Working Together Project - Embedding Creative Health in Museum Practice

Download the Working Together Evaluation report

Working Together was an 18-month Creative Health programme (2023–2025), funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and co-delivered by CHWA and GEM to bring together the innovative work of the creative health and heritage sectors. Led by Programme Lead Louise Campion, it supported six museums and heritage organisations - selected for their commitment to working with underserved communities - to co-design and deliver Creative Health pilot projects tailored to local need. 

The programme combined professional development, personalised mentoring and a supportive peer network, all designed to help partners move beyond one-off wellbeing projects and strategically embed health and wellbeing across their organisations, guided throughout by the Creative Health Quality Framework.

Outputs include six pilot projects, an extensive sector CPD programme, strategic advocacy work, and the forthcoming short film produced by Molineaux Productions, which visualises the programme’s learning and impact.

The six partner museums and heritage organisations were:
    •    York Museums Trust
    •    Royal Museums Greenwich
    •    Scottish Maritime Museum
    •    Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
    •    Newark and Sherwood District Council (Castle and National Civil War Museum)
    •    National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth

The programme aimed to improve health and wellbeing through museum and heritage engagement, particularly among individuals and groups facing health inequalities, while also building the sector’s confidence to partner with health and care services. It sought to strengthen the museum and heritage sector’s strategic commitment to wellbeing and encourage a shift in organisational culture. 

Working Together Impact Report

The Working Together impact report highlights transformative benefits of Creative Health in museums and heritage.

Written by Siân Rosa Hunter Dodsworth, the report outlines practical steps to realising the potential of creative health practice for the museums and heritage sector.

Key findings from the Impact Report include:

• Stronger sector capability: Staff reported increased confidence and skills in co-production and trauma-informed practice, describing the programme as “unbelievably inspiring.

• Sustainable cross-sector partnerships: Museums, freelance artists, community groups, and health and care providers built deep, trust-based relationships that are set to continue beyond the programme.

• More inclusive and relevant practice: Pilot projects effectively engaged people facing trauma, isolation and long-term health challenges, creating safer, more representative cultural spaces.

• Improved wellbeing for participants and staff: Museums adopted wellbeing-focused policies and practices, supporting both teams and communities.

• Creative health leadership: Early and mid-career professionals gained confidence to influence organisational strategy and share learning sector-wide. Innovative, sensory and trauma-informed uses of collections reinvigorated how heritage objects are used to support wellbeing.

As part of its long-term legacy, GEM and CHWA are launching A Culture of Care: Creative Health in Museum Practice, a new sector-wide training course that builds directly on the programme’s findings. The project has also delivered in-depth training for its network of GEM Mentors, equipping them to better support mentees working in creative health and wellbeing.

Working Together: Embedding Creative Health in Museums - Impact Report Launch 

Working Together was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.