Symposium | Museums and Mental Health

Mapping Connections in Europe

Mental health is increasingly recognised as a global priority. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, mental health conditions will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Recent discussions highlight the limitations of conventional treatments—psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy—and emphasise the importance of addressing broader social determinants of health.

Museums, galleries, and heritage institutions are increasingly positioning themselves as vital community resources that can contribute to mental wellbeing and help reduce health inequalities. This online symposium aims to deepen understanding of how cultural institutions across Europe are engaging with mental health through innovative practices and partnerships.

The event will feature case studies from Germany, the UK, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, and France, exploring the diverse social, cultural, and policy contexts that shape this work. Through shared learning, the symposium seeks to strengthen the role of museums and galleries in promoting mental health.

The day-long programme will be structured around three thematic sessions. Each will include short presentations from researchers and practitioners, followed by a respondent-led discussion and audience Q&A. All presentations will be delivered in English, with opportunities for participants to ask questions in their preferred language.

Programme/Program

10h00-11h45 (CET) : Museums and the Mental Health Policy Landscape

What is driving museum work on mental health? What institutions and actors are shaping this work? How are culture and mental health understood, organised and either seperated or integrated in different European policy context? What cases of studies are available for evaluation?

Speakers

• Nils Fietje (BCI Unit, WHO Regional Office for Europe and Jameel Arts & Health Lab)
• Dr Katerina Mavromichali (Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Museums Exhibitions and Educational Programmes, Athens, Greece)
• Prof Dr Ulrike Kluge (Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)
• Jamine Lebert (3bisf Centre d’arts contemporains, Aix-en-Provence, France)

Respondent

• Prof Dr Milena Bister, Institute of European Ethnology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berli, Berlin

13h00-14h45 (CET) : Museums, Mental health and inclusion/exclusion

What barriers to access and engagement persist for individuals living with long-term mental health conditions? How can museums confront exclusive practices and use curatorial and participatory approaches to challenge stigma?

Speakers

• Isabel Nottaris (Office de coopération et d’information muséales (OCIM), Université de Bourgogne, France)
• Bart Marius (Museum Dr. Guislain, Ghent, Belgium)
• Joan Seguí (l’ETNO, Museu Valencià d’Etnologia, Spain)
• Cécile Dumoulin (Musée des civilisations de L’Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem), Marseille, France)

Respondents

• Dr Nassim Mehran (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
• Echo Wichera (artist, Berlin, Germany)

15h00-16h45 (CET) : Museums and care work

What are the existing frameworks of practice and the current training available for museums and mental health work? What are the potential risks and harms associated with this work?

Speakers

• Helen Wakely and Madeleine Kennedy (Wellcome Collection, UK)
• Injonge Karangwa (Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Prof Manon Perry (Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Art and Culture, History, Antiquity, Universiteit van Amsterdram, Netherlands)
• Dr Nathalie Bondil (Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France)

Respondent

• Dr Christine Gerbich (Museum of Utopia and Everyday Life, Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany)

Informations pratiques/practical information

• vendredi 1^er décembre 2025/Monday 1^st December 2025, de 10h à 16h45/from 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM
• en ligne sur zoom/online on zoom
• gratuit, réservation obligatoire à l’adresse/free, reservation required at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/universityofleicester21/1844537
• organisé par/organised by Dr Nuala Morse (University of Leicester) and Dr Margareta von Oswald (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Un projet de recherche qui bénéficie du soutien de la MSH Paris Nord dans le cadre de son appel à projets annuel.