Health and wellbeing

Firstsite Colchester has won £100,000 and the title of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021.

The art gallery, which celebrates its 10th birthday this month, has transformed since losing its National Portfolio Organisation status in 2015. The prize's judges lauded the centre for its relationships with artists and efforts in the community. 

During the pandemic, it loaned its building to neighbouring charity Community 360 to run a food bank and created activity packs that were downloaded by more than 92,000 households.

The centre has recently hosted exhibitions My name is not Refugee, curated by clients of Refugee Action Colchester, and Art For Life, comissioned by NHS key workers to aid understanding of the impact of Covid-19 on mental health.

"At their core is powerful, engaged contemporary art, housed in a gallery that gives space for everyone, from artists to NHS staff to local families and refugee groups. They exceeded all our expectations," Art Fund director Jenny Waldman said.

The four other shortlisted finalists - Centre for Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry, Experience Barnsley, Thackray Museum of Medicine and Timespan - each received £15,000.

Patients diagnosed with Covid-related stress in Brussels are being prescribed free visits to museums and galleries.

Doctors at Brugmman Hospital are offering visits to five publicly owned sites across the Belgian capital, including its centre for contemporary art, a fashion museum and a museum of the city's sewage system.

“It has been shown that art can be beneficial for health, both mental and physical,” Brussels' City Councillor for Tourism Delphine Houba said.

The idea forms part of a three-month pilot scheme designed to bolster mental health during the pandemic.

Inspiration has come from a similar programme in Quebec, Canada, where doctors prescribe up to 50 museum visits a year per patient.