Health, wellbeing and collections
How do you measure the impact of this work?
An increasing number of museums are exploring the impact that their collections can have on people’s health and wellbeing. Dynamic programmes of activity, working with people of all ages, have been developed, often in close partnership with health and social care professionals.
Many of these initiatives have grown organically, often with a local focus, addressing particular health needs and tailoring opportunities for people to make a special connection to a museum’s collections.
These programmes have emerged against a backdrop of increasing interest from the health sector in the impact of cultural engagement on health outcomes. This has coincided with changes in health funding that have given more autonomy to local commissioners to explore new models of health and social-care provision.
Many of those delivering museum programmes have experienced similar challenges to others developing new models of health and social care provision: how do you measure the impact of this work? How can you convince health commissioners of the value of these activities? And what are the best ways to recruit participants and collaborators from the wider health and cultural spheres?
In this context, it is appropriate that some of the knowledge and experience that has been gained over this period should be pooled, so a consortium has been established to develop the National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing. Supported by Arts Council England, the organisation includes museums from across the country and is led by University College London Public and Cultural Engagement.
The alliance will support the museum sector’s work around health and wellbeing through sharing information about museums and health, improving best practice, disseminating relevant resources and helping those working in the field.
Crucially, the alliance is collaborating closely with the National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing to connect museums to the wider cultural sphere, including arts and community organisations and libraries, as well as health and social care organisations.
The alliance will be launched at next month’s Museums Association Conference. We will run workshops for those employed in the museum sector, as well as for those interested in arts, culture and health, including health and social care workers, third-sector workers, artists and art-therapy practitioners.
We are keen to hear from anyone with an interest in this area, and welcome suggestions and guidance about the work that is happening across the country and how it can be supported to evolve.
Many of these initiatives have grown organically, often with a local focus, addressing particular health needs and tailoring opportunities for people to make a special connection to a museum’s collections.
These programmes have emerged against a backdrop of increasing interest from the health sector in the impact of cultural engagement on health outcomes. This has coincided with changes in health funding that have given more autonomy to local commissioners to explore new models of health and social-care provision.
Many of those delivering museum programmes have experienced similar challenges to others developing new models of health and social care provision: how do you measure the impact of this work? How can you convince health commissioners of the value of these activities? And what are the best ways to recruit participants and collaborators from the wider health and cultural spheres?
In this context, it is appropriate that some of the knowledge and experience that has been gained over this period should be pooled, so a consortium has been established to develop the National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing. Supported by Arts Council England, the organisation includes museums from across the country and is led by University College London Public and Cultural Engagement.
The alliance will support the museum sector’s work around health and wellbeing through sharing information about museums and health, improving best practice, disseminating relevant resources and helping those working in the field.
Crucially, the alliance is collaborating closely with the National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing to connect museums to the wider cultural sphere, including arts and community organisations and libraries, as well as health and social care organisations.
The alliance will be launched at next month’s Museums Association Conference. We will run workshops for those employed in the museum sector, as well as for those interested in arts, culture and health, including health and social care workers, third-sector workers, artists and art-therapy practitioners.
We are keen to hear from anyone with an interest in this area, and welcome suggestions and guidance about the work that is happening across the country and how it can be supported to evolve.