#11 Weaving Connections with Louise Thompson

On this episode I’m thrilled to chat with Museum consultant Louise Thompson. Louise’s work has quite literally transformed lives through art. From 2006 to 2024, Louise was the Health and Wellbeing Manager at Manchester Art Gallery, where, she led the development of its creative health programme, growing it from a small seed of an idea into something internationally recognised, impactful, and   widely adopted.

Through collaboration with multiple community partners and agencies, she expanded the Gallery’s reach with dedication and creative vision, working closely with the city’s most vulnerable communities and discovering unique, meaningful ways to engage them with art and collections.

Louise is the creative force behind The Mindful Museum campaign, which helped other museums and galleries embed mindfulness into their programming and working with trauma professionals and people with lived experience she has also led pivotal research into how cultural spaces could become more trauma-informed

Now working as a consultant, Louise continues to support organisations in designing evidence-based, creative approaches to health and wellbeing. 

You can find more about Louise’s research project A Room to Breathe via notes LINK HEREhttps://manchesterartgallery.org/event/room-to-breathe/ -  and there’s still time to experience her wellbeing audio guide at the Liverpool Biennial, running until 14th September 2025. https://www.biennial.com/event/grounded-here-wellbeing-audio-guide/

If you enjoyed this episode please , follow, share, spread the word and look out for more brilliant conversations coming soon. You can find the grateful web on ACAST, spotify, AND apple podcasts, You can also find and follow us on Instagram @the _grateful _web and @jo_clements

This podcast has been made possible with generous support from GMCA Inspire Fund and by an a-n Artists Bursary.

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