‘Thinking outside the box, and making it too’: Piloting an Occupational Therapy Group at an Open-Air Museum

This practice-based paper discusses an approach to an innovative collaborative pilot project between Beamish Museum, The Living Museum of the North, and an Occupational Therapist. The “Men's Group” was developed in response to a growing need in the community for more opportunities for men to engage in activities to help combat isolation and mental and physical health issues. Despite the accumulation of qualitative data which indicated a hugely positive impact upon the well-being of the men who attended, this pilot highlighted deficiencies in previous approaches to evaluate and communicate such findings with others. It has since led to further explorations of more appropriate methodologies and key learning outcomes for both partners involved.