Scenes from Lost Mothers is a new play from Clean Break and the University of Hertfordshire. The play brings to life the findings of the Lost Mothers project, research project led by Dr Laura Abbott, a midwife and Associate Professor in research at The University of Hertfordshire, in partnership with Birth Companions and their lived experience team.
The project examines how decisions are made about separating imprisoned mothers from their newborn babies. The project team have interviewed women in five prisons as well as prison officers, midwives, social workers, and health visitors. The team have also observed mother and baby decision making boards
With the voices of women with lived experience of prison at its heart, Scenes from Lost Mothers explores the multiple challenges faced by women who spend their pregnancy awaiting the possibility of separation, and those who are compulsorily separated from their babies.
Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Playwright: "When speaking to mothers in prison, I came to realise that our broken system simply perpetuates another kind of brokenness.
I saw how becoming a mother could unlock fresh potential in women, but that sense of hope was too often crushed by the oppressive patterns and structures which are part of daily life in an institution.
It’s time for radical action and for the justice system to start viewing mothers and pregnant women as human beings instead of problems that cannot be solved."
The play has been designed specifically to be performed at conferences, seminars, training events or educational settings, presenting complex subject matter in a creative and accessible format.
Topics explored in the play include maternal separation, health care provision, access to mother and baby units, living conditions, increased risk of mental ill-health, and the consequences of decisions made by professionals run ragged by a system that’s falling apart.
Within the scenes, there is a celebration of the vital work of women’s organisations and campaigners. The show is a cry from the heart for change and compassion.
Scenes from Lost Mothers will be touring in February and March 2025, and is available to book with an accompanying reflective workshop, for professional and educational settings.
Find out more by downloading our information pack, and get in touch with Clean Break’s Producer to book: dezh.zhelyazkova@cleanbreak.org.uk
Image: Ayesha Antoine in [BLANK] by Alice Birch at the Donmar Warehouse. Credit: Helen Maybanks
