The role of museums in enhancing well-being and improving health through social intervention is one of the foremost topics of importance in the museums sector today. With an aging population and emerging policies on the social responsibilities of museums, the sector is facing an unprecedented challenge in how to develop services to meet the needs of its communities in a more holistic and inclusive way. This book sets the scene for the future of museums where the health and well-being of communities is top of the agenda. The authors draw together existing research and best practice in the area of museum interventions in health and social care and offer a detailed overview of the multifarious outcomes of such interactions, including benefits and challenges. This timely book will be essential reading for museum professionals, particularly those involved in access and education, students of museums and heritage studies, as well as practitioners of arts in health, art therapists, care and community workers.
Helen Chatterjee is Deputy Director of University College London Museums and a Senior Lecturer in Biology in the School of Life and Medical Sciences, UCL. Her book Touch in Museums: Policy and Practice in Object Handling was published in 2008. Guy Noble is the first appointed Arts Curator of the University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He is also a trustee of the London Arts in Health Forum.
