Price: $39.95
Page Count: 280
Publication Date: June 2026
ISBN: 978-1-77258-573-5
Maternal Ecologies: Feminist Practices of Motherhood, Land, and Creativity is a unique and urgent exploration of matrescence and mothering in the current context of ecological crisis and collapse. While there has been a recent increase in critical discourse around matrescence, this collection is distinctive in that it pays particular attention to mothering as a relational and ecological practice through examples and case studies of artistic practice. The editors acknowledge that the book does not attempt to capture all experiences of mothering, but instead curates ‘insights into fourteen specific maternal viewpoints’ to map evolving maternal landscapes. A key strength of Mothers, Mothering, Land and Nature is the range of creative practices encompassed – poetry, collage, costume, scenography, writing, performance, photography – the collection is artist-focused and responds to the question ‘what can art do?’ in the face of ecological crisis. This unique interweaving of mothering, land, nature and creative practice provide exciting and engaging insights in this urgent moment as humans interrogate our relationships to the environment.
- Dr Laura Bissell, Athenaeum Research Fellow, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Introduction
Maternal Ecologies: Feminist Practices of Motherhood, Land, and Creativity
Jessie Carson, Jodie Hawkes and Pete Phillips
Pg. 6
Part 1.
Embodied Ecologies and Maternal Landscapes
Pg. 14
1.
An Domhan ag Cogarnaigh agus ag Screadail: Towards a Speculative Maternal Ecology Beatrice Jarvis
Pg. 15
2.
Motherhood, Magic & the Mên-an-Tol
Helen Sargeant
Pg. 46
3.
Mothering Matter: A reflective visual essay on Confinement (2022), a site specific costume-led co-creative performance project by Ceschi + Lane exploring Motherhood & the Pandemic at the Walthamstow Wetlands
Valentina Ceschi
Pg. 52
4.
Magic in the Mess
Jessica Roseman
Pg. 77
5.
Nesting: A Narrative of Composite Photography, Matrescent Heritage and the Activities of a Great Tit in an Essex Garden, 2024
Susannah Henry
Pg. 90
Part 2.
Storytelling, Ritual, and Eco-Relational Pedagogies
Pg. 116
6.
Making Changelings: harking to the sensitive children
Catherine Heinemeyer
Pg. 117
7.
Poetry, Mothers and Mythological Metaphor
Kay Retzlaff
Pg. 131
8.
Fabulating as Mothers: the curious story of the girl with a bird in her mouth
Emily Orley & Katja Hilevaara
Pg. 141
9.
Hula and Aloha ‘āina: A matriarchal teaching approach
Poh Tan and Rani Wangsawidjaya
Pg. 164
10.
FACE THE FACT YOU’RE NOT DOING THE WORK YOU LOVE: embodying maternal separation distress on campus greenspace
Lucy Tyler
Pg. 179
Part 3.
Ecofeminist Lineages and Radical Belonging
Pg. 200
11.
Living the Cosmology of the Land
Irene Friesen Wolfstone
Pg. 201
12.
Motherland – otherland – motherhood – otherhood
Emma Palmer
Pg. 228
13.
Ecofeminism and Anti-Racist Politics in the Work of Monica Sjӧӧ: Art, Ecofeminism, and Motherhood
Jennie Klein
Pg. 243
14.
Hungry Mother: Ecopoetics and the Mothering Body
Rivka Eckert
Pg. 264
Jessie Carson lives in Almonte, Ontario, which is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation. She is the Creative Director of a literary not-for-profit in Ontario, and has been a professional writer and editor for over ten years. She teaches at Algonquin College in Ottawa, ON as well as creative writing workshops in her community.
Dr Jodie Hawkes is an artist-researcher and Senior Lecturer in the Theatre Department at the University of Chichester. She is an experienced teacher of actor training and contemporary devised performance. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Jodie holds a PhD exploring maternal performance, class politics, and persona. Her research and artistic practice, undertaken with Dr Pete Phillips as Search Party, has been presented and published widely across the UK and internationally.
Dr Pete Phillips is an artist-researcher and Senior Lecturer in the Theatre Department at the University of Chichester. He is Programme Coordinator for BA (Hons) Acting and BA (Hons) Acting for Contemporary Theatre. Pete holds a PhD examining the relationship between sport and contemporary performance. His research explores performance and ecology and collaborative duo practices. His artistic practice, undertaken with Dr Jodie Hawkes as Search Party, has been presented and published internationally.
