Our Publications

Evaluations

Here you can find our evaluation reports from our Culture Therapy projects across East Anglia and beyond. We’re really proud of the difference we’re making by combining creativity and heritage, and we hope our work can inspire others to use their heritage assets for the benefit of people’s mental health.

Heritage Linkworker Project:
Final Evaluation Report
(February 2024)

The scope of this evaluation report is the Heritage Linkworker (HLW) Project in Great Yarmouth and Waveney. This report was produced by Make an Impact CIC, who conducted the data collection and data analysis covering the project’s activities. The overall aim of the evaluation was to assess the potential of heritage as a social prescribing tool via the appointment of a Heritage Linkworker.

Archives used creatively benefit mental health

This article considers the use of archives in a creative manner, to improve mental health and well-being.  Researching digitised nineteenth-century asylum case books, Change Minds engages local people and online visitors in the stories it reveals during investigations into local heritage, mental health and identity.

This article by Prof Karen McArdle and our Director, Laura Drysdale, is published in The Journal of the British Records Association.

Burgh Castle Almanac :

Evaluation Report

We’re delighted to publish the final evaluation report of Burgh Castle Almanac, produced by Jane Willis of Willis Newson for ourselves and the Broads Authority.

Change Minds

Evaluation Report

This evaluation and evaluation research undertaken by the University of East Anglia concludes that Change Minds exceeded expectations in terms of its impact on participants, partners and the wider archive and mental health community.

Human Henge: Evaluation Report

We’re delighted to publish Out of Darkness into Light, Human Henge Online, an evaluation report by Jane Willis, Willis Newson.

Research & Reports

Undecided on the difference Culture Therapy can make? Here are some reports on the difference that engagement with heritage can make on individuals wellbeing.

Baring Report

Locating The Self: Paper

Human Henge: Research Report

Conservation for Wellbeing: Research Report

Creativity & mental health activity in heritage settings

A new report by The Restoration Trust, Creatively Minded and Heritage provides an overview of how heritage and arts organisations support people’s mental health and promote community connections.

Books

Here are some recommended books we’ve produced with participants and partners. They reflect the heart of participants’ experiences and are a celebration of their contributions.

Archaeology for Wellbeing at Warham Camp

Later Prehistoric Norfolk Project

Archaeology For Wellbeing At
Arminghall Henge

See the process of delivering the Archaeology for Wellbeing project, plus the stories and volunteers involved with the project in this short book.

NHW Digest

A digest on Nature, Health and Wellbeing

Dr Hills Casebook

This is an Aide Memoire of research into the life and times of Dr Hills, Superintendent of Norfolk County Asylum from 1861 to 1887. Researched and written by Richard Johnson, it is a core text for our new Change Minds project, Dr Hills Casebook.

Dr Hills’ Casebook:
The Anthology

This is the Dr. Hills’ Casebook: The Anthology, a collection of patient case studies, stories and creative responses by members of the Change Minds: Dr Hills’ Casebook community.

Burgh Castle Almanac

Burgh Castle Almanac (BCA) was an archaeology, creativity and wellbeing programme based at Burgh Castle Roman Fort and Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth between 2018 and 2020. It invited local people living with mental health challenges to engage with a local heritage landscape as ‘culture therapy’.

Here are some recommended books we’ve been involved with producing. They are based on the heritage, history and ideas that our projects are built on.

Art Psychotherapy and Innovation