“Clothed with Protection” Art Project

Community Sensitization on the Importance of Maternity Vaccination

UK installation artist Luke Jerram is commissioning 10 young and dynamic Ugandan fashion designers in a new art project to promote vaccination in pregnant women across Africa. This collaboration is supported by the University of Southampton in the UK, MU-JHU Care Ltd and funded by the IMPRINT Network.

Just as clothing protects us from the outside world, whether from extreme temperature, rain or abrasion, so vaccinations create a layer of protection from infection.

“Clothed with Protection” aims to create awareness of the benefits of vaccines given during pregnancy to reduce illness and deaths in mothers and babies.  During the later stages of pregnancy, antibodies are transferred across the placenta from mother to child. The message of our project is that vaccination in pregnancy boosts this natural process, providing protection to the infant in the early weeks of life.

“Vaccines given to pregnant women are safe and protect both the mother and the newborn baby from infections during the first vulnerable months of life.”  ~Dr. Chrissie Jones, University of Southampton, UK.

“Vaccination against tetanus, and COVID-19 are currently recommended during pregnancy in Uganda, and in the future, we will be able to protect against other infections that cause severe illness in babies, such as group B streptococcus” ~Dr. Mary Kyohere, MU-JHU Care Ltd- Uganda. 

As a part of this art project, the public is welcomed to two community events where the public will view the final designer clothes and have a conversation with a maternal health expert. These events are a local Community Cypher on May 18^th 2022 and a Fashion showcase on May 20^th 2022. The events are being organised by IGC Fashion.

The selected designers have a background of creating from recycled fabric to form the astonishing apparel and other work. This organic approach will use art to communicate core maternity vaccine messages into visible impressions and stimulate conversations that will improve involvement and uptake of maternal vaccination at the local level.  Through collaborating with some of the most creative people in Uganda, this artwork is an extraordinary opportunity to send a message to the world about the importance of vaccination.

“I have always wanted to work with artists in Uganda on a joint global health project and this provided the perfect opportunity to talk about vaccines”~Luke Jerram, Installation Artist

Our fashion designer lineup includes Bobbin Case, Fiona Kyama, Quill Clothing, IGC Fashion, Idah Nandyose, Kajebe Jacob Joshua, Marvin Zziwa, Msema culture, Njola Impressions and Seamline. These designers are very committed to engaging with and equipping their community, to improve their quality of life.

The body of work will also form an exhibition to tour the UK. Cinematic Media is filming the journey of this project and this film, together with the clothing and preparatory drawings will form a touring exhibition that will be presented in major museums in the UK.

About IMPRINT Network

IMPRINT is a network focusing on maternal and neonatal immunisation, funded by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), which supports challenge-led interdisciplinary research and aims to strengthen the capacity for research and innovation within the UK and in developing countries. IMPRINT is coordinated by Network Director Prof. Beate Kampmann (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and Co-Director Dr. Chrissie Jones (University of Southampton).

https://www.imprint-network.co.uk/

About Luke Jerram

Luke Jerram is a British installation artist. His multidisciplinary art practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live artworks. Living in the UK, but working internationally, Jerram creates art projects, which excite and inspire people around the world. He is currently a visiting fellow at the Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, the University of the West of England, Bristol.

https://www.lukejerram.com/