A Lancaster University professor, who worked with refugee survivors of torture, will lead a workshop on
the ‘role of art and place in health and wellbeing’, at the British Academy’s annual Summer Showcase next month.
Professor Emma Rose from Lancaster University will lead workshops entitled ‘Art of Place: Re-imagining landscapes for mental wellbeing’ at the all-day London Showcase on Saturday, 17 June.
The workshops will enable participants the means of creative self-expression, using paint and canvas and
other art materials, to engage with imagined or remembered special places connected to wellbeing.
Professor Rose’s research with refugee survivors of torture, who experience a high prevalence of mental
health disorders, indicates making artworks of special landscapes with positive associations can also
contribute benefits to wellbeing, and processes of recovery.
Participants will explore what places and spaces contribute to their mental wellness, and be encouraged
to represent the landscape, or special place, that evokes positive emotions and memories.
“The British Academy offers a tremendous opportunity to showcase my research providing people with
ways to enhance their mental wellness,” said Professor Rose, who is an academic in the Lancaster
Institute for the Contemporary Arts.
Working with the broader public and internationally foregrounded groups, her research advances
knowledge in how arts can benefit health and wellbeing.
This week the British Academy, the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences,
revealed the full programme of events for its a free festival that brings together leading lights from across
the SHAPE disciplines (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) and big
names from the cultural sphere.
The British Academy will throw open its doors at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace in central London to host
a jam-packed programme of pop-up talks, performances, film screenings, panel discussions and
workshops in the building and adjoining garden.
And for the first time, the Academy will also work with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) on a
series of film screenings.
Offering the chance to hear directly from academics at the forefront of new research in the SHAPE
subjects, the events will be a mix of in-person and online.
Other programme highlights include:
The Legacy of Windrush: In June 1948 the SS Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, bringing hundreds of
young people from the Caribbean. Lisa Anderson, Managing Director of Black Cultural Archives, will chair a discussion with journalist Onyekachi Wambu and British Academy-funded researcher Eleni Lambriou to examine the significance of the 75th anniversary and reflect on how Windrush has been understood and discussed
‘Respect Me, Respect My Name: Names, Identities and Why it Matters to Say People’s Names Correctly’:
British Academy-funded researcher Jane Pilcher (Nottingham Trent University) will lead an interactive
workshop to help us understand the significance of names for people’s identities
Untold Narratives of World War II: Join Historian Diya Gupta, filmmaker Steve Hatton, author Luke
Turner and British Academy-funded researcher Ellen Pilsworth as they explore untold narratives of the
Second World War, from the former Prisoner of War who became an LGBT+ activist, to Indians in service during the war Visitors will have the chance to see parts of the British Academy’s London home, a historic, Grade I-listed building – designed by Georgian architect John Nash – which overlooks the Mall and St James’ Park and is often used as a set for films and TV shows, from Cruella and No Time to Die to The Crown and Sherlock.
Attendees can also view the Academy’s impressive collection of traditional and contemporary British art,
featuring over 100 works from paintings and textiles to ceramics and sculpture by artists including
Barbara Hepworth, Paula Rego and Terry Frost.
All live events will be free to attend and selected events will remain accessible on the British Academy’s
YouTube channel after the Showcase. Booking is recommended.
Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said: “We are truly excited to welcome people
back to the British Academy for our Summer Showcase, which since launching in 2018 has gone from
strength to strength. Sharing some of the most fascinating and dynamic insights and discoveries the
SHAPE disciplines have to offer is without a doubt one of the highlights of our year.”