‘Health Rocks’
'Health Rocks' project, a collaboration between Start Manchester, The Manchester Museum and Renaissance North West (Museums, Libraries and Archives).
During the summer, Start and the Manchester Museum ran an arts and wellbeing course connected to the beautiful collection of fossils and minerals at the Museum. This was a unique opportunity to learn more from expert curators about the objects in the fossils and mineral galleries, and take part in creative activities inspired by those collections.
Participants were recruited from current Start users and members of the public who also volunteer at the Manchester Museum. Whilst on the course, participants were able to enjoy a stimulating selection of arts activities including drawing, animation and textiles, they went behind the scenes to listen to curators' talks, they experienced relaxing mindfulness exercises, and they learned more about how to use creative activities to protect and improve wellbeing and promote a richer life. Mindfulness, based on Buddhist meditation techniques, is the conscious use of the senses to bring us into the present moment, and is shown by research to benefit wellbeing.
As well as learning all these new skills, participants were encouraged to connect in creative, artistic and imaginative ways to the collections by helping to try out some well being exercises destined for a well being trail leaflet for visitors to the museum.
At the end of the course, each student created a beautiful hand made book of samples from the course which will be exhibited in the Fossils and Minerals Gallery from 9 November 2010. The well being trail leaflet, designed to help the public develop ways of relating to objects on display, will also be launched from this date.
This is what the participants said about their experiences on the course:
What the participants said: -
- The course was like a journey of recovery. It gave me a sense of purpose and enhanced my health and wellbeing
- The mindfulness exercises have given me a really useful tool to unwind.
- I've learned to encapsulate more good things in my life.
- As a result of the course I am feeling more relaxed and confident to go to new places. My mind is clearer and I think more positively
- It was thrilling to have the talks, and see and hold fossils not normally seen by the general public.
- It's inspiring coming into such a setting and being surrounded by ancient history.
The Manchester Museum is situated on Oxford Road, Manchester.
Opening Times
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
Sunday, Monday and Bank Holidays 11 am to 4 pm
For further information, please telephone 0161 275 2634.
Opening times:
Tues-:11am-4pm
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