Dr. Guislain Museum, the internationally renowned mental health museum in Belgium, is organising a symposium on culture, mental health and refugees at Leeds Arts Gallery on Saturday 20 January 2024. They will also be launching the call for contributions for the International Conference on Culture and Mental Health: Refugees on 28 and 29 November 2024 in Belgium.
A growing number of studies show how forcibly displaced people make a positive contribution to society. As has been recently advocated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) we can enhance their potential by ensuring that they are in good physical and mental health. Therefore it is important according to the WHO to support the arts, as investing in the field is an investment in the mental, physical and social health of forcibly displaced people. This symposium brings experts from the UK and Belgium to share local experiences, practices, and knowledge about the importance and impact of culture on improving mental health, wellbeing, and resilience of refugees.
This symposium takes place prior to the International Winter School Cultural Heritage & Wellbeing: Textile Cities from 22 to 26 January 2024 in Leeds. This international training event is organised by Dr. Guislain Museum in cooperation with Leeds Museums and Galleries and Arts & Sciences University College London.
PROGRAMME:
Welcome from Leeds
Daniela Nofal, Counterpoints Arts (UK) on the report 'Arts, Refugees and Mental Health' published by The Baring Foundation.
Bart Marius, Dr. Guislain Museum (Belgium), is leading an internationally renowned museum about mental health that uses its museum grounds as a place of care. Their focus is on creative community engagement with refugees in cooperation with neighbourhood health centres.
Nadia Babazia, Red Star Line Museum (Belgium), stories of people and migration form the red thread that runs through the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp and are also the base for participation and diversity. Nadia summarizes her work as: "bringing people together".
(speaker to be confirmed), Leeds Museums and Galleries (UK)
Bart De Nil (Belgium) will introduce the International Conference Culture & Mental Health: Refugees in 2024 and launch the international call for contributions.
Q&A
Practical Info:
Where: The Henry Moore Lecture Theatre in Leeds Arts Gallery. Get directions with Google Maps
When: 20 January 2024, 14h – 16h (doors open at 13h45).
Registration: Attendance is free, but we ask to register here.