£128K awarded to 6 organisations to support mental health through art and heritage initiatives
Today, Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) announces that £128K has been awarded to 6 Scottish organisations through the Creative Minds Fund, thanks to support from The Baring Foundation.
MGS, the national development body for the museum sector, has awarded six grants to museums and partnering organisations through the Creative Minds Fund. Each project aims to use art, music, and heritage as tools to alleviate mental health challenges, foster social connections, and enhance community involvement.
The Creative Minds fund was launched by MGS in 2024, thanks to support from The Baring Foundation. The fund aims to support museums and partnering mental health organisations to create engagement opportunities for people experiencing mental health issues. It focuses on developing inclusive programming, strengthening collaborations between Scottish museums and mental health organisations, and enhancing the museum sector’s confidence and capacity to create more inclusive spaces.
Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said:
“Scotland has a fantastic wealth of museums and galleries throughout the country which have the potential to provide valuable support to individuals experiencing mental health challenges. I am delighted that this funding is helping museums to deliver this important activity, promoting wellbeing and creativity, and fostering cross-sector partnerships.
We’re also pleased to be able to continue offering this fund in our 2025/26 grants programme.”
Susan Grant, Arts Manager at Tonic Arts, NHS Lothian Charity said:
“We are incredibly grateful for this match funding, which will enable us to launch ‘Tonic for the Soul’, an important creative engagement project that will harness the power of our diverse art collection to support the mental wellbeing of NHS Lothian staff. This initiative will not only provide immediate support through these art-based activities but also leave a lasting legacy of resources for staff, patients, and visitors to benefit from for years to come.”
Jane Rowlands, Head of Museum Collections at Glasgow Life said:
“Glasgow Life is incredibly grateful to Museums Galleries Scotland for their Creative Minds funding, supporting our work to creatively connect communities to collections and help them explore the mental health benefits of museums. Working in partnership with SAMH, this project will develop creative workshops with adult mental health groups and deliver a programme of focused staff training to create a good practice guide for museum staff. Funding like this from Museums Galleries Scotland supports the ambition for our museums to be accessible and welcoming spaces for everyone.”
AWARDEE INFORMATION:
University of Stirling Art Collection – £11,978
The University of Stirling Art Collection will use its award to support a pilot project entitled Creative Collaborations: Student’s Art and Wellbeing. A social prescribing programme aimed at university students. Working in collaboration with ArtLink Central over the course of the 2025/26 academic year, the programme will deliver a series of creative workshops using the university’s art collection as inspiration to support students who are experiencing mental health difficulties.
University of Edinburgh – £20,055
University of Edinburgh will work with Prescribe Culture for their Notable Difference project. The 18-month pilot project will offer opportunities to co-design a creative health programme. This programme is centred around collective music-making and is inspired by the musical instrument collection at St Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room and Music Museum. Notable Difference will focus on working with men experiencing mental health issues who are accessing local support services delivered by organisations such as Access to Industry and Change Grow Live (Edinburgh).
Fife Cultural Trust – £22,072
Fife Cultural Trust will partner with NHS Fife’s Psychology Team for their project, Wellbeing at the Museum. The partnering organisations will develop a series of creative workshops and volunteering opportunities based around Fife Cultural Trust’s museum collections. These workshops will be specifically designed for people experiencing anxiety and social isolation and will take place at Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries (DCLG).
Glasgow Life – £25,000
Glasgow Museums will collaborate with SAMH to develop a programme that connects communities with collections and explores the benefits of museums for people experiencing mental health issues. The project will involve working with a visual artist to develop creative workshops with adult mental health groups. As part of the project, Glasgow Museums will also deliver a programme of staff training and develop a good practice guide for museum delivery staff to increase their mental health-focused engagement.
Live Argyll – £24,400
Campbeltown Museum will work with the Kintyre Link Club, a mental health and recovery charity for Live Argyll’s Creative Connections project. Live Argyll will use its existing partnership with CHARTS to offer creative opportunities and experiences for members of the Link Club while raising the profile of the museum as a safe and welcoming space in the Kintyre area. The project will develop the skills and confidence of museum staff in engaging with mental health-focused programming and enable increased access to the museum’s collection by using new interpretive approaches.
Tonic Arts Programme (NHS Lothian Charity) – £25,000
NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts Programme will partner with NHS Lothian’s Staff Psychological Support Services, Occupational Health Service, and Work Well Programme to support health care workers experiencing mental health issues. The project will centre around the Tonic Collection – a diverse art and design collection displayed within NHS Lothian healthcare sites – and will engage staff in art tours, artist sessions, and creative responses. The project aims to develop long-term resources and habits of creative mindfulness.