Art psychotherapy: How museums are helping people explore their mental health. The 4.7m high sculpture occupied Trafalgar Square's empty plinth for 18 months. She says, “We provide intentional programs to make a deep and meaningful connection to works of art. Marc Quinn's sculpture of Alison Lapper, entitled Alison Lapper Pregnant, sits on the fourth plinth, in Trafalgar Square. By joining us at the Museum for this restorative program, you can connect back to yourself and your spirit in a beautiful, non-traditional space.”. The museum has a wide range of projects targeted towards different audiences. Caroline, meanwhile, made a timeline of her life (including some very traumatic experiences), saying that “I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t seen the timeline in the exhibition, but it felt very significant to do it – like putting things in place before moving on”. This article originally appeared on The Conversation, We see ourselves in the objects in a museum (Getty/iStock). Some said that they felt less defined by their mental health difficulties because the sessions were not held on NHS premises. A sculpture by artist Yinka Shonibare, 'Nelson's Ship in a Bottle' on the fourth plinth in 2010. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Manchester Art Gallery also runs drop-in lunchtime mindfulness sessions. This could be yoga, meditation, group sessions or even light art and craft activities. 5 Positive Effects of Art on Mental Health was first posted on October 9, 2020 at 5:00 am.©2017 "DailyArtDaily.com - Art History Stories". Art psychotherapy in museums allows patients to connect to the artwork and inspires creativity, says Alison Coles, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? And while appreciating art alone is not an adequate form of managing how those conditions impact your life, it’s not a bad idea to surround yourself with art you love. Another important part of mindfulness is an awareness of our thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment. The 2400 applicants were chosen at random. Art psychotherapists are looking to art to aid them in clinical work, The Fourth Plinth: Trafalgar Square's changing artwork, How museums are helping people explore their mental health, Cannabis and mental health – more reasons to be cautious, The best artworks from the mysterious guerrilla street artist Banksy, Couples who talk about their mental health more likely to be happy, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. The mind will start to wander, but mindfulness is about acknowledging this and bringing it back to the moment. he idea of receiving psychotherapy in a museum might seem unusual. The need for mental health and psychosocial support is now bigger than ever, due to the many challenges resulting from the coronavirus. And when you develop an emotional attachment to an image, you’re going to appreciate it that much more. Mindfulness is the process of paying more attention to the present. Children of all ages can enjoy the benefits of mindfulness. In the safe space of a museum setting, visitors took part in some simple craft exercises based around the museum’s collection. A sculpture by German artist Artist Katharina Fritsch entitled Hahn/Cock which stands on the fourth plinth was unveiled in 2013. What if I said you could get that high–we get a similar feeling when we take certain drugs, but I’m about to give you one better–when you look at art? Working for ²gether NHS Foundation Trust, we delivered a programme for seven adults aged 18-25 at two museums in Gloucester over 18 weeks. Some examples could be gentle exercises such as swimming, yoga or jogging. Building on this work, art psychotherapists from the ²gether Trust have since delivered two more museum-based therapy groups, for adults of all ages, and we have written about our experiences of how we worked in these settings. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Shrigley is best known for his distinctive drawing style and works that make satirical comments on everyday situations and human interactions. Museums provide a safe space in which to explore new concepts. But what about your mood? The Rubin Museum of Art explores the connection between yoga and art. It is of the opinion that wellbeing is a skill, one which needs time and care to cultivate. The group members explored the museum exhibitions and then made some art using a variety of different materials. The museum says that mindfulness is a valuable skill. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Museums are ideally placed to be a safe space for people to begin their mindfulness journey. We predicted, based on findings from arts in health and art therapy case studies, that a museum setting could help inspire creativity among group members. It can be difficult to achieve quietness or stillness in a busy world. These help them to slow down and experience the museum in a new way. In a similar vein, science says viewing and creating art also helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some rights reserved. Choose what you like, science says it’s good for you. She also took inspiration from a model of a cross-section through the earth, drawing herself as a person with three layers and labelling it “what I show to others”, “what those close to me get to see”, and “what I feel about myself that hardly anyone knows”. Aww. This can help people slow down and appreciate the moment. This means waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment. Together they offered a series of mindfulness sessions in the museum. Although not all the group members made artworks during the sessions, they still found therapeutic value in their encounters with the objects in the museum. They gave participants the opportunity to learn some relaxation and mindfulness techniques. Art psychotherapy in museums allows patients to connect to the artwork and inspires creativity, says Alison Coles This is because there are many studies that say it has a positive impact on health and wellbeing. They will look slowly at pieces from the collection. Michael Rakowitz's 'The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist' is 2018's artwork on the plinth in Trafalgar Square. In 2016 the Mental Health Foundation released a document titled Fundamental Facts about Mental Illness 2016, which stated that problems concerning mental health are one... MuseumNext earns commissions from purchases made through some links on this website. How can museums, which are often focused on the past, help people learn to be more mindful and to live in the present? The St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow teamed up with mental health charity Lifelink in 2017. Art, a form of creative expression and storytelling, lends itself to providing a unique immersion into the world of mental illness when it is created by individuals with lived experience.