One in six heterosexual couples experience infertility. The proportion affected is much higher in the LGBTQ+ population. Studies have noted that LGBTQ+ individuals are among the fastest growing users of fertility care; however, there are significantly fewer studies focusing on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the LGBTQ+ population. The systemic barriers faced by sexual and gender minority groups are thus often overlooked by fertility care providers and research.
The art x ART project aims to explore journeys of family planning of six diverse LGBTQ+ individuals through a textile art-making focus group, and collection of oral histories and lived experiences, in order to unveil personal and collective barriers related to fertility, as well as to de-mythicise and de-stigmatise some aspects of ART. The conversations focused on the meaning of family and family building. All participants were invited to share and reflect on different stages of their path to family building and parenthood while creating a textile art piece that resemble each stage.
The textile art pieces were then combined to create a tapestry with selected keywords and quotes by participants. The language used in this project centres around notions of ‘family’ and ‘family-building’ as opposed to ‘fertility’, given the cis- and heteronormative connotations surrounding the latter term. The textile art pieces reflect the first moments the participants seriously thought about ‘family’ and ‘family building’; their current stage and their projected future.
The art x ART project aims to explore journeys of family planning of six diverse LGBTQ+ individuals through a textile art-making focus group, and collection of oral histories and lived experiences, in order to unveil personal and collective barriers related to fertility, as well as to de-mythicise and de-stigmatise some aspects of ART. The conversations focused on the meaning of family and family building. All participants were invited to share and reflect on different stages of their path to family building and parenthood while creating a textile art piece that resemble each stage.
The textile art pieces were then combined to create a tapestry with selected keywords and quotes by participants. The language used in this project centres around notions of ‘family’ and ‘family-building’ as opposed to ‘fertility’, given the cis- and heteronormative connotations surrounding the latter term. The textile art pieces reflect the first moments the participants seriously thought about ‘family’ and ‘family building’; their current stage and their projected future.
This project was supported by UAL’s Post-Grad Community, in collaboration with Wellcome / EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences (WEISS) as part of SURGE II: a project bringing together scientists, artists, and the public to explore the complexities and application of technology in surgery.