Create the conditions for wellbeing is one of the Happy Museum Principles – for relevant tools and resources see links below

Why?  Communities who are Learning together, Interacting with each other, Feeling happy, active and worthwhile, Environmentally aware and caring for their surroundings (see our LIFE survey) will have higher levels of wellbeing and be more resilient.

How?  Encourage opportunities for playfulness, creativity, activity, interaction and aesthetics

Seek to understand the importance of wellbeing embracing healthy minds not just bodies, and healthy societies not just individuals. Wellbeing is about more than just smiles or positive emotions but about the quality of our lives and our relationships. Happy Museums should explore how to create the environment for these to flourish. Embody and enhance the Five Ways to Wellbeing as set out by the New Economics Foundation, which can be summarised as Connect; Be Active; Take Notice; Keep Learning and Give.

What?  Explore ways to support and enhance communal wellbeing.

‘Having wellbeing as a goal legitimises bringing ‘enjoyment’ into work and has made me more relaxed in my approach as I accept ‘wellbeing’ as part of everything I do and something I want to incorporate in future projects’ – Happy Museum Commission

Museum Case Studies

Some case studies where this principle was tested out in practice.

• Thematic Case Study – Empowering staff, building external relationships
  This case study is about how encouraging a culture of ‘active citizenship’ – in staff, ...
• Case Study – Museum of East Anglian Life, building social capital and promoting wellbeing.
  This case study looks at how the Museum of East Anglian life reimagined itself as ...
• Case Study – Reading Museum, engaging with vulnerable communities.
  This case study is about how Reading Museum used a community history project to pilot ...
• Case Study – The Lightbox, Woking, community engagement and co-creation.
  This case study is about how members of the community with mental health issues curated ...
• Case Study – Godalming Museum, co-creating a new gallery with local people.
  This case study from Godalming Museum is about how deciding on a community engagement approach ...
• Case Study – Derby Museums, participation, making and well-being
  This case study is about how Derby Museums put community participation and co-production at the ...
• Case Study – Beaney House, prescribing happiness
  This case study is about how The Paper Apothecary, a participative temporary exhibition/activity was co-created ...
• Case Study – Abergavenny Museum, real practice, real impact.
  This case study is about how Abergavenny Museum used Happy Museum funding to test a new ...

Themed Case Studies

Here is a themed case study focusing on this principle.

• Thematic Case Study – Empowering staff, building external relationships
  This case study is about how encouraging a culture of ‘active citizenship’ – in staff, ...

Tools

Some tools you might like to use.

Review for organisations

• Valuation DIY
  Valuation DIY A fun, workshop approach reviewing outcomes by prioritising or valuing outcomes. Valuation DIY is ...
• Observational evaluation
  Observational evaluation An in-gallery approach to predefined indicators of outcomes. Observational evaluation involves researchers observing participants in ...
• Narrative evaluation
  Narrative evaluation A desk work approach to identifying themes including how frequently they recur, by analysing ...
• Embedded evaluation
  Embedded evaluation A variety of in-gallery, open approaches which might be fun, embedded in the exhibition ...