Sheffield Museums’ Community-Centred Programming: A Model for Well-Being and Inclusion

Sheffield Museums has established itself as a leader in community engagement through innovative programmes designed to support well-being, inclusion, and creativity. With six sites housing collections that tell the stories of Sheffield’s industrial, social, and cultural heritage, the museum’s public programmes play a vital role in fostering connections between people and their city. Two standout initiatives—the Baby-Friendly Art Class and the Memory Café—offer valuable insights into how museums can cater to diverse audiences while addressing contemporary challenges like social isolation and mental health.

Engaging Parents Through Creativity: The Baby-Friendly Art Class

For many new parents, the early months of childcare can feel isolating. Activities designed for young children abound, but there is often little that prioritises the parent’s needs. Recognising this gap, Sheffield Museums created the Baby-Friendly Art Class, a programme that balances mindfulness, creativity, and community-building for parents and carers with babies under 12 months of age.

The concept evolved from the museum’s Feel Good Art Club, a twice-monthly mindful drawing session aimed at relaxation and skill development. Brooke Hayes, Public Programme Coordinator at Sheffield Museums, played a pivotal role in adapting this format for parents. Inspired by her own experiences of maternity leave, Hayes identified a need for a space where parents could focus on themselves while including their babies in a supportive environment.

The class begins with a mindfulness exercise, allowing participants to unwind and centre themselves before diving into an hour of artistic exploration. “We aim to calm and reduce any stress or anxiety attendees may bring with them,” Hayes explained. Soft music creates a tranquil atmosphere, and babies are entertained with mats and toys provided by the museum. Parents use non-messy materials like pencils and charcoal to create artwork inspired by a different theme each session, with guidance from museum staff.

This thoughtful design ensures the sessions are both relaxing and practical. Parents can pause their work to attend to their babies as needed, with staff offering support throughout. Importantly, the classes foster a sense of community among attendees. Many parents stay afterwards to socialise in the museum café or exchange contact details with others, building networks that extend beyond the programme itself.

For many participants, the benefits go beyond artistic skills. “It’s so important for parents to socialise, not just babies,” Hayes noted. The Baby-Friendly Art Class has become a lifeline for parents seeking connection and a creative outlet during what can be a challenging phase of life.

A Safe Haven for Memory Care: The Memory Café

At the other end of the life spectrum, Sheffield Museums’ Memory Café offers a welcoming space for individuals with dementia or memory issues and their carers. Held monthly, these sessions combine social interaction with reminiscence therapy, using objects, images, music, and films from the museum’s collections to spark conversations and evoke memories.

Each session is built around a theme, with participants encouraged to share their own items and stories. Volunteers play a central role, offering consistency and familiarity for regular attendees while providing a warm welcome for newcomers. This approach not only fosters a sense of comfort but also ensures the sessions run smoothly.

According to Hayes, the Memory Café benefits both carers and those with memory issues. “We’ve noticed how our monthly café sessions have a positive impact on carers, giving them an opportunity to connect with others and feel less isolated,” she said. One carer shared how the programme had become a lifeline for him and his wife, who has Alzheimer’s: “It’s not just for her—it’s for me. These cafés remind me that I’m not alone.”

The café’s reminiscence therapy approach, supported by research from Dementia UK, has been shown to improve mental health and well-being. Attendees often leave with a renewed sense of connection and positivity, a testament to the power of cultural engagement in supporting vulnerable groups.

Co-Creating Heritage: The Living Project

Building on the success of the Memory Café, Sheffield Museums launched the Living Project, a co-curation initiative that invites café participants to explore the museum’s collection and contribute to new displays. This programme mirrors a previous project involving young people, who were given access to the museum’s archives to curate their own exhibitions.

For participants with memory issues and their carers, the Living Project provides a unique opportunity to shape the museum’s narrative while deepening their engagement with its collections. Volunteers conduct research on selected items, while participants share personal stories that bring the objects to life. These stories are then incorporated into displays, creating a dynamic link between the museum’s heritage and the lived experiences of its community.

Hayes described the impact of the project: “By offering participants the chance to contribute, we give them a sense of purpose and the opportunity to make decisions. It’s more than an activity—it’s a meaningful way to connect with others and with the museum itself.”

A useful thread running through Sheffield’s programmes is the attention given to the person accompanying someone else. Parents can stop drawing to care for a baby and then return to their own activity; carers at the Memory Café have opportunities to meet others as well as support a loved one. Museums developing comparable sessions can plan for both needs at once, choosing materials that are easy to pause, leaving time to socialise and using familiar volunteers to help returning participants feel at home.

For another approach to bringing social space and museum activities together, see Reunion’s senior-friendly space.

Lessons for the Museum Sector

The success of Sheffield Museums’ Baby-Friendly Art Class and Memory Café lies in their thoughtful design and focus on community well-being. Both programmes demonstrate how museums can leverage their unique resources to address pressing social challenges, from postnatal isolation to the complexities of dementia care.

For museum professionals, these initiatives offer valuable lessons in best practice. Tailoring programmes to specific audience needs, incorporating mindfulness and reminiscence therapy, and fostering opportunities for social connection are all strategies that can be adapted to other settings. Moreover, these programmes highlight the importance of co-creation, empowering participants to take an active role in shaping their experiences.

As cultural institutions navigate their evolving roles in society, Sheffield Museums provides a compelling model for community-centred programming. By prioritising accessibility, inclusivity, and well-being, they have created spaces where people of all ages and stages of life can connect, create, and thrive. For the museum sector, this approach is not only inspiring but essential.