Mapping of Initiatives on Culture, Health and Well-being

The present project aims to bring science, and particularly archeology, to people with psychological disorders or physical disabilities, older adults, newcomers, social groups traditionally marginalized and people at risk of social exclusion. These groups of citizens are usually excluded from the outreach programs organized in museums and science parks. This project is devoted to them. Within the project are developed a set of participatory activities with which to learn – in a simple and playful way – about the people who inhabited the Italian and Iberian Peninsula several thousand years ago, during Prehistory and Classic History. The success of the project is assured by two interconnected reasons: the consolidated experience in this field, and the fact of involving a multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, psychologists, communicators and social agents, all linked to prestigious institutions – such as the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), various associations for people with disabilities, the Down Syndrome Association in Catalonia, the Roman association Carabutsí and InterAcció in Barcelona, Caritas Roma-Italy, etc.

The Frederiksberg Museums runs a lot of different programmes in the frame of art and health. They always work in partnerships with their local target group connoisseurs; healthcare centers, organizations etc. This project aims to combat loneliness and strengthen the social networks of the elderly. The Frederiksberg Museums have been doing this programme the last 10 years with an average of two 12-week courses per year. For each course it's the same eight participants. The course is based on stories and objects from the Frederiksberg Museums' collections, and can include music, old popular songs, photos, diary transcripts, letters and much more. In addition to the museum objects, they encourage participants to bring their own pictures and objects that complement the themes they work with. Each meeting has a theme that revolves around a phase of life. It can be childhood, marriage, working life, travel etc. The museum facilitator starts showing historical objects or telling stories connected to the theme and the participant is sharing their thoughts or personal memories. Sometimes it includes singing old popular songs together. The participants are recruited through a partnership with the local health center. Through their preventive home visits, they assess whether the individual may be socially isolated or lonely, after which they inform about the museums' social program and, if they are interested, enroll them. This collaboration secure them, that the target group is right. The typical participant is 75+ years, living alone, have lost their spouse, or has recently moved to the area. They have been working in this field from more than ten years, and have integrated art and health in their dissemination strategy.

ARTIED organized and delivered 12 short online art voyages to world museums and art galleries for presenting some of their famous paintings. Some of the sessions presented artworks from different locations united around a common theme. The project was in partnership with Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria Foundation and social care institutions for people with dementia in Razgrad (North-Eastern Bulgaria) and Kazanlak (Central Bulgaria). The applied approach was specially designed for the target group and combined art appreciation lecturettes, practical and group-based activities for improving elder people’s cognitive and social abilities and short musical accompaniments.

The Restoration Trust is an award-winning charity that uses heritage and creativity to improve people’s mental health. Exploring the compelling histories of patients in 19th century lunatic asylums, or sensory immersion in mysterious ancient landscapes reignites people’s curiosity and love of life. Refocusing early intervention and prevention away from institutions and into communities overcomes systematic exclusion from amazing cultural assets that belong to us all. Weaving partnerships and groups into new communities has long term impacts on people and places. Participants are equal partners, so we highlight their interest and skills through meaningful involvement. They call this Culture Therapy, and they want it to be everyday good practice by 2027. In 2020/21 their projects:
- supported 108 people who live with serious mental health challenges on low income, with 47 people being regular attenders
- delivered 122 sessions, lasting from 1 to 3 hours, both online and in person
- provided experience for 13 volunteers, including peer volunteers and students
- contracted 65 people, including facilitators, experts, creative professionals, mental health professionals, support workers, musicians, artists, researchers
- involved collaboration with 17 cultural, mental health and research partners.
Recent and current projects include:
- Burgh Castle Almanac, a partnership with the Broads Authority, Access Community Trust and Norfolk Archaeological Trust, exploring a Roman fort for learning, creativity and community.
- Dr Hills' Casebook, a partnership with Norfolk Record Office, South Norfolk Council and UpShoot Theatre, researching and creating a new play about living with mental illness in the late 19th century and today.
- Human Henge, a partnership with English Heritage, Richmond Fellowship and Bournemouth University, that creatively engages mental health service users with the ancient and natural landscape of Stonehenge on- and off-line.
- Scaling Up Change Minds, with 6 archive services, including The National Archives, building an online Change Minds resource hub, testing it with 12-session Change Minds programmes in the archive services, and researching wellbeing for up to 84 participants.
- Heritage Link Worker project is a partnership with Historic England piloting a specialist social prescribing link worker post in Great Yarmouth and Waveney to connect people using social prescribing services with local heritage assets and experiences.
- other projects include Like Minds Norfolk, Stay In Touch (online drop-in), Conservation for Wellbeing.
Recently the Baring Foundation commissioned them to produce a report called Creatively Minded and Heritage, with an introduction and best practice case studies from across the UK.

Manicómio is the first art outsider studio in Portugal. Located in Lisbon at a creative cowork space, it brings together artists who have or have had mental health issues, with professionals from the creative sector and companies. Manicómio it is also a design studio (the Agencia Manicómio) in which all the creatives have suffered and suffer from mental illness. Manicómio is a 20 year-old fight for honesty, dignity and recognition of artists who are excluded by the art world simply because of their mental health history and stigma. Besides art work and exhibitions, Manicómio mentors their artists to other creative and commercial ventures, such as advertisement, illustration, jewelry and media. It is a space of human, social, financial and aesthetic dignity

In November 2020, the European Dancehouse Network launched a #DanceAndWellBeing campaign, to help raise awareness about the essential role of dance in our societies and in maintaining our physical and mental wellbeing. Seventeen artists-lead online dance classes and one research later, EDN issued a publication indicating how dance organisations and artistic practice help increase individual and relational well-being, while promoting values related to solidarity, cohesion and intercultural dialogue. The publication issued in June 2021 includes policy recommendations and a selection of resources.

Epidemic Belfast is a medical history learning resource developed by researchers from Ulster University’s School of History. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the team set out to uncover Belfast’s medical past, hoping to gain a better understanding of how disease (physical and mental) has been experienced and managed in the city since the 19th century. Through podcast episodes and original articles, the project furthers our understandings of illness, public health, vaccination, nutrition, mental health, medical provision during the Troubles, thalidomide and many other topics in the unique environment of Belfast. It also looks to the future as Ulster University opened its new medical school in 2021. Among other topics, this resource covers:
- health problems in Belfast including epidemic outbreaks, mental health crises, under-nutrition and poor public health management.
- the role of doctors and local health authorities (positive and negative) in managing disease over time.
- the health prospects and experiences of specific communities such as LGBTQ+, ethnic minorities, women, children and specific occupational groups (e.g. cotton mill workers).
- the complex ethical issues posed by modern medicine (e.g. the development of inadequately tested drugs, anti-vaxxers, etc.)
- barriers to providing ‘neutral’ physical and mental health care during 30 years of civil conflict.

L’Altre Festival is the culmination of a social and cultural project initiated twenty-two years ago. The theatrical group “La Trifulga dels Futils” was then created and today is seen the culmination of a methodology aimed at helping and accompanying the rehabilitation of persons suffering, or not, from mental issues by means of the scenic arts. The festival was born in 2015 in Barcelona and three years later it started to expand, first to Manresa (Catalunya). In 2018 a group of persons in Argentina decided to organize “El Otro Festival_Rosario” and together they started to work on “The Other Festivals”, a festival of festivals, a community of communities.

The research- and development project Art and Well-being aimed to create aesthetically appealing public health care environments that can give rise to positive thinking and discussions. To this end, art and holistic interior design were used. The project was carried out in cooperation between Novia University of Applied Sciences, various public health care institutions in Finland and professional artists and designers. The focus has been on aesthetics and art that create care environments stimulating positive thoughts for staff, patients and relatives. Further the project sought to make the role of cultural worker visible in such projects and to create understanding between care and arts fields. An additional goal was to provide art students with experience of seeing art in a broad context. This project report describes the realization of three different health care environments where art and design have had a central role.

The Erasmus + project Handmade Well-being - Käsitöistä hyvinvointia was born out of the need to offer to older people more opportunities to engage in arts and crafts. In addition to the concrete results, the project participants' increased knowledge of the subject was important. Practicing art and handicrafts benefits the well-being of the elderly. Among other things, the coordination of the hands and brain function are improved and the mood is positively affected. Mainly people who lack professional skills work to lead the creation of art among the elderly. Artists and craftsmen, on the other hand, generally have no education in the care industry that would facilitate their work among the elderly.