School removes student's artwork of a mother breastfeeding her baby – in case it offends Muslims during Ramadan
Martha Armitage, 18, claims paintings of breastfeeding are being 'censored'
She says Tapton Secondary School are refusing to display the artworks
School says paintings are not on show in a prayer room during Ramadan
It defended its decision and says art is on display in a different area instead
By Keiligh Baker for MailOnline
Published: 04:54 EST, 3 July 2015 | Updated: 20:18 EST, 3 July 2015
A school has been slammed by a sixth form pupil for removing her paintings of a mother breastfeeding her child - because it could offend Muslims during Ramadan.
Tapton Secondary School in Sheffield told Martha Armitage, 18, that her A-level paintings would not be displayed with other pupils' artwork because the space is currently being used as a prayer room for the duration of the religious period.
Now Miss Armitage has hit out at the decision because she believes she is being 'censored' and says she is proud of her four paintings, which took 15 hours to create, and wants them to be displayed.
But the school has defended the decision, saying it was a matter of 'tolerance and respect' to not put them on show in the prayer room and claimed that the pictures are on display - but in a different section of the school.
Miss Armitage, who works part-time in a cafe, chose the subject of Mother and Baby after being given four choices for her A-level finals.
Her sister-in-law, Kim Houton, 20, who recently gave birth to her second child, Ivy, was the subject of the art works and posed topless for the intimate shots while breastfeeding her baby.
Miss Armitage then took the photographs into the exam room and produced the paintings over five three-hour exam sessions.
The four paintings show a mother cradling her baby, another breastfeeding from front-on, another breastfeeding from the side, and another shows a mother holding her child to her naked breast - something that is crucial in the first months of baby bonding.
But Miss Armitage claims she was not informed by the school of the decision not display her paintings with other students' work and only found out when she noticed they were not on display when she went to the school to collect her prom tickets.
She said: 'I went to speak to the art technician because I wanted to see my artwork, I hadn't seen it since I'd submitted it for my A-level.
'The technician told me the artwork wasn't going on display at all because it includes breasts and it's Ramadan.
'I was just really really shocked. I didn't know what to say. I left the school and when I went home I told my mum about it, she sent an email to the school.
'In their reply, they spoke about not having the artwork on display in the conference room which was going to be used as a prayer room.
'But I was told by the technician that my artwork wasn't going to be displayed anywhere.
'In any case, I don't understand why it's offensive. Muslim pupils at my school have told me they're not offended by it. I don't understand why the school were jumping to conclusions - they're just being overly sensitive.'
Miss Armitage's mother Mandy, 44, a theatre nurse, sent an email to the school complaining about the decision and received a reply from the Art and Design subject leader.
It read: 'Martha was not told that her work was not being displayed. She was told that her work was no longer in the conference room because the room is, during Ramadan, being used as a prayer room; this does not display (in my view) censorship, but rather respect and tolerance.'
But Miss Armitage does not agree.
The student, who turned 18 last week, said: 'As usual breastfeeding is being depicted in a sexual way. Why are people thinking it is sexual?
'My school should see my paintings as normalising breastfeeding. The more it is seen then the more acceptable it will be.
'I was breastfed as a child, as were my three brothers, and I don't see anything wrong with it.
'It was only a couple of years ago, when my brother and sister-in-law had their first child, that I realised there seemed to be a lot of fuss about it.
'In my family breastfeeding is normal, I'm flabbergasted people disagree.
'The school think it's respecting the tolerance of Muslims during Ramadan because my pictures show nipples, but if I showed a baby being fed by bottle it would be fine, they are promoting the wrong thing.
'They are censoring my work because it involves a bit of nudity. Why are they looking at the painting for the nipple? And not the concept of a mother bonding with her baby?'
A statement from Claire Tasker and David Dennis, joint heads at Tapton School, said: 'Martha's work is beautiful and she is rightly proud of it.
'We have 45 students studying post-16 Art. This amounts to a huge number of finished pieces that we display all over the school.
'We do not limit subject matter choice or censor finished pieces. We do not have the space to display all pieces at all times.
'Pieces by five students are currently displayed in our small Conference Room (located on the administration corridor in school). The room is used for meetings, as an exam space and also as a prayer room at lunchtimes.
'We made the decision (as it was during Ramadan) to not put the images of breast feeding into this room.
'The pieces are actually on display in the Finance Office which is frequented by far more staff and students on a daily basis.
'Before that they were on display in our Art rooms and admired by all. We have invited Martha to come into school to discuss her concerns - this is always the better way forward.'
But Miss Armitage wants the school to reverse its decision.
She said: 'I have Muslim friends who are also outraged. They say it has nothing to do with Ramadan.
'If it was about distraction there should not be any artwork displayed in there.
'The pieces that don't have nipples are allowed to be displayed.
'I would like my work to be displayed. My friends at the school are really supportive and want to see my work. I feel disheartened because I put a lot of time and effort into it.
'They're making decisions on behalf of a culture they don't understand. The Muslims I have spoken to are not offended by what I have created.
'It's a shame this has happened. I have had a great time at the school and I like the art department and the teachers and to leave on this note is quite sad.'
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