The Art of Asylum: A Creative Workshop

Explore the history of arts and culture in mental health settings, and create poems or art works inspired by historical sources at this interactive workshop.

The arts play an important part in our mental health and wellbeing, but this has a long history. The nineteenth-century asylum was a space of seclusion but also of creativity, and many institutions invited their patients to engage with music, writing, art and other recreations. This workshop will draw on historical research on the use of cultural activities in asylums to inspire creative reflection on the role of the arts in overcoming isolation and reconnecting with ourselves and the world. You will use historical sources to inspire poetry and artwork in a safe, supportive space.

Resources and further details, together with a zoom link, will be distributed in advance of the session.

Image credit: Flora Manson - Portrait of Two Patients at Morningside Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.