Manchester Art Gallery, the Manchester Infant Feeding Team (NHS) and visual artist Lisa Creagh are pleased to announce The Holding Time Project; a moving image exhibition of breastfeeding portraits in The Lion’s Den (Clore Art Studio).
The portraits of The Holding Time Project feature mothers invited to breastfeed in front of the camera. These sequences of images are captured moments and the role of the photographer is passive, meditative, and minimal.
The range of mothers and children is deliberately broad in scope; aged from the early twenties to mid-forties, with children from a few weeks old to up to three and a half.
There are tandem-feeding mothers (feeding two children simultaneously), single mothers and mothers of sick children. They are all shot in the same way: against a neutral dark background in lighting reminiscent of Renaissance paintings.
By working with health professionals, academics, and grassroots networks, The Holding Time Project is intended to dismantle the basis for polarization, and the lack of dialogue and bring meaningful change in UK breastfeeding policy.
This project treads carefully the line between promoting breastfeeding whilst attempting to respect and understand the complexity of the experience and circumstance of new mums.
It is research-based with positive imagery at its core.
The exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery is part of a tour of venues across the North, and has been created with mothers across the UK.
19, 26 April and 3 May 2023, 1 – 2.30pm
Free event
A free creative writing course for mothers who are currently breastfeeding, or who have tried breastfeeding. These writing workshops will be delivered by Rachel New, a writer and experienced Creative Lives producer who is delivering workshops as part of The Holding Time Project.
