Bobby Baker - An Edible Family in a Mobile Home screening and Q+A

Join us for a film screening and in conversation with Bobby Baker Join us for a special screening of Bobby Baker’s new documentary An Edible Family in a Mobile Home: The Film, followed by a conversation about the work between Dr Andy Hardman and the artist. In 2025, Bobby Baker’s iconic feminist installation An Edible Family in a Mobile Home was recreated on the Whitworth’s Sculpture Terrace as part of the exhibition Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990. Originally created in 1976 in Bobby’s East London home, An Edible Family in a Mobile Home featured life-sized family figures formed of garibaldi biscuits, meringue, and various flavours of cake. Each family member was meticulously baked and sculpted by Bobby herself, who played the role of a polite female host, serving tea, offering cake, and watching her 'family' disappear. Fifty years later, the installation was remade with cakes baked by the women-owned Long Boi’s Bakehouse and assembled by Bobby and her team. Visitors were invited in to have a cup of tea, taste samples of the delicious sculptures, and chat with hosts – University of Manchester students trained by Bobby herself. An Edible Family in a Mobile Home is a bold feminist statement on domesticity, care, and the unseen labour that holds our world together. The film, created with acclaimed filmmaker Hugo Glendinning, captures this unique, ephemeral artwork, preserving its legacy for future generations. Audiences witness the intricate process behind crafting the edible family and the warm, communal experience of its gradual consumption, as visitors are welcomed into the work and become part of it. Featuring reflections from art critic Louisa Buck on Baker’s place in the artistic canon, the film also explores what it meant for Bobby to return to a work she first made nearly fifty years ago, and what she has learnt about the work – and herself – in the intervening years. After the screening, Bobby Baker will be in conversation with Dr Andy Hardman, Head of Department, Art History and Cultural Practices at The University of Manchester, who was instrumental in enabling Bobby’s collaboration with the student hosts. Please arrive from 6pm to take your seats and enjoy a drink and sweet treat from the paid bar. The talk will start at 6.15pm. 📅 Thursday 22 October 2026 ⏰ 6pm – 7.45pm. 📍the Whitworth 🎟️ Book your free tickets 🌟Donations help us to present world-class events and exhibitions for free. Please consider making a donation with your ticket if you can. An Edible Family in a Mobile Home was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England with additional support from Acme, Necessity and People’s Postcode Lottery Image credit: © Hugo Glendinning About the venue The Whitworth is an accessible venue with facilities to support you during your visit, and alongside this our visitor team will be on hand to assist you in the gallery. Find out more about planning your visit to the Whitworth and accessibility information for you. If you’d like to speak to a team member about any access or additional needs, please get in touch with the gallery and we will be happy to assist you. Contact: [email protected] or telephone: 0161 275 7450.