Thank you to those who joined us for a day of events, talks, workshops, performances and activities to explore living as a non-parent in a family-centric world. Do you have any feedback on the day? How did it make you feel, what did you enjoy, and what else would you like to see?

Please let us know:

Storyhouse Childless Feedback What are your thoughts on Storyhouse Childless?*

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Childlessness is on the rise in the UK, both by choice and due to infertility. The childlessness rate is around 20% for women in the UK and 25% for men and The Institute of Public Policy Research estimates that, by 2030, there will be two million people aged over 65 without adult children, up from 1.2 million in 2012.

Storyhouse Childless is a dedicated day to address societal expectations, insensitivity and media stereotypes – in particular the narrative that childless individuals are less happy than those with children. This day is specifically for anyone who is childless not because of choice – whether that be due to infertility, circumstance, or other factors. It will be a safe space to raise awareness and challenge taboos.

“Since Storyhouse opened, there have been events on childlessness included in some of the Storyhouse Women programmes, including talks from Jody Day and Lizzie Lowrie. Earlier this year, we were approached by a member of the Chester Gateway meet-up group, which is part of a global network for people who are childless, set up by Jody Day. They asked if there could be more events on this topic. This conversation was the first step towards programming an entire day dedicated to this community. With the help of Chester Gateway and Dr. Dawn Llewellyn (University of Chester) this programme was co-created.” – Nicola, Community Programme Manager, Storyhouse

Stay tuned for Storyhouse Childless updates.