Salisbury Museum features in sector mental health report

Two women working on an inkwash painting.

How can museums engage creatively with people with mental health problems? A new report by the Baring Foundation and Museums Association features 16 museums who are taking the lead in this area, mainly through using participatory arts. 

One of the case studies is from Salisbury Museum, focussing on work carried out by Amy Hammett, Community Curator, The Salisbury Museum and Emma Gascoigne, Project Coordinator, Well-City Salisbury.

Working with local artists and creative practitioners, each partner delivered two eight-week courses, designed to create moments of learning, discovery and curiosity.

The museum’s first course, The English Venice, explored mixed media art using the collection of objects found in Salisbury’s medieval drains as inspiration for creativity. The second course, Creative Writing for Wellbeing, included a range of activities to inspire and increase creative writing skills, particularly in description through close examination of the museum’s objects. 

People were referred onto a course by their primary care provider, third sector organisation or other referring partners or they could sign up for a course as a self-referral. 

You can read their case study and the full report here

Photo: Participants on The English Venice course exploring museum objects and responding to them creatively using ink wash and bleach techniques. Courtesy of Salisbury Museum/Well-City Salisbury.

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