Holding Time

art meets health

The Holding Time Project is designed as an experiment in using art to improve breastfeeding rates, influence behaviour and improve perinatal mental health.

Working across the city with grassroots groups, NHS teams, hospitals, libraries and universities The Holding Time Project brings conversations about breastfeeding to the heart of the community through a multi-platform, multi-layered approach.

Mothers collaborating with artists and eachother, create exhibitions, workshops, radio programmes and social media events that will overturn stereotypes, challenge assumptions and inspire a new generation of families to find their way back to this practice that has given humans health for millions of years.

30 years of breastfeeding promotion have resulted in no meaningful change in breastfeeding statistics in the UK. It's time we did things differently.....

Coming to a city near you

Cheshire and Merseyside 2022


18

Portraits of C&M Mothers

10

New Mother Stories

The Project

city wide, from the grassroots to the latest research


Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool

Mothers and family members can experience an ancient feeding circle in this moving animation of Breastfeeding mothers

Video Interview with Rayyan, Coventry

Mothers and maternal researchers share their perspectives on support, breastfeeding in public and other issues in 5 minute VLOGS

Exhibition at MC Gallery, Wolverhampton

Large studio portraits celebrate the diversity and variety of breastfeeding by contemporary women in cities across the UK

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your very beautiful portrait of Sabrina and Isabelle breastfeeding. It is now up on the expressing room wall and it certainly fills me with joy every time I see it and I’m sure it will be the same for our expressing mothers. Thank you so much”

Stacey Zimmels, Breastfeeding and Expressing Team, Royal Brompton Hospital, London

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“It’s beautiful portrait Lisa. V well done again. I never expected less but there is just so much love in this shot.”

Karen Janody, Producer, RB&H Arts

Rating: 4 out of 5.

” It was heart warming to see the gallery transformed into a welcoming community space where mothers could come and just be, taking time to sit and enjoy the installation and video.”

Lydia Heath, Gallery Manager, ONCA

From the BLOG

latest posts


Mothers Discuss Support for Breastfeeding (7) Your mum
"I think one of the key things that has helped me is when I gave birth, she took care of me to be able to then I was able to breastfeed so she made food for me she brought me …
Mothers Discuss Support for Breastfeeding (6) Breastfeeding groups
And then I attended our breastfeeding group, I remember sitting there looking around at all these women with their boobs out and being like, ‘It’s alright, we all look the same, really. No one’s that bothered’. And it was fine".
Mothers Discuss Support for Breastfeeding (5) Lactation Consultants
“I was lucky because I was able to find good support in the community & was able to learn how to use a deeper latch & how to latch her without it being too painful until I was able to …

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