Alice Marshall: Parenthood's Profound Impact on Creativity & Expression

Alice Marshall is coming to the Derby Theatre on Thursday 12 November for a research talk on how parenthood transforms the creative process and artistic expression. It's a morning session, starting at 10.00am and running for an hour, held in the venue's Community Hub.

Marshall's talk looks at how becoming a parent changes the way an artist works, challenging and enriching their practice while pushing back against the myths that often surround the artist-parent. She tracks how work and life shift as parenthood is navigated, and draws on interviews with artists who weigh in on the balance between care and creation, the gendered expectations that come with it, and the resilience needed to keep a creative career going amidst nappies and school runs.

It's not just about the transition into parenthood, either. The session also addresses infertility, baby loss, and the choice not to have a family as factors that shape an artist and their work. It's a broad look at the different ways family—and the absence of it—intersects with a creative life.

The talk is run by CivicLAB and forms part of the Derby Book Festival 2026. It's free to attend, so you can just turn up at the Community Hub in the Derby Theatre on the morning of Thursday 12 November, 10.00am.