STORYHOUSE CHILDLESS BRINGS CHESTER PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR A DAY OF STORIES, SUPPORT AND SHARED EXPERIENCES
Storyhouse Childless return this September with a day of diverse discussions, workshops and activities taking place in the building’s Garret Theatre.
The event on Saturday, 10 September is aimed at people who are either childless due to circumstance such as infertility or health conditions, or childfree from choice.
It gives those involved the chance to build a community, meet new people and hear personal stories about living without children.
It is the first time the event has been held since the Covid pandemic.
Dr Dawn Llewellyn, Associate Professor in Religion and Gender at the University of Chester, worked with Storyhouse and the city’s branch of Gateway Women – a global friendship and support network for childless women – to bring the event to Hunter Street three years ago.
The inaugural Storyhouse Childless saw almost 100 people gather, hear from speakers, have conversations and form bonds and friendships.
Dr Llewellyn, who is herself childfree, will return this September to officially welcome participants to the 2022 event and will introduce the opening session which is an ‘in conversation’ with Jody Day, founder of Gateway Women.
Together they will talk about the day and discuss the complexities and similarities between people who are childless and childfree.
During the day Jody, author of Living the Life Unexpected, will also present a new piece of writing which looks at things she has learned about being childless.
The planned programme also includes three sessions of 10 Minute Stories where four or five people each tell their own story within the time, giving as many people as possible the chance to share their own experiences; a writing workshop led by poet Betty Doyle who will also perform later at an open mic event, and a panel discussion centred on men and chaired by Yvonne John, author of Dreaming of a Life Unlived and who also took part in the 2019 event.
The packed day will end with How to be Amazingly Happy, a one-woman autobiographical show by performer, director and theatre maker Victoria Firth.
Suzie Henderson, Storyhouse’s Creative Director, says: “Storyhouse is committed to supporting Chester’s many diverse communities and offering them a place to gather, explore their interests and share their experiences.
“Storyhouse Childless is a chance for people to meet, talk and make connections in a relaxed and very informal setting. The inaugural 2019 event was a great success and I know that those who took part found it a rewarding and even powerful experience, and I’m sure the 2022 event will be just the same.”
Storyhouse Childless is on Saturday, 10 September, with the open session starting at 10am.
A day pass is £36 for Storyhouse Members and £40 for non-members. Tickets are also available for individual sessions, costing from £5-£10.
For more information or interviews, contact:
Nancy Davies
Marketing and PR Manager
Storyhouse
07886 743531
About Storyhouse
Storyhouse is one of the UK’s foremost cultural centres incorporating a library, theatres and a cinema. It is one of the country’s most successful arts buildings, with more than one million customer visits each year.
The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside city librarians, boasts the longest opening hours of any UK public library and is open every day until 11pm. It runs over 2,000 sessions a year for marginalised communities
The company also runs a highly successful theatre company and the country’s most successful regional open-air theatre, in the city’s Grosvenor Park and Moonlight Flicks open air cinema.
Storyhouse currently holds the official title as the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre and was the overall national winner in the 2018 Guardian Public Service Awards
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