Mansfield Museum is currently reinterpreting its natural history collection with the help of staff and clients from the Nottinghamshire branch of mental health charity Mind.
An exploration of the animalistic qualities of human behaviour, the exhibition is part of a project called Museum of the Mind and attempts to highlight the possible mental wellbeing for all species through photography, textured art and voice recordings.
Artist Jonathan Annable has worked with participants to produce textured paintings and artworks, photographer Tracey Foster helped the group capture the images for the show, which also features her collection of photographs displaying the similarities in human and animal sentiment.
Alan's painting© the artist
“This exhibition celebrates the museum’s fascinating natural history collection of the most weird and wonderful creatures and explores the connection we have to each of them,” says Project Manager Jayne Lewis. “It also reveals how mental health difficulties can affect any one of us at any given time and how that may manifest itself through physical behaviours.”
It also gives pause for thought and the public a moment to imagine, explore and reflect on mental health issues.
The project is one of five within the East Midlands funded through Museum of the Mind - a Renaissance scheme exploring the benefit that cultural spaces offer adults experiencing mental health challenges.
