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ARTS | MUSEUMS
Museums on prescription
Louise Campion, Learning and Engagement Lead at the Holburne, reflects on how museums have a part to play in the promotion and management of health and mental wellbeing, and introduces the ideas behind a new show, called People Make Museums, that opens there in January
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hat are museums for? Places to while away a few hours on a rainy day, calm ‘go-slow’ spaces, somewhere to learn about history or meet a friend. Or maybe you think museums aren’t for you? However, have you ever considered that visiting a museum or joining a museum-based group might actually be good for your health? The Holburne Museum has long been committed to building on the powerful relationship between art, creativity and wellbeing reflected in its mission of ‘Changing Lives Through Art’. Over the last six years its creative Pathways to Wellbeing programme has been supporting people living with mental health challenges and social isolation by bringing museums, art galleries, mental health and support organisations together to work in partnership across the Bath area. Along with our museum partners the Bath Preservation Trust, the American Museum & Gardens and the community-based organisation Creativity Works, the museum has engaged with over 750 young people and adults over the last three years.
A creative session for Pathways to Wellbeing
Onward by Mary Caron Courtney
A Piece for All Ages, by Janette Massey
40 TheBATHMagazine
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January 2022
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issue 227
So how does it work? These groups are open to anyone struggling with a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and issues relating to social isolation including social anxiety. People can be signposted to the programme or referred by health and support organisations such as Bath MIND, B&NES Talking Therapies, GPs or through selfreferral. Each creative project is co-produced with group members and inspiring lead artists – from sculpture to printing, people are encouraged to try art for the first time, learn new skills and explore their creativity in supported, safe and inspiring spaces. Pathways to Wellbeing offers long-term support and engagement opportunities and recognises that life-transforming change happens over time as trust and confidence build. Whether working with people living with dementia and their carers, or young people struggling with anxiety and depression, we regularly witness the therapeutic effects of nurturing curiosity, creativity and connection in our museum-based groups. I’m a passionate advocate for museums as spaces of care, creativity and wellbeing because I’ve seen how people slowly relax, build their confidence and express themselves whilst meeting in a non-clinical environment without judgement or stigma. Here’s one participant’s take: “The museum is my safe space. It has opened up my eyes to things I’ve never done before and given me a voice to express myself.” This is important because it is estimated that one in five patients visiting their GP do so for problems that require a social solution rather than prescribed medication. You might have heard of the new ‘Social Prescribing’ link workers in GP surgeries. Their role is to support people to explore community-based activities including those in galleries, museums and libraries as a way of managing both psychological and physical conditions. The Holburne and partner museums are not alone in this work. In 2017 a survey showed that over 600 museums and art galleries in the UK were running programmes specifically aimed at health and wellbeing. There is a growing awareness that ‘the arts’ have a significant part to play in the promotion and management of health. This is backed up by comprehensive and compelling reports from the World Health Organisation and a UK Parliamentary report Creative Health. This concluded that arts-based approaches to health can help to alleviate the pressure faced by primary and social care systems,
