Maternal Journal group at Mill Road Community Centre, Cambridge

The Maternal Journal Group at Mill Road Community Centre, Cambridge.

Join our new Maternal Journal group and take part in a series of five creative journaling workshops based at Mill Road Community Centre, Cambridge. The group will help you explore experiences of pregnancy, birth and m/otherhood, and support your creativity and mental wellbeing. The group will be facilitated by Maternal Journal producer, artist and midwife, Laura Godfrey-Isaacs and supported by Sinead Rocha, Lecturer in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Director of the Goldsmiths InfantLab.

In the group you will be introduced to creative journaling, through our unique guides and creative prompts which have been devised by our community of artists, writers, therapists, and birth workers. We will provide a journal and art materials so you can try out journaling using simple writing, drawing and collage techniques. We also ask that you bring a smart phone as we will be trialling some guides on your phone using simple photo, drawing and typing functions (available on all smart phones).

This project is part of a research study. If you participate, you will be asked to fill out selected questionnaires related to your wellbeing, before and after five weeks of participation in in-person Maternal Journal workshops. We will also ask you about your experiences of the Maternal Journal process. All information you provide will be kept strictly confidential. If you sign up for the workshops, we will email you a copy of the full information sheet and consent form for the project for you to consider before agreeing to take part. Information sheets and consent forms will also be available on the day and you can withdraw your participation from the project at any time.

More information:

• The workshops will run every Wednesday, 11am - 1pm, for five weeks, starting on 5th June, 2024 and till Wednesday 3rd July, 2024.
• We ask that you commit to attend all five workshops, though we understand there may be unforseen circumstances which means you cannot attend some individual dates.
• The workshops will be held in our fully accessible community space, and exact details will be emailed to you.
• The workshops are for anyone who is pregnant, has given birth or identifies as a mother.
• We do not advise taking part if you are currently experiencing any serious mental health issues or distress, or have a diagnosed condition such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or depression & anxiety that has recently involved being treated as an inpatient. The workshops can bring up powerful emotions and we do not have the ability or appropriate training to safeguard you or the group in these circumstances.

• The group will be relaxed and informal with refreshments provided – babies up to 12 months old are welcome, and we will set up a soft play area and changing space.

• You do not need any artistic or creative experience, however we do ask you to bring a smartphone and we will be trialling some of our journaling guides using simple functions on a phone. All other materials and refreshments will be provided.

• We'd like to take some photos during the session and will ask if you'd be willing to share some of your journaling pages afterwards if you give us permission.

Thank you to our funders and supporters: Arts Council England and Goldsmiths College, University of London

For more information or any questions please email: j.kao@gold.ac.uk

Once you have booked we will send you a registration form with more information on the project.