Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research
We have partnered with the newly launched Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research and Imperial College London to run a series of participatory commissions over the next 3-5 years. These new artworks will eventually become part of the Birth Rites Collection.
The Commissions
Birth Rites Collection is working with poet, Courtney Conrad and artists, Hannah Conway, Anna Perach and Sarah Sudhoff to collaborate with men and women in the community, up and down the UK, to explore important ideas connected with preterm birth.
The projects and resulting works will help to expand on the ground-breaking research that the team at Tommy’s and the five collaborating universities are carrying out.
Right now, an estimated 53,000 babies are born prematurely every year in the UK. That’s 6 babies every hour. While most premature babies survive, prematurity is the most significant cause of mortality in children under the age of 5. For those that do survive, there is a significant risk of long-term health problems, creating lifelong challenges.
At Tommy’s they believe there’s so much more we can do to prevent it happening, and to make sure every parent has the information and answers they need if their baby is born too soon. That’s why research is at the heart of what we do.
By understanding the causes and why some people are more likely to experience premature birth, we can develop new tools and treatments to help prevent it happening. Treatments like the abdominal stitch, which is already saving little lives, giving families the chance to take their baby home.
This is why they have opened Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research dedicated to finding the causes and treatments which save babies’ lives.
New Commission: Sarah Sudhoff and the PRESTIGE Preterm Birth Study
We are pleased to announce that artist, Sarah Sudhoff has begun working with women enrolled on the PRESTIGE Preterm Birth Study as part of our ongoing Tommy's commission series. PRESTIGE is a major national research study led by Imperial College London and funded through Tommy's National Centre for Preterm Birth Research, investigating whether genetic factors are linked to the risk of preterm birth. The study uses whole genome sequencing to examine genetic data from people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, with the aim of better predicting and understanding why some people are more likely to experience preterm birth. Sarah's commission will develop new work in dialogue with participants in the study. More details to follow.
Image: The Only One by Hannah Conway screened at IKON at Birmingham Library 9th March 2026
Forthcoming Event: The Only One — Screening and Discussion | Sunday 9 March, 5–6.30pm
Join us at the Library of Birmingham for a public screening of The Only One, a newly commissioned video and sound work by composer Hannah Conway, now acquired by the Birth Rites Collection. Created in close collaboration with women undergoing cervical scans, writer Hazel Gould and Professor Anna David, the work draws on 16 hours of research and interviews at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing, University College Hospital London. Co-commissioned by Tommy's Preterm Birth Research, Imperial College London and the Birth Rites Collection, the work also forms part of a training resource for midwives.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Hannah Conway, Professor Anna David, Helen Knowles and artist Sally Butcher.
This event takes place as part of What are the odds? Ikon Creative Health, an off-site exhibition at the Library of Birmingham (21 January – 27 June 2026) exploring the role of art in supporting health and care systems. The exhibition brings together three years of Ikon's collaborative research with visual artists, academic and charity partners. Free entry.
Exhibition: The Gallery, 3rd Floor, Library of Birmingham, B1 2ND More information: https://www.ikon-gallery.org/exhibition/ikon-creative-health-at-the-library-of-birmingham.
Tommy's Commissions So Far
To see the works commissioned so far as part of our Tommy's series, please visit the collection:
Anna Perach, Mother and Child:
Courtney Conrad, On Shift:
Hannah Conway, The Only One:
