Hot Flush Disco

As a young woman aware that the menopause is a change that will one day take place in my life, I was prompted by a need to understand and depict this often under-represented subject. The topic has recently progressed to more of a mainstream area of conversation. It has become less of a taboo than ever before – yet education still feels incomplete. Hot Flush Disco is a community dance class in Bath that brings together menopausal women. Set up by Paula Smith in 2020, it provides a safe space for women to express themselves through dance without fear of judgement. I spent three months creating a variety of imagery. The central focus of this process was photographing and interviewing members of the group away from the disco setting and inside their own homes – a mutual decision made in order to produce a comfortable and natural environment when photographing. The act of collaborating with the dancers allowed me to create honest stories of each woman’s unique experience. The portfolio is an intimate study of a transitional phase in a woman’s life and yet simultaneously of joy. I plan to continue my documentation of the menopause as I believe it deserves significant attention.