Mothers share their journeys through art in an exhibition on child removal, resilience and healing at Newcastle Cathedral, led by support organisation Her Circle.
At first glance, it’s a familiar image – a mother embracing her child, a modern take on the Madonna and Child. Yet, at the heart of the painting, a void. The child is missing.
This powerful artwork – inspired by the subject of the Cathedral’s medieval stained glass window of the Madonna and Child – is at the centre of ‘A Story of Hope’, an exhibition running at Newcastle Cathedral from 10-31 March. It premiered as part of a special event at the Cathedral about women and child removal on Thursday 6 March, ahead of International Women’s Day.
The display coincides with Mothering Sunday on 30 March, offering a space to reflect on the diverse realities of motherhood.
At the centre of the exhibition is a striking, tall circular structure housing artwork created by and in collaboration with women who have experienced complex motherhood and child removal. It is the culmination of six months of workshops led by artist Harriet Mee and Her Circle, a support organisation for mothers at risk of child removal, in collaboration with Newcastle City Council.
The exhibition also features poetry, which the women produced with Donna Stokes and Newcastle City Learning, and digital art produced with Digital Voice for Communities. A full anthology of the women’s poetry can be purchased from the Cathedral retail space.
The exhibition is hosted by the Cathedral Lantern Project, which seeks to work and walk alongside people facing difficult circumstances in life.
The Revd Canon Zoe Heming, Newcastle Cathedral’s Canon for Mission, explains, “The Cathedral Lantern Project embodies our mission to uplift voices that are often marginalised. We hope that by bringing these narratives to light, we can create a safe and compassionate space where stories of struggle and resilience can be shared and heard.”
Sharing Stories Through Art
Artist Harriet Mee found that the women involved in the project were eager to share their journeys – of trauma, healing, and transformation.
“These women have gone through so much – trauma, healing, therapy – but they want to show that it really is possible to turn lives around,” she said. “Some of them got their children back.”
“One woman in our group had her children removed twice in very different circumstances. But now she’s fully free of addiction and has a stable home, and she is on that journey to heal her relationship with her daughter.
“She’s doing all sorts; she’s turned everything around. It’s incredible. These women are really inspiring.”
The exhibition features large-scale works from three women deeply involved in the project (who have chosen to remain anonymous), alongside sketches and smaller pieces. The themes of sisterhood and resilience are explored through different mediums, including self-portraits, fabric-based art and symbolic imagery.
Advocating for Change
The UK sees more children removed from their biological parents than any other European country, with the number currently at 84,000 – soon expected to reach 100,000. Her Circle’s CEO, Amy van Zyl, advocates for change, highlighting the need for independent family advocacy and anonymous support services.
“Nobody gets well on their own,” Amy says. “The women who get well with us have a network of really healthy women around them. It simulates a healthy family around them, which they often don’t have at home. That’s why the art project wanted to look at those themes; to really explore them so the women could see and feel them, then present them outwardly.”
Councillor Lesley Storey, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Newcastle City Council, has called the exhibition “inspirational in every sense of the word. I felt moved to tears by the women’s stories and amazed by the beauty, strength, and creativity of the artwork and poetry.”
The exhibition, ‘A Story of Hope’, will be on full display at Newcastle Cathedral from 10-31 March.
The work in the exhibition has been funded and supported by Newcastle City Council Artist Residency Programme 24/25, Newcastle City Learning (Funded by North East Combined Authority), Digital Voice for Communities and Newcastle Cathedral.