Museum Collections and Major Trauma Rehabilitation
Explore how museum collections and Occupational Therapy have helped people reconnect with identity and purpose after major trauma. What can a shell, fossil, textile or ceramic object contribute to someone’s recovery following major trauma? Over eight weeks in summer 2026, Cambridge University Hospitals’ Occupational Therapy Department and the University of Cambridge Museums explored this question through an Occupational Therapy apprentice…
Exploring the therapeutic effect of object handling
In Autumn 2025, the Arthur Rank Hospice invited the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) to deliver a six-week programme of object-handling sessions for outpatients. Sarah Talks and Rosie Croysdale from the MAA Education Team worked alongside Sophie Wakefield, Art Therapist and Life Celebration Coordinator at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC). The sessions took place at Arthur’s Shed, a multipurpose…
Supporting young people with SEND to discover museum jobs
Earlier this year, the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) piloted a new programme of work experience for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Our current programme for young people with SEND offers a broad range of creative opportunities, but it has lacked progression for older participants, especially those transitioning into adulthood and employment. Looking to address these…
