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Portable Art-Based Museum Workshops

Accessibility, Outreach, and Well-Being Outcomes for Young People with Severe Mental Health Challenges

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  • Abstract
    • Engagement with arts and cultural activities is increasingly recognized as beneficial for mental health; however, in Greece, there remains limited evidence regarding outreach museum programs for clinical populations. This study evaluates the Portable Art Therapy Museum Workshop, an initiative designed to examine the impact of a museum-based outreach program on the well-being of young people with severe mental health challenges, following a psychosocial approach. An art-based mixed-methods design was employed. Nineteen participants (aged 17–30 years, M = 22) from mental health community services engaged in a five-session portable workshop (museum visits and art as therapy workshops). Wellbeing was measured pre- and post-program using the University College London (UCL) Museum Wellbeing Wheel and analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Art-based qualitative observation and analysis identified three themes: Museum as Meeting Point, Self Objects, and My Personal Museum. UCL Wellbeing Wheel results showed a statistically significant improvement in psychological well-being (p < .001) before and after participation. Qualitative observations suggest that art objects can have multiple subjective and cultural meanings and therapeutic effects through memory and identity; that this approach helps to reduce practical, psychological, and symbolic barriers to social and cultural participation; and that it can enhance psychological well-being for young adults with severe mental health challenges.
  • Date Issued 2026-09-01
  • Authors
    Chaidemenaki, Loukia | University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
    Vaxevanidi, Despoina
    Papakonstantinou, Erifyli
    Fideropoulou, Spiridoula
  • DOI 10.18848/1835-2014/CGP/A507
  • Language en
  • License CC-BY-4.0
  • Subjects Cultural Accessibility Museum Outreach Museum and Art Therapy Arts in Health Mental Health Issues Art-Objects
  • ÖFOS mit Kunstzweigen
    80% BILDENDE/GESTALTENDE KUNST - Pädagogik / Vermittlung
    20% SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTEN - Psychologie