Holding Time Milk Line launched in Baby Week Bradford
14 November 2025
A new citywide walking trail brings art, health, and motherhood together through stories, sound and sculpture.
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 sculptor 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.
Artist Lisa Creagh, said:
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. The Holding Time Milk Line 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.
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 Family Hub
About the Holding Time project
Holding Time is an award-winning Creative Health initiative by artist Lisa Creagh exploring motherhood, breastfeeding, and mental wellbeing through photography, sound, and storytelling. Since 2016, the project has toured hospitals, galleries, and
communities nationwide, combining digital content with live events and public art to change how we see and support mothers.
Find out more about this amazing project here: https://holdingtime.org/holding-time-chair-unveiling/
Listen and follow the stories:
🎧 The Holding Time Podcast
🌐 https://holdingtime.org/project-type/bradford/
📱 Share your walk: #HoldingTimeBradford #BradfordMilkTrail
About Better Place
Better Place is identifying and overseeing improvements to local parks and outdoor spaces with the aim of providing a healthier and happier environment for expectant parents, babies, young children and families. The project is also finding ways to reduce exposure to harmful traffic fumes for pregnant women and small children.
The Better Place project is a Better Start Bradford project that is being delivered in collaboration with Bradford Council, Bradford Trident, Groundwork UK, Public Health, voluntary and community sector groups and local people.
Check out our events and activities page to find out what the Better Place Activities team are doing in Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton.
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On 15 November 2024, Holding Time and Better Place Bradford unveiled the Holding Time Chair at a launch event in Bowling Park during Baby Week Bradford.
Baby Week Bradford began in 2018. Find out more about this annual celebration of babies and all those who care for them, and look back at previous years' activities and resources.