The Mindscapes approach prioritizes autonomy in the interpretation and promotion of mental health in different cultural contexts, respecting the background of each partner city. It values the “Lived Experience” of individuals, recognizing the diversity of expertise and practices. By exchanging opinions and experiences based on daily life, without being restricted by professional boundaries or experience, and fostering opportunities for communication and understanding, Mindscapes aspires to uncover new insights and ideas that tap into the core of the issue.

Background
Wellcome supports science to solve urgent global health challenges but science cannot do this work alone. Working closely with cultural practitioners - with artists, writers, curators, designers and filmmakers - and bringing people with widely varying disciplinary and professional backgrounds together, we are interested in what we can do together that we couldn’t do alone. By engaging with the specificities of place, language and feeling, Mindscapes illuminates the ways that science will always be profoundly local. We hope it will inspire more culturally-relevant conversations about mental health.

Danielle Olsen (Cultural Partnerships Lead, Wellcome Trust)

It is estimated that worldwide, one in four people experience a “mind” health issue every year. In the field of mental health, where Wellcome focuses its efforts, they strive to deepen scientific understanding of how the brain, body, and environment interact and provide funding for research related to the most common and serious symptoms in mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and mental illness. They tackle this issue holistically by considering scientific, social, and cultural perspectives and prioritizing the discovery of swift and effective solutions.