Culture-led wellbeing: investigating the changing skills of the cultural workforce

This project will examine the emerging professional practice of culture-led wellbeing. GLAM has an established portfolio of innovative health and wellbeing programmes embedded in strategic plans, using collections from across its venues (Bodleian Libraries, Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, Ashmolean Museum, History of Science Museum, Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum). This collaborative PhD will work with GLAM staff to support this activity, and the aims of the research are:
- To conduct an in-depth exploration of GLAM staff views on their emerging roles and skill sets in relation to health and wellbeing activity.
- To produce recommendations for organisational change for cultural organisations seeking to embed this practice.
- To develop training for the cultural, heritage and healthcare sectors for wellbeing-focused practice and careers.

The research aims to explore the following questions:
1) How do cultural and heritage sector professionals view their emerging roles in relation to health and wellbeing activity?
2a) What knowledge, skills and competencies are viewed as critical for this practice?
2b) How can theories from professional social care and healthcare (or other disciplines) help to define this practice?
3) How do these skills map onto engagement with different types of collections?
4) What organisational structures are required to support this work?
5) What are the wider implications for organisational change in the cultural sector?