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International Women’s Day: Belief, Birth, Body

, –
  • Free
  • Festival
  • 14+ (adult required for under-18s)
  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop
  • Relaxed
Gallery visitors looking at a tall clay sculpture, embroidery textiles and photography.
Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection. Gallery Photo: Steven Pocock, Wellcome Collection. 2025. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

What you’ll do

Join us for a day of activities exploring a range of themes relating to belief, birth and the body.

You’ll have the chance to take part in a creative workshop, join an object-handling session, look at copies of historical items from our collections, hear from a variety of speakers and attend guided tours of ‘Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection’. All events are led by facilitators. Everyone is welcome.

Scroll down for full details, times and locations. One event requires booking in advance, while the rest are drop-in sessions.

A BSL interpreter will be available throughout the day – you can ask a member of staff if you need BSL support.

If you want a break from the activities at any point in the day, you can head to our Chill-Out Rooms to lie down or relax. There will be low lighting, comfortable seating, cushions, mats, ear defenders, earplugs and sensory toys.

Please note, some of the activities may involve discussion and imagery relating to childbirth, infertility, child loss and medical trauma.

Dates

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Events

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  • Workshop
Creative Collaging
Wellcome Kitchen
Take part in a collaging session inspired by themes of our ‘Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection’ exhibition. You’ll have the opportunity to make your own protective collage and learn about objects relating to birth and protection, such as amulets. No experience is needed and all materials will be provided.
Just turn up
  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop

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  • Gallery tour
Managing the Expected: Expressing and Transforming Pain
Gallery 3
Join a guided tour of ‘Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection’. We’ll be looking at various objects on display – focusing especially on the birth scroll from medieval England – and discuss how women across cultures and throughout history have experienced emotions, pain and agency when expecting a new life.
Just turn up
  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop

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  • Session
Objects in Focus: Women’s Health
Wellcome Kitchen
Come along to an informal session exploring women’s health, using copies of historical texts alongside objects in the collection. From ancient healing practices and religious beliefs to associations with witchcraft, we’ll learn about the backgrounds of these items and what they can reveal about the history of women’s healthcare. We’ll also reflect on how these perspectives continue to shape healthcare experiences today. There will be a full object list outside the room so you can see if the session is right for you.
Just turn up
  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop

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  • Session
Object-Handling Session
Wellcome Kitchen
Drop into a session exploring a range of medical and surgical objects relating to women’s health, gynecological health, reproductive health and birth. You’re welcome to touch and hold the objects, and facilitators will be on hand to discuss the items and their contexts with you. There will be a full object list outside the room so you can see if the session is right for you.
Just turn up
  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop

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  • Session
Healing Women
Wellcome Kitchen
Discover women’s historic contributions to healing practices through a guided exploration of objects from the collection. This session will explore gendered approaches to healthcare, herbal healing practices, and the ways medical knowledge was transmitted between women before the 18th century. It will also address women’s agency, as demonstrated through midwifery manuals, commercial 19th-century medical practices and the revival of women’s herbal and holistic methods today. There will be a full object list outside the room so you can see if the session is right for you.
Just turn up
  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop

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  • Gallery tour
Birthing Therapy
Gallery 3
Join a guided tour of our ‘Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection’ exhibition. We’ll be looking at artworks by Seyni Awa Camara and Tabitha Moses, which engage with themes of child loss and IVF treatment. The tour will explore birthing therapy, protection and belief, highlighting connections across timelines and the ways humans honour, protect and give meaning to life.
Check for tickets

Tickets via Eventbrite

  • British Sign Language interpreted
  • Hearing loop

Need to know

Location

This is an event with several different activities. Check specific sub-events for their locations.

Multi-part programme

This is a large-scale event with several different activities, which may include drop-in sessions, scheduled performances, workshops or talks. Check specific activities for details and to see if you need to book a ticket or just show up. Spaces for drop-in activities are limited and may run out if we are busy.

Drop in

Just turn up to this event. It's likely to have room for everyone.

Place not guaranteed

Booking a ticket for a free, in-person event does not guarantee you a place. You should aim to arrive 15 minutes before the event is scheduled to start to claim your place. If you do not arrive on time, your place may be given to someone on the waiting list.

Waiting list

If this event is fully booked, you may still be able to attend. We will operate a waiting list, which opens 30 minutes before this event starts. Arrive early, and we’ll give you a numbered ticket. If there are any unfilled places just before the start time, we will invite you to enter in order of ticket number.

British Sign Language interpreted

This event will have British Sign Language interpretation.

Hearing loop

There will be a hearing loop at this event.

Relaxed

This is a relaxed event, which means that if you need to, you are welcome to move around and make noise at any time.

For more information, please visit our Accessibility page. If you have any queries about accessibility, please email us at access@wellcomecollection.org or call

Our event terms and conditions

About your contributors

Sarah Dabbs

Sarah Dabbs

(she/her)

Sarah is a Visitor Experience & Engagement Facilitator at Wellcome Collection, a medical doctor and a writer. She loves all things medical history, especially around medieval concepts of medicine, Georgian and Dickensian London, and maritime folklore.

A headshot of Holly Houlton smiling into the camera.

Holly Houlton

(she/her)

Holly is a Visitor Experience and Engagement Facilitator at Wellcome Collection with a background in the visual arts, photography and writing. She uses a variety of facilitation techniques to encourage visitors to connect with artworks and items from the collection; with the aim of creating meaningful and memorable experiences.

A headshot of Joelle smiling. Joelle has dark hari and wears glasses and a dark red jumper.

Sin Ying Joelle Li

(she/her)

Joelle is a Visitor Experience & Engagement Facilitator at Wellcome Collection, where she researches objects and actively explores creative approaches to making the museum and collection more relevant to contemporary audiences. Valuing the lived experiences of others, she is passionate about fostering empathy, dialogue, and co-learning by adopting equitable representation. She is particularly interested in the intersection of theatre and museum.

A headshot of Grace Higgins Brown smiling into the camera

Grace Higgins-Brown

(She/Her)

Grace (She/Her) is a facilitator at Wellcome Collection alongside being an artist and writer. She is interested in using sensory-led approaches, in particular scent-based work, to explore and engage with artworks, histories and memories.

Black and white photograph of Julia Nurse, a white woman with brown hair, smiling. She wears an animal-print dress and the corners of paintings are visible in the background.

Julia Nurse

(she/her)

Julia Nurse is a collections research specialist in the Research team at Wellcome Collection with a background in Art History and Museum Studies. Her work focuses on the pre-modern period, especially the interaction of medicine, science and art within print culture.

Chantelle Okoase

(she/her)

Chantelle is a Visitor Experience Apprentice at Wellcome Collection with experience in health and social care research and a strong interest in gender equality in the medical field.