Not so grim up North

Not so grim up North brings together three organisations, all recognised by the Royal Society of Public Health for their leading practice and research in the field of health, culture and wellbeing; the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester (on behalf of Manchester Museums and Galleries Partnership), Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) and researchers at University College London (UCL).

Richard Russell, Director of Policy and Research at Arts Council says:

“We were delighted by the high-level of interest in the fund from the sector, but it meant we had to make some very difficult decisions. We are pleased with the wide range of projects we are able to fund. Now more than ever, it is important we improve knowledge and understanding about the value of arts and museums. We are looking forward to seeing robust research studies and being able to share findings with government and commissioners at a national and local level.”

The project, awarded £192,101, seeks to fill gaps in the evidence base for understanding the value of museum encounters on health and wellbeing and will identify the critical success factors for museums in health programming and evaluation. It will also explore how findings can feed into broader regional and national agendas.

Zoe Brown, Outreach Officer at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums says:

"We have been working closely with communities for many years and in the last few years health and wellbeing has become the focus of our Outreach work. This is a fantastic opportunity to really understand the impact of our work and to find ways to improve and share our experiences."

Esme Ward, Head of Learning and Engagement at the Whitworth says:

"Several years ago at the Whitworth we created the first ever museum-based arts and health post. Since then, we have developed wide-ranging health and wellbeng partnerships and programmes. We are delighted to have received this funding to develop this work further, through collaboration with UCL researchers and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, to explore the wider impact and significance of this work."

Dr Helen Chatterjee, Principal Investigator, University College London says:

"We are really excited to be working with the Whitworth Art Gallery and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. Thanks to ACE funding our collaboration will generate novel data to elucidate the efficacy of museum encounters on specific areas such as mental health, stroke rehabilitation and addiction recovery."