102118/Z/13/Z: Mansions in the Orchard: Space, Architecture and Asylum in the 'Care in the Community' Era

Project Summary:The Mansions in the Orchard project reveals the largely undocumented twentieth-century history of inpatient mental health care. Focusing on the original Art Deco architecture of the Bethlem Royal Hospital, the project will use the building to bring twentieth-century experiences to life. Combining academic research with individual oral histories and photography, this project will bring together historians and mental health staff and service users to create two temporary exhibitions and a permanent local history archive. These resources will contribute to the destigmatisation of mental illness, by addressing the ongoing reality of inpatient treatment in the 'care in the community' era.

Grant Holder:Dr Sarah Chaney

Organisation:Bethlem Art and History Collections Trust

Financial Year:2012/2013