Open call for the Menopause Manual

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Nothing shuts down a conversation faster than the word “menopause”… Well, except for maybe the word “feminism.”

Kitchen Feminism Art Society is now in development of the “Menopause Manual.”  This social practice project will work with those experiencing the symptoms of menopause to develop a cheeky little photo book in order to share the symptoms of menopause and how this powerful physical, mental and spiritual transition affects their lives. 

When pre-teens are developing, they receive education and support about the symptoms of puberty and the ways in which these symptoms will affect them.  Often this education comes in the form of booklets with cute drawings depicting the symptoms they will experience. No such education and support is given to those entering menopause.  So we at Kitchen Feminism are taking it upon ourselves to build a grown-up version of this kind of booklet to share the symptoms of menopause.

Menopause will affect every menstruating human if they live long enough.  There are over 60 known symptoms and yet most people only know of hot flashes and weight gain.  It is estimated that symptoms of menopause cause over $237M of lost productivity and up to $3.3B in lost income every year in Canada alone (menopausefoundationcanada.ca).  Symptoms can last for up to 10 years and often have long term or permanent health effects.  And yet doctors themselves acknowledge that they are woefully undertrained and uninformed about menopause and how to treat it.

We are looking for people who are going through or have gone through menopause who would like to share their story and advocate for others to learn more about this important life transition.  Working with Social Practice artist Dawn van de Schoot participants will explore the symptoms of menopause and how they have affected their lives.  Those who are also interested my participate in a staged photoshoot representing those scenarios.  The staged images will be photographed by Barb Briggs and then developed into a manual that will include written stories from each participant.  The final manual images will be shared online in the digital gallery, as well as printed and distributed to doctors’ offices in Calgary.  All participants will receive a digital copy of the final Menopause Manual.  

We are seeking as many diverse voices as possible to share in this journey to explore and represent as many different experiences of menopause as possible.  If you're interested in participating, please contact us at the link below.