Bits, Pieces & Belonging (2025)
Bits, Pieces, & Belonging was a collaborative collage making workshop made in collaboration with the Foundling Museum. Drawing inspiration from the countryside experience of the children of the Foundling Hospital, founded by Thomas Coram in 1739 in London. Early after their admission, many of the children where sent to foster families in the English countryside, spending the first five to six years in the care of wet nurses. These early experiences of belonging, nurture and eventual separation have often been overshadowed by institutional histories of abandonment and survival.
Based on archival materials and the personal stories of foundlings such as Catherine Bray (received in 1758) and Hannah Brown (late 18th century), this workshop invited participants to engage in an exploration of these formative experiences and the emotional landscapes they shaped. By collaboratively collage-making, the participants were encouraged to explore ideas of home, care, and memory, by contributing to a shared artwork making that evolved over the course of the session.
Revisitng this quieter chapter in the history of foundlings, Bits, Pieces & Belonging provided a space for reflection on the complexities of early foster homes in 18th century Britain and the constant human need for belonging and connection.