Bodylore

Bodylore - The role of shared stories in making contraceptive choices

3rd - 8th Oct 2023

Pop-up Exhibition, at the Truman Brewery, 11 Dray Walk, London, E1 6QL

Opening hours:

Tues 3rd - Fri 6th Oct: 11-6pm

Sat 7th & Sunday 8th Oct: 11-5pm

From gossip in the school corridors, to a sitcom storyline, or a conversation with friends over coffee - what we hear about contraception comes from many different sources. How do we make sense of it all? And how do these stories influence the choices we make?

A one-week pop-up exhibition at The Truman Brewery, Bodylore shares intimate stories from folklore, friends, and first-hand experience in order to explore and contextualise the ever-changing narrative on contraception, and the complicated decisions people make in selecting, stopping and swapping contraceptive methods.

Designed in collaboration with creative studio, The Liminal Space, and Researchers from The Open University using real-world stories and candid insights, Bodylore aims to encourage fresh dialogue and improve the future experience of making contraceptive choices for everyone. Visitors are invited to read, listen and contribute their own unique stories.

Reproductive Bodylore: The Role of Vernacular Knowledge in Women's Contraceptive Decision-Making was funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Grant (AH/S011587/1) and led by a team at The Open University (OU) in partnership with Public Health England and The Folklore Society.

Published 12th September 2023