We are incredibly delighted that the Whitworth’s Still Parents project and exhibition won the prestigious Museums Association ‘Best Museums Change Lives project’ Award in an award ceremony in Edinburgh on 3rd November 2022. This is the latest accolade for the project, which has already won four major awards.

Still Parents is a unique partnership between the Whitworth and Manchester Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity) providing creative support for anyone who has experienced the loss of a baby in pregnancy of just after birth. The Still Parents: Life after Baby Loss exhibition is a display of artwork, objects and poetry which aims to tell the stories of bereaved families and provides a safe space and support to anyone who has experienced child loss.  

The Museums Change Lives awards recognise and celebrate outstanding practice by UK museums delivering social impact. They promote the best examples of work by museums and individuals that support communities and engage with contemporary issues.

Lucy Turner, Project Producer for Still Parents: Life after Baby Loss, at the Whitworth, said: “With Still Parents I wanted to create something different, something that would perhaps have appealed to me when I experienced my own loss. Rather than following a talk-based format, I wanted to simply provide a safe space for grieving parents to process their loss through art and art-making. These artist-led workshops allow parents to explore their individual experiences, alongside others that understand, in a productive and creative way.” 

Paul Kleiman, Co-Chair of Manchester Sands said: “Being involved in Still Parents from the moment Lucy Turner contacted us has been an incredible experience for us but also, more importantly, for the many individuals, couples and families who have taken part in the project or who have visited the exhibition. We know, from talking to visitors and from reading the hundreds of comments and stories that people have written, that the impact of Still Parents has had is truly profound. It has genuinely helped to break the silence that surrounds baby loss.”

Sands is here to support anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. The charity aims to support bereaved parents and save babies’ lives.

The Still Parents exhibition was kindly supported by Friends of the Whitworth.