Hospice collaborates with Cambridge Museum

Patients and their loved ones, from the Living Well Service, recently enjoyed weekly Museum Wellbeing sessions.

The events held in Arthur’s Shed, situated in the Hospice garden, provided an opportunity to explore artefacts from the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology in Cambridge.

Facilitated by Sophie Wakefield, Art Therapist and Life Celebration Coordinator at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Museum Education staff, Rosie and Sarah, patients and loved ones learnt more about the collection together, through touch, conversation and art-making.

Each weekly session had a theme related to an aspect of human experience, for example; ‘Journeys’ ‘Memory’, providing the group with an anchor for discussion. Museum staff brought in a curated selection of artefacts that responded to the week’s theme, and participants then spent some time handling the artefacts.

Sophie explained the reasoning for the sessions:

“Research studies have shown therapeutic object-handling can be an impactful mediator of fears around death and dying, by encouraging connection with our cultural legacies and a sense of continuity.”

Patients fed back that they really enjoyed the interesting and informative sessions and shared:

“It was fantastic to learn about all the different artefacts, spend time with others and to have something amazing to look forward to each week.”

Another added:

“It allowed us to be able to express our feelings in a safe and comfortable space, using artefacts and being able to discuss them and how we feel about how they affect us, with a lovely group of people who opened up.”

Sophie continued:

“We learnt from the museum staff about the origins and stories behind each object, which often led to a rich discussion about participants’ own memories or associations with each object. Later in the session, we encouraged the group to make a creative response with different art materials based on a life experience or memory that connected to the theme.”

Sophie concluded:

“The group members really bonded and engaged with the process and it has been great to see the connections that have grown out of the project, both socially between members of the group and in participant’s ability to recognise the importance of their own life stories. The group have used the space to speak honestly about the losses they are facing and regrets and hopes around what a ‘good death’ might involve.”

The last session culminated in an off-site group visit to the ‘Centre for Material Cultures’ (the museum’s archive) and an exhibition at the Museum on Downing Street in Cambridge.

One participant added:

“The sessions have helped me and my mum start important conversations about clearing things out and getting things to appropriate homes. The trip to the ‘Centre for Material Culture’ was great fun and fascinating!”

In the exhibition showed cased in July 2026, participants displayed one of their own personal artefacts alongside an accompanying story, to encourage conversations about life celebration and legacy amongst the wider public.

Following a successful six week pilot, and completed six sessions in Spring 2026, the programme is due to start its third iteration in July.

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Our ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Our aim being to provide the highest quality care, helping people to make every moment count. You can find out more about how we are funded here: arhc.org.uk/how-we-are-funded.