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Project/initiative|Latvia|National

Meditative audio guide: The Route of Well-being

Project title

Meditatīvs audio ceļvedis: Labsajūtas maršruts

Description of initiative

For a large part of society, life in the 21st-century is characterized by digital events and content consumption in the digital environment, as well as regular anxiety, exhaustion, homogenous sensory experience, or routine. The Route of Well-being is an invitation to explore the art museum in a more personal way, enjoy time alone in the peaceful environment of art, and experience an alternative adventure of the senses, promoting mindfulness and mental well-being.
The Route of Well-being is available free of charge in the Latvian National Museum of Art mobile application in Latvian, Russian, and English. Audio stories guide the visitor through 12 exposition points of the permanent exposition, exploring such themes as friendship, courage, everyday life, loss, and the unknown. Each stop is accompanied by a thematic narration prepared by an art scientist, as well as tasks designed by an art therapist for self-exploration in the interaction with the art museum and the artworks. It takes about 60 minutes to complete the route, but the project developers invite enjoying it at a pace that is comfortable for the visitor, focusing on personal experience.
The audiovisual content was created in an interdisciplinary collaboration between the museum’s professionals, an art therapist, a music composer, an illustrator, and voice actors.

Further information on the initiative

Themes: Culture and...

Individual well-being
Mental health
Quality of spaces and built environments

Keywords

well-being, calmness, health, resilience, aloness, digital detox

Target group

Adults | Youth

Cultural field

Visual arts

Budget

€7.000

Timeframe

2021 - 2021

Sources of funding

State Culture Capital Foundation

Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt

The organisers have not carried out a quantitative evaluation of the impact or the success of this project. However, they have conducted around 30 qualitative interviews with museum visitors who had decided to try this meditative audio guide. The overall feedback so far has been exceptionally positive. Practically all visitors have reported that this meditative audio guide has (1) changed their view of the museum and the exhibited artwork, (2) has increased their well-being and tranquility, at least temporarily, and (3) has helped them gain new perspectives.

Organizer(s)

Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs
Latvia
Public / State | Culture