Still Born

by [email protected] in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

Still Born
We did it
On 8th March 2017 we successfully raised £580 with 22 supporters in 56 days

To create an artists' book on the theme of stillbirth in order to help lift the taboo surrounding stillbirth.

by [email protected] in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

From personal experience I can say that suffering a stillbirth is a heartbreaking and lonely experience. There is still a tremendous taboo surrounding stillbirth which can lead to isolation on top of the grief. Stillbirth is mostly invisible in the media unless you go and find the information through dedicated support groups. However, globally there are 2.6 million stillbirths a year and in the UK alone there are ten stillbirths a day. If stillbirth was discussed more openly it could help avoid at least some of the preventable deaths and would ease the alienation felt by those who suffer it. Many people don’t know how to react when someone in their circle of friends or family suffers a stillbirth and prefer to pretend it never happened. But for someone to whom it has just happened talking about it is probably one of the few things that has meaning. I remember browsing the shelves of bookshops trying to find any fiction on the theme of stillbirth and finding very little indeed. I hope this book project will increase the visibility of stillbirth and make people less anxious to talk about it.

 In order to raise awareness of stillbirth UK based artist Adinda van ‘t Klooster  will make a series of new artworks on the theme of stillbirth using drawing, screen printing and sculpture. A series of artworks will be accompanied by a poem each, to be commissioned from a selection of high calibre writers and poets. They will be accessed via organisations like the Poetry Society and New Writing North and through direct contacting. The artworks and poems will be compiled in an artist's book. The book and screen prints will be launched at Northern Print in Newcastle upon Tyne and a larger exhibition will travel to the Tommys Stillbirth Research Centre at St Mary’s hospital in Manchester in August 2017.

The money raised through crowd funding will be used to commission the poems (£ 2400 for up to twelve poems), book design (£ 1600), printing the first 60 books (£ 1080), photography of the artworks (£ 400), art materials (£ 1000), printing the badges (£ 100), postage of the books and badges for crowd funders (£ 250), printmaking facilities access cost (£ 150), marketing crowd funding campaign (£ 120), and card payment fees plus 5% of total raised to the crowdfunding site (£ 500)= £ 7600

Rewards offered are the book at £ 30, a badge to promote stillbirth awareness at £ 10 and a yet to be made screen print by Adinda van ‘t Klooster at the much reduced price of £ 160  and having your name and if applicable that of your stillborn baby printed in the book at £ 20.

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£10 or more

£10 Reward

This badge with a stillborn baby's hand or foot print on it can be worn to help raise awareness of stillbirth.

£20 or more

£20 Reward

Have your name and if applicable the name of your stillborn baby printed in the thank you section of the book.

£30 or more

£30 Reward

This book features artworks by Adinda van 't Klooster and poems by a selection of poets and writers on the theme of stillbirth. Biography: Adinda van ‘t Klooster Dr. Adinda van ‘t Klooster is an award-winning artist who works with drawing, sound, light, animation, sculpture and interactive technology. During her PhD with CRUMB (Curatorial Resource for Upstart Media Bliss) she explored the aesthetic experience in reactive and interactive artworks using biofeedback technology as input source. Ongoing interests in her work are the relationship between the body and technology, the links between music/sound, art and emotion and the equal combination of image and sound in audiovisual works. Her work has been exhibited, performed and screened internationally and city councils throughout the UK have commissioned her work. Examples can be seen at www.adindavantklooster.com and https://www.affectformations.net.

£160 or more

0 of 60 claimed

£160 Reward

Original screen print by Adinda van 't Klooster on the theme of stillbirth, from a limited edition of 30 prints. The work is yet to be made, but there will be the option to choose between two different prints, each made in an edition of 30. Dimensions will be at least 76 x 56 cm. Delivery is included and a choice between the two prints can be made closer to the date of release when the works will be shown here. The discounted price is currently only available at crowdfunder. Adinda van 't Klooster has been a professional artist since 1995 when she graduated from the Glasgow School of Art. Other examples of her work can be found at www.adindavantklooster.com and https://www.affectformations.net

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