Events

During Autumn 2024, Norton Priory is pleased to be partnering Halton Family Hubs for 'Holding Time' at the Georgian Walled Garden.

Holding Time is a socially engaged feminist art project, aiming to create a portrait of breastfeeding across different areas in the UK by photographic artist Lisa Creagh in collaboration with a team of creatives and local mothers who generously shared their breastfeeding experiences in video interviews, live events and a photo shoot.

Across audio, video, animation and stills, they discuss breastfeeding in all its complexity, sharing their views on the many barriers that still mean women who want to breastfeed often stop before they are ready.

For the Halton Family Hubs exhibition, breastfeeding portraits are displayed at Family Hubs across Runcorn and Widnes and as an Audio Tour in the walled garden here at Norton Priory.

This Audio Tour displays podcast interviews with mothers from the project where mothers discuss the personal challenges and triumphs of their breastfeeding journeys.

As part of the exhibition, Halton mothers participated in six weeks of creative writing workshops with writer Rachel New at Halton Lea library in spring of 2024.

You can use the QR codes on the exhibits to listen to their moving performances of poetry and prose, sharing their personal breastfeeding experiences. 

You can find out more about the whole project at www.haltonfamilyhubs.co.uk

You can also listen to a podcast about the workshops here: https://youtu.be/S7a6C82ptNY

This Halton Family Hubs exhibition is the latest development of the Cheshire and Merseyside project, an NHS commissioned initiative funded by Improving Me, the Women's Health and Maternity Programme (WHaM) and Arts Council Lottery Funds. This project was shortlisted by the Royal College of Midwives ‘Excellence in Public Health’ award in 2023.

info@holdingtime.org 

https://linktr.ee/holdingtimeproject 

The exhibition will run until the Walled Garden closes at the end of October 2024.  

Did you know that Norton Priory has very special fruit trees? In the Walled Garden artists from Blue Room have hidden 16 apple artworks. Can you find them all?

Pick up a free trail sheet from our tickets and information desk and head out to the Walled Garden to begin your quest.

A word to the wise… the mischievous Orchard Fairy has swapped some true heritage apples for magical varieties. Can you spot which apples are real and which have been dreamt up by Blue Room artists?

Created with support from Halton Borough Council for Halton 50.

Children must be supervised at all times.
We encourage parents and guardians to join in.
Suitable for ages 4+

This activity is included with general admission. Please note that the trail is outdoors and suitable footwear and clothing should be worn.
The Walled Garden is a 5-10 min walk from the Museum and will involve moving across uneven ground.

Under the Apple Tree is a project exploring nature, sculpture and storytelling. With support from the Henry Moore Foundation it was first developed by artist Alfred Beesley, in collaboration with fellow artists and facilitators from Blue Room, the Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project with learning disabled and neurodivergent adults.

In Spring 2023, Beesley spent time exploring the historic orchard at Norton Priory making sketches, taking photographs and capturing the texture of tree bark. He developed a collection of sculptures inspired by the life cycle of apple trees and developed a technique for creating apple sculptures using paper and yarn. While working in the studio, Beesley would often describe how he would like audiences to interact with his art, sharing magical scenarios that recall fairytales and folklore. The Blue Room team saw a perfect opportunity to share his work as part of the Bluecoat’s popular programme of creative activities for children and families. In Spring 2024, the project was shared at a special creative workshop with immersive storytelling.