Curious Minds is a mental health wellbeing project, delivered in partnership with Suffolk Libraries and the Association for Suffolk Museums. Its purpose is to support the Primary Care Personalised Care Programme and participation is by referral through Ipswich and East Suffolk Primary Care.
The first programme took place at Stowmarket Library and the Food Museum in Stowmarket, where photographer Gillian Allard and visual artist Alice-Andrea Ewing encouraged participants to explore aspects of the collections using techniques as varied as cyanotype printing, still life painting and digital photography.
“The project introduced participants to new ways of experiencing some of the Museum exhibits,” explained Gillian. “Then there was this spontaneous mixture of our practice as artists and the skills, talents and interests of the participants – it resulted in some very exciting, and surprising, work. It was inspiring to see how their confidence grew and the pleasure they got from talking about their work.”
