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'Society thinks you are a child abuser'

Helen Richardson
Political Reporter
Reporting fromNewcastle
Courtesy of Her Circle Section of an artwork which is brightly coloured in yellow, orange, green and black, and features a woman's face looking upwards in profile with birds flying to or from her face.Courtesy of Her Circle
Women who have experienced the trauma of having their children removed have been expressing their emotions through art

A mother whose children were taken into care says she no longer feels "shame" and has "recovered hope" after joining an art therapy support group for women in the same position.

The woman, who the BBC has agreed not to name, lost her child after struggling with alcohol addiction.

She is one of a group of mothers who have used their experiences to create artworks with Tyneside organisation Her Circle which have been displayed at St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle.

The organisation's chief executive, Amy Van Zyl, said when children are removed "society thinks that you're a child abuser".

Ms Van Zyl said it was "absolutely not the case" that the women they worked with had hurt their children.

They have faced challenges like homelessness, addictions and domestic abuse, which have led to their children being removed, she said.

"The reasons these mothers have been separated from their children are complex and harrowing," she said.

Amy Van Zyl has shoulder length, brown wavy hair and is wearing a blue shirt with a silver necklace. The main central area of St Nicholas Cathedral is behind her with two women sitting on seats and talking in the background.
Her Circle chief executive Amy Van Zyl said women who have had their children removed can recover

More children are removed from mothers in the north-east of England than any other area in the country.

The region saw a 77% increase in the number of children being placed into care since 2009, compared with a 22% decrease in London.

Ms Van Zyl said the art project, A Story Of Hope, had showcased women who have "recovered emotionally, or recovered custody of their children, or recovered hope that that might happen".

It has involved Newcastle City Learning, the artist Harriet Mee and the Sir James Knott Trust.

Courtesy of Her Circle A self portrait by one of the women features a woman's face painted blue, pink and purple with curly brown hair. She is looking upwards towards a night sky full of stars. Courtesy of Her Circle
Some of the women painted self portraits

One mother who painted a self portrait that has been displayed said there was "shame if you don't have your children with you" and she would lie about why she did not have hers.

"It looked like I was a really bad person," she said.

"I hid it for many years."

She said joining the group had helped her "recover hope" and she now has her children back in her life.

Another said child removal affected a mother "in the deepest way imaginable" but the art group had provided support.

"To have a space to talk about it and have practical, legal and spiritual help doesn't exist anywhere else in the North East," she said.

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