premieres ‘On Shift’, a work 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.
A public programme includes free talks, tours, workshops and gatherings. Curator tours are scheduled for 1 October 2026, 4 March 2027 and 8 July 2027. Entry to the exhibition is free.
