Milk & Blankets

March - June 2025
Community hubs across Birmingham
and
Midlands Arts Centre

Milk and Blankets was a hands-on art project that explored the act of feeding babies and children, the emotions, techniques, preconceptions and struggles associated with it and the unsolicited advice that can be received.

During 2025, artists Ania Bas, Amelia Hawk and Joanne Masding led creative workshops across community hubs in Birmingham, with breastfeeding support and parenting groups. The collaborative artworks created during the workshops formed the backdrop to a public celebratory picnic at Midlands Arts Centre, with a special meal created by food artist Kaye Winwood.

Milk and Blankets is supported by Birmingham City Council Public Health and Arts Council England. Project collaborators were: Bearwood Community Hub, Breastfeeding Network Birmingham at Lakeside, Wychall and Kitts Green community hubs, The Mamahood Space, Maternity Engagement Action, National Childcare Trust at Sutton Coldfield.

Play with your food, have a cuppa with Amelia Hawk 

Amelia Hawk's workshop invited people to explore comfort and nutrition in the humble mug of tea. Parents, carers and children made infused milks and teas for big and small hands, exploring their mental and physical needs from the warmth of a hot drink. Flavour combinations touched upon lactation, nutrition and mood. The workshops were loose and free-flowing, with plenty of space for play. Watch the video above to find out more.

Clay making workshop with Joanne Masding 

Joanne's workshop was an invitation to make cups and small pots together, in celebration of all forms of baby feeding in public. Looking at examples of infant feeding and the female form in sculpture, and bringing their own expert knowledge of what it takes to nourish a baby, participants created cups out of clay that became a collaborative artwork.

Watch the video above to find out more.

Creative writing workshop with Ania Bas 

Ania’s workshop was an invitation to read, think and write about experiences of feeding a baby and the emotional weight of being a parent. The session included some guided and collective creative writing exercises as well as opportunities for participants to work with words on their own. The workshop was a safe space, with no need to worry about wrong spelling or having nothing interesting to say.

Watch the video above to find out more.