About this Event
About the event
We're holding a launch event for the collection of comic stories and short film that we have produced as part of our four-year ESRC-funded research project on online sperm donation. Join us to view the comic exhibition, watch the film, and chat with members of the research team and others involved in the project.
Come and celebrate with us as we share these creative outputs and the experiences that inspired them.
6 pm: Doors open, with light refreshments and an opportunity to view the comic exhibition.
7 pm: Screening of New Ways of Creating Families.
About the Online Sperm Donation Project...
The Online Sperm Donation Project is a research project about people going online to seek or donate sperm to conceive a baby, or to find someone to conceive and co-parent with.Since 2022, we have followed the journeys of prospective parents, active sperm donors and their partners as they navigated this alternative pathway to conception and family-making. Drawing on the experiences shared with us through the research, the Online Sperm Donation Project has produced a collection of illustrated stories and a short film exploring people's diverse experiences of online sperm donation - the joys, the awkwardness, the uncertainty, the difficulties, and the quiet moments of hope. The comic book was produced by the whole research team and designed and illustrated by Monique Jackson. The film was created by David Carless and features verbatim participant stories, voiced by actors.
About the venue: Indra Gallery is located at street level. There are no steps to get into the gallery space. The toilet also has step free access but is not fully accessible in terms of handrails.
What people are saying
“I think this is a great piece of research that offers an invaluable insight into the world of online sperm donation and will be instrumental in shaping the future in this field for the benefit of all involved.”
- Lead Embryologist
“Having lived through some of the challenges highlighted, I know how isolating, confusing and overwhelming the beginning of the journey can feel. Looking back, I only wish that a resource like this had existed when I was at the start of my own experience. What makes this project so valuable is that it is rooted in the real experiences of all different types of families."
– Anastasia, Research participant with lived experience of online sperm donation
“This beautifully crafted collection of stories captures the varied, complex and changing landscape of donor conception outside of clinics. Without shying away from the challenges and potential for harm, they also share the hope, joy, resistance and often more nuanced emotions and motivations which shape these practices of family-building. In a world where public discussion of informal donor conception is increasingly polarised, this resource is a much-needed antidote.”
- Dr Leah Gilman, Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University
Agenda
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:45 PM
Exhibition opens
🕑: 06:45 PM - 07:00 PM
Brief remarks from the project lead, the graphic artist, and the film producer
🕑: 07:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Film screening
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Exhibition continues
Event venue & nearby stays
Indra Gallery, 20 East Road, London, United Kingdom
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