Winner 2020

Marta Stysiak

We are pleased to announce Marta Stysiak as winner of the Biennial Competititon for New Works 2020. Following a selection process by Charlotte Jansen, editor-at-large at Elephant, Hermione Wiltshire, BRC associate artist and lecturer at the Royal College of Art and BRC Curator, Helen Knowles. Shortlisted artists were;

Aimee Gilmore, Alison Flora, Anna Perach, Cassie Arnold, Franciszka Jagielak & Aleksandra Klimek-Lipnicka, Helen Benigson, Hollie Miller, Isabelle Zumbrink, Jennifer Long, Katherine Lovett, Marta Stysiak, Michelle Hartney, Ruby Bateman Stillyana Minkovska & Ukhona Mlandu.

The work was premiered during the Birth Rites Collection Summer School as an open online screening free to attend via ZOOM and VIMEO. This was an opportunity for one work by an artist from the shortlist to become a permanent part of the Birth Rites Collection. Marta Stysiak’s work was chosen and has taken its place in the collection. In addition, the Marta Stysiak has received a stipend and is undertaking a residency with the midwifery department at KCL to make the work into a feature length documentary.

Winner 2018

Lauren McLaughlin

After winning the Birth Rites Collection Award for new work in 2018 with her neon A Conflict of Interests, Lauren McLaughlin completed a residency at the Department of Midwifery, Kings College in 2018/19.  Lauren’s residency project titled With Woman / Women’s Work was funded by Creative Scotland, The Hope Scott Trust, King’s College Cultural Institute and supported by The Department of Midwifery and the Birth Rites Collection. Lauren’s residency took the form of two week-long visits to the department in November and February where she spent time engaging with the collection and the department, sitting in on lectures and shadowing students and staff. Inspired by the strong reactions to some of the works in the Birth Rites Collection, her aim was to explore representations of the birthing body and create new neon works. Having spent time within the department engaging with student midwives and staff, Lauren’s developing research began to focus as much on highlighting the unsung labour of midwifery care as it did in highlighting the birthing body.

“I had initially approached my residency from the point of view of the birthing woman, with my only experience of childbirth and midwifery being the birth of my son 14 years ago. Having spent time within the department engaging with students and staff, I wanted to produce work which represented the birth experience not only from the perspective of the mother but from that of the midwives. The residency enabled me to take my practice in a new direction, explore new mediums and collaborative ways of working which I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to do. The whole experience has been incredibly positive and having the opportunity to engage with the works in the BRC was really inspiring for my developing research and practice. The ongoing support of Helen, Elsa and Penny as well as the students throughout the residency has been invaluable.”

Lauren has produced several new works during her residency which will form an immersive installation comprising sculpture, video projection, performance and neon. Part of the installation will be exhibited on 27th November at Scotland’s Maternity and Midwifery Festival at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. During the festival, she will be presenting her completed neon artwork; With Woman, a video work; Gushing as well as a collaborative sculpture; a hand painted medical screen with crowd sourced words from mothers describing their childbirth experience. She will be asking midwives at the event to contribute their words/stories which will be incorporated onto the screen to complete the work.

http://www.maternityandmidwifery.co.uk/events/scotland-2019/lauren-mclaughlin-woman/

Winner 2015

Bella Milroy

Bella Milroy won the prize of an artist residency at the Women’s Art Library, Goldsmiths University plus a stipend. Her work was screened at Media CityUK alongside the following shortlisted artists:

Vicki Fleck, Valentina Loseva, Tal Regev, Sasha Waters Freya, Rina Dweck, Michaelangelo arteaga, Lisa Peachey, Leonie Cronin, Kerri Jefferies, Jess Dobkin, Jennifer Cambell, Jean Thompson, Helen Efflevera, Francesca Martinaro, Fiametta Horvat, DNA CANDAN DUYAR, Billie Bond, Bella Milroy, Belinda Kochanowska, Anna Kell, Alma Lily Rayner, Alison O’Niell

Winner 2013

Claire Lawrie

Screening at MediaCity UK, Egg Suite.
The prize of an artist residency at the Trelex Residency, Switzerland, travel and stipend will be awarded to the artist whose work has been chosen to become part of the Birth Rites Collection. Selection has taken place by judges Helen Knowles, Birth Rites Curator, and Hermione Wiltshire, Artist and Senior Lecturer in Photography, at the Royal College of Art. Participating artists are:

Carlos Zapata, Clair Graubner, Claire Lawrie,Dominika Dzikowska, Emma Lazenby, Flora Maeve Parrot, Giorgio Sadotti, Mary Courtney, Mercedes Ferrari, Rachel Emily Taylor, Rose Gibbs, Shirley Chubb,Sarah Goudie,Tabitha Moses,Valerie Schmidt.

Press Release BRC Competition Screening