Lyn is preparing an application for an Artist in Residency Program at Kinetic Arts Center to create Jest State.  Jest State has been percolating in Lyn's mind for nearly two years.  Originally conceived while she worked as a birth doula and shadowed a midwife, Jest State's purpose is to expose American women's birth, pregnancy, and postpartum experiences that are often secret or at least socially unacceptable as topics of conversation amongst the general public.  

​

Lyn was struck by the number of things about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum that she had never been exposed to before.  So many situations and feelings that were unknown and yet so common amongst the women she worked with.  She decided it was time more people knew what it's like to create or consider creating a family in America today.

​

The goal of Jest State is to point out the incongruous, stigmatizing, an occasionally humorous ways women (and men) experience issues around reproduction.  Jest State shines a light on joyful expectation, unnecessary interventions, biomedicatlization, bodily autonomy, societal pressures, and mental health.  And hopefully gives us all a little more perspective around birth and what it means to bring new life into existence in America.

​

Lyn thinks this piece will become particularly relevant given the current state of health care in the US and hopes that Jest State can ignite important dialogues around women's and family's health.

​

If you are interested in collaborating on this production, please send a resume, videos, and why you want to help make Jest Sate a reality.