In the cracks of London, amidst the rowdiness of city life noise and hard concrete walls, a group of 13 women engage in the symbolic act of birth. Fleshy juiciness vibrates, breathing in a collective dance. The genesis of this garden lies in the shared experience. The wind is fierce. The management team of The Science Gallery are concerned if we can go ahead with the performance, worried that the soil will create a windy sand storm. We make a last-minute risk assessment and decide to distribute jugs of water around the performance area and stop the soil from flying off and hurting anyone.

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'The Homeless Garden' features soil, plants, and breath featuring somatic poetry that shines a light onto the birthing body, community, and belonging while collectively ‘ birthing’ a garden facing the gaze of the Statue of Thomas Guy to an amplified soundscape of women’s birth stories. A diverse group of women come together in a public embodied exploration and a happening. By combining performance, live art, dance the project aims to create a holistic approach to empowerment, the recognition of the multiple interconnected challenges faced by marginalized communities and invites us all to stand in solidarity with the stories that birthed us into this world.

The performance happening took place on the 20th of May 2023 as part of The

Oxytocin Festival and was co-produced by the pioneering organization Procreate

Project that aim to create a platform for interdisciplinary critical art practices,

intersectional feminist theories and health/maternity services.