A new citywide walking trail brings art, health, and motherhood together through stories, sound and sculpture.
Images (c) Kristian Eastwood, 2025
Bradford’s green spaces and Family Hubs are set to come alive this autumn with the launch of the Holding Time Milk Line — a creative walking route combining podcasts, poetry, portraiture, and sculpture to celebrate the voices and experiences of local mothers.
Created by artist Lisa Creagh in partnership with Better Place Bradford, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Charity, and Arts Council England, the trail invites visitors to listen, reflect, and connect with stories of birth, feeding, and motherhood told by Bradford women.
The project draws from the Holding Time Podcast series of video interviews, and new poems written by mothers, the trail transforms familiar neighbourhoods into spaces of care and creativity. Each stop along the way — from Barkerend Family Hub to Bowling Park natural play area — features QR codes linking to intimate audio stories exploring the highs and lows of motherhood: birth trauma, breastfeeding challenges, cultural traditions, donor milk, and resilience in the face of isolation.
At the heart of the trail stands the Holding Time Chair, a reclining stone sculpture co-designed by Lisa Creagh with Adele Adams of Better Place Bradford and local artist Dan Jones, inspired by a 7,000-year-old carved figure symbolising care and continuity. Installed in Bowling Park, this interactive artwork invites parents to “hold time” — to pause, sit together, and listen to stories from local mothers through the integrated audio tour.
“We are living through a crisis in public health, a mental health crisis, and a pending crisis of dropping birth rates. We all need to listen to mothers and work out how we can do a better job of supporting them,” says artist Lisa Creagh. “The Holding Time Milk Trail is about making space — physically and emotionally — for those voices.”
Alongside the sculpture and audio trail, a family-friendly “Milk Line” connects parks and Family Hubs across the Better Start Bradford area. Families can explore spaces like Bowling Park natural play area, Horton Park, and Laisterdyke Library Community Garden discovering surprising facts about breastfeeding, engaging with creative prompts, and enjoying a free day out.
Each location features portraits and stories of local mothers, celebrating Bradford as one of the UK’s leading cities for Creative Health innovation and maternal wellbeing during Bradford City of Culture 2025.
Click here to see the locations.
To help you find each piece, we have loaded images into Google. Using Google maps you can click on the location pin and the click Photos>Latest Photos to see each image in situ.
Trail Locations Include
West Bowling Community Garden • Bowling Park natural play area • Mayfield Pocket Park • Laisterdyke Library Community Garden • Peel Park (Community Hub) • BD4 Families (Community Hub) • Horton Park • SHINE • Barkerend Family Hub • Reevy Hill Family Hub • Rainbow Family Hub • Farcliffe Children & Family Centre • Womenzone
Click on the links above to see each location
A launch for the Milk Line will take place at Darley Street Market on Tuesday 11th November 11.00am – 2pm in partnership with Better Start Bradford. This event is completely free of charge and there’s no need to book. The event includes:
- Baby Rave and Baby Week Wiggle with BoomChikkaBoom
- Interactive jigsaw with Better Start Bradford
- Tour of the new satellite Family Hub site
- Market stalls with a wealth of baby related and early years services, information and fun activities
- Performances throughout
- FREE warm drink
- And much more….
For more information please visit: https://babyweek.co.uk/event/baby-week-bradford-at-darley-street-market/
Listen and follow the stories:
🎧 The Holding Time Podcast
🌐 https://holdingtime.org/project-type/bradford/
🌐https://www.betterstartbradford.org.uk/baby-week-bradford/baby-week-bradford-2025/
📱 Share your walk: #HoldingTimeBradford #BradfordMilkLine
Press contact:
info@holdingtime.org
With Thanks to our Funders and our Partners
