Bethlem Royal Hospital Young Cultural Creators

Langley Park School for Girls

Half the students worked with the paintings in the museum.

William Kurelek, The Maze	Marion Patrick, The Cross	Elise Warriner, The Anger Within
Images© Bethlem Art and History Collections Trust

The students examined their own responses to the work, how it made them feel and what they thought the artist was trying to say. They also speculated on what the artist would feel on seeing their work now, when they had recovered and how they would respond to the reactions of present viewers.

Half the students worked with the Victorian photographs and case books.

Photgraphs© Bethlem Art and History Collections Trust

The second group began to develop a character. They also imagined conversations between those in the photographs, and speculated about how they might have interacted and what they might have thought about each other.

We allowed as much flexibility as possible. Their responses could be:

• visual or written

• prose or poetry

• story or dialogue

Whatever they were inspired to do after seeing the collections.

Results:

As part of the project it was important to challenge the prejudice and stereotyping that surrounds mental health. We asked the students for their initial associations with Bethlem…..

Student feedback was very encouraging:

"I think everyone in the school should have a trip to the archives to help everyone realise that the mentally ill are not MAD."

"I used to think that people were called mental because they didn’t know how to think or understand how they feel but now I can see from all this talent that they have the strongest emotions and it is very interesting to see the way they express their thoughts."

"It ’s shown me that theses people are normal people with feelings and sensitivity sort of trapped in their problems."

"I was surprised by the paintings because they are so beautiful."

"I was inspired by the idea of people showing their inner feelings through art."

"I was surprised by the quality of the art work and how much you learn about people through it."

"Very surprising and moving."

"I was inspired by some of the stories the paintings told."

"I am disappointed by the way we judge the mentally ill."

"Surprisingly inspirational."

"I was inspired by the idea of people showing their inner feelings through art."

"Now I want my friends and other people who stereotype to come here and understand how they really feel."

Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College

Following an initial research session at their local library, the students visited Bethlem.  They examined archive material from the nineteenth century and looked at the museum's collection of art relating to mental wellbeing.  Author Sherry Ashworth used these sources and the students' responses as a starting point for developing the students' own work.