Breastfeeding sculpture aims to challenge stigma

A project to challenge stigmas and cultural barriers about breastfeeding has concluded with the unveiling of a sculpture in Bradford.

The sculpture, which depicts a mother lying on her side cradling and nursing her baby, has been installed in Bowling Park.

Holding Time asked mothers to explore and share their personal journeys through poetry workshops, portrait sessions and interviews.

Rachel New, who ran the workshops, said the sculpture was functional as it was "a chair that women can actually sit on to breastfeed".

"I'm hoping this makes people feel comfortable and encourages more dialogue about breastfeeding," she said.

"I meet so many women who say 'no one spoke to me about breastfeeding until I had a baby in my arms, and then I wasn’t sure what to do'."

Lisa Creagh, who runs the Holding Time project, said the main aim was to "overcome the cultural barriers to breastfeeding".

"Bradford has such diversity of experience," she said.

"Some families have a rich cultural inheritance, others have no experience at all."

The sculpture is beside a children's play area and it invites mothers to sit, breastfeed their babies, and share conversations.

Ms Creagh said the idea was to bring the project outdoors and she developed the idea of a statue with Better Place, a project to improve outdoor spaces for families and children.

"You can sit on the chair to feed, or just to hold your child, or someone you love.

"This project is about honouring motherhood and attachment and the maternal seat gives shape to that."

Dan Jones, the artist behind the 2.5-tonne sculpture, said it took a year to complete, with significant input from nursing mothers.

Partly inspired by African ceramics, he said the sculpture was designed to have an Earth Mother feel to it.

"My hope is that women will feel comfortable using the space to feed their babies in the open, if they want to," the Doncaster-based sculptor said.

Among the mums who participated in the Holding Time project was Reena Kler, who is currently breastfeeding her 15-month-old daughter.

"It's been an eye-opening journey,” she said.

"Mothers often don’t stop to think about themselves, so it’s been really nice to have this creative time to focus on me."

Another mum, Sophie Hughes, found the project “healing for so many different reasons”, especially as it allowed mums to open up about breastfeeding trauma they may have experienced.

Another mum, Mahum Fatima, who has breastfed her two children, reflected: "I really wanted to talk about the highs and lows of breastfeeding, to celebrate it, and to share my experiences.

"It’s about breaking stereotypes and instead addressing the pressures of breastfeeding and focusing on empowering women with the right support."

She also highlighted cultural pressures around breastfeeding for some mums, and expressed hope that the project would raise broader awareness of the benefits.

She added: "I hope [the sculpture seat] sparks conversations when parents meet at the park. It sends a powerful message."

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