A personal perspective from Ailsa Strachan of Manchester Museum This year’s symposium felt different to last year’s. Last year, I was part of a new commission. Everything was new and uncertain and I didn’t really know what to expect. I went to the symposium thinking sustainability wasn’t really related to our project: happiness and wellbeing, […]

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Between 6-8th February, 45 attendees made their way to the beautiful Trafford Hall in Chester for the second Happy Museum symposium. Commissioned projects, speakers, and guests from across the museum, culture and environment sectors came together to discuss issues including related to how museums can foster individual wellbeing, resilience, stronger communities and environmental sustainability. Here, […]

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The word I used when asked to sum up the Happy Museum Symposium on Friday was ‘proud’. However reflecting on it a few days later on a miserable wintry evening, one word seems woefully insufficient. The ideas of active citizenship, resilience and coproduction explored at the symposium are fresh on my lips. I can ‘be […]

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Clive Ardagh of Onward Productions  has put together this great compilation of symposium footage – we hope it gives you a flavour of the event. Happy Museum Symposium 2013 Watch out for Clive’s short film of the Happy Museum Project coming out shortly!

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We will shortly be publishing a full report on the first Happy Museum Symposium held in Suffolk last week – but  in the meantime the following piece by Tony Butler (published on Guardian Cultural Professionals HERE) and the various blogs referenced within are a good starting point to the challenging discussions that took place. Last […]

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