Unveiling: 12-3pm Friday November 15th, 1.00PM Bowling Park Wild area, Bradford
I am always looking for ways to reach more people whilst bringing in new Creative Health and Social Prescribing elements – so this project emphasises the physical and mental health benefits of the outdoors, green space and walking. All three offer parents wellbeing at no cost.
So when I first met with the Better Start team in Bradford, my thoughts turned to the great outdoors – specifically, how can we introduce even more people to the Holding Time Project whilst availing ourselves of the beautiful parks this city has to offer?
Fast forward and Adele Adams of Better Place and I are writing a brief for a Holding Time Chair – a massive 4.5 ton Lincolnshire stone sculpture based on the ancient maternal figurines from a time when motherhood was magical….!
A monumental public artwork connecting motherhood, nature and maternal wellbeing.
The Holding Time Chair is a permanent stone sculpture in Bowling Park, Bradford, created as part of the Holding Time Project’s city-wide programme exploring breastfeeding, maternal wellbeing and the cultural value of care.
Unveiled during Baby Week in November 2024, the sculpture was developed through a collaboration between artist Lisa Creagh, sculptor Dan Jones and Adele Adams of Better Place, part of Better Start Bradford.
Carved from 4.5 tonnes of Lincolnshire stone, the chair draws inspiration from ancient maternal figurines, celebrating motherhood as a powerful and enduring part of human experience.
A Place to Rest and Be Held
Located within Bowling Park’s wild play area, the Holding Time Chair invites parents, carers and families to stop, sit and reconnect with nature.
The artwork reflects the importance of accessible green spaces for physical and psychological wellbeing, creating a welcoming place where parents can feed their babies, rest and experience a moment of calm.
At its heart is a simple idea: those who spend their lives holding and caring for others also deserve to feel supported. Read more about the Holding Time Chair here
Connecting Public Art with Mothers’ Stories
The sculpture incorporates a QR code connecting visitors to the Holding Time Project’s growing collection of interviews and podcasts with Bradford mothers.
These personal accounts explore breastfeeding, birth, motherhood and the complex experiences that shape maternal identity.
The installation forms part of a wider Bradford creative health programme, including photographic exhibitions at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale Hospital, Writing for Wellbeing workshops led by Rachel New, and an audio trail connecting maternal portraits with green spaces across the city.
Public Art, Creative Health and Social Connection
The Holding Time Chair demonstrates how public art can bring creative health into everyday community environments. Rather than confining maternal experiences to healthcare settings or galleries, the project places mothers’ stories in a public park where families can encounter them naturally. The outdoor Milk line connects this too: with stories from the mothers who took park installed in pocket parks and even on children’s play equipment.
Combining sculpture, storytelling, walking and the restorative potential of green spaces, the Holding Time Chair celebrates the value of care while encouraging conversation, reflection and connection.
Created in collaboration with artist and sculptor Dan Jones, the piece is finally installed in Bowling Park wild play area, where it will no doubt outlive us all. You can read more about the development here.
We’re launching during Babyweek, to emphasise that the chair is a place to rest and hold. A strategically placed QR code will bring the Holding Time digital content into the city’s park. Over the past five months I have interviewed dozens of mothers and these fascinating stories will be simultaneously launched as a new season of Podcasts for the Bradford project.
Other activities include a photographic exhibition of portraits in Airedale and Bradford Infirmary hospitals and Family Network Hubs.
Our writing lead, Rachel New, has already completed a series of Writing for Wellbeing workshops and we heard some of the incredible poetry and prose written by these mothers at the launch event on the 15th.
Read more about our poetry workshops here.
“The Holding Time Sculptural Chair has been a joy to work on, developing my creative skills practically and intellectually. Collaborating with other artists and organisations helps me to see the world from other people’s perspectives, and enriches the work I create in response. The Holding time chair, while different from any other sculpture I’ve made before, sits happily in my approach to promoting nature, health and wellbeing through creative projects.” – Dan Jones, Artist
“Better Place relishes the opportunity to work on this collaborative project with Lisa and Dan Jones, sculptor, on the Holding Time chair. It will be a beautiful, serene addition to one of the Better Place playful spaces within the Better Start Bradford area. Parents holding little ones to feed will be able to take a moment, sitting in nature, being ‘held’ themselves.” – Adele Adams , Better Place, Bradford
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