Story of Change The Story of Change is a workshop approach to planning and reviewing the difference your group wants to make and how. Using a Story of Change to plan and review is at the heart of measuring what matters. It’s a logical approach which reverse-plans from the difference we are hoping to make […]

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Communities that are LIFE: Learning Interacting Feeling happy, satisfied and worthwhile Environmentally aware are some of the Happy Museum ways of defining the Why – what difference we make. Below are relevant tools and resources. Museum Case Studies Some case studies where this driver was tested out in practice. Themed Case Studies Themed case study focusing on this […]

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This case study looks at how the Museum of East Anglian life reimagined itself as a social enterprise and used appropriate evaluation tools to demonstrate the value of its work. The museum’s success in building social capital and promoting wellbeing inspired the creation of the Happy Museum Project in 2011. Download (pdf): case_study_MEAL

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This case study is about how Reading Museum used a community history project to pilot a new approach to working closely and engaging with communities. The project changed perceptions about several deprived areas of the city and had a positive impact on the participants. A further Happy Museum project Where’s Reading Heading went on to […]

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This case study is about how members of the community with mental health issues curated an exhibition called ‘Landscapes of the Mind’ – and helped The Lightbox to embed a participative way of working and a focus on wellbeing. Download (pdf):

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This case study is about how Derby Museums put community participation and co-production at the heart of its project to refurbish and re-open The Silk Mill. Innovative forms of evaluation were used to demonstrate the positive impact of making on the participants involved. Download (pdf): Case Study – Derby Silk Mill, participation, making and wellbeing

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This case study is about how Bilston Craft Gallery developed an under-used outdoor space. Staff worked with craft experts and local schools to create a regular outdoor creative play sessions for schools and children. Supporting creativity with children and early years is now a core part of Bilston Craft Gallery’s strategy to navigate the new […]

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This case study is about how The Paper Apothecary, a participative temporary exhibition/activity was co-created with local people – in the process helping the Beaney House in Canterbury to successfully re-launch itself and to pilot an effective approach to engaging and working with audiences. Download (pdf): Case Study – Beaney House, prescribing happiness

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This case study is about how Abergavenny Museum used Happy Museum funding to test a new approach to co-curation with local vulnerable young people. The success of the project has led to a new openness to collaboration with local organisations and community members. Download (pdf): Case Study – Abergavenny, real practice, real impact

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