BODY WORLDS London and Camden and Islington NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust (C&I) have announced a new partnership to launch Mental Health Matters, an initiative designed to raise awareness, increase understanding and educate the general public on the importance of mental health.
To highlight Mental Health Awareness Week (13 – 19 May), BODY WORLDS London and C&I are launching a range of activities, talks and installations within the museum throughout the month of May, all centred around three different but equally important components of the human body: Mind, Body and Soul. It kicks off with the Mental Health Matters Trail, an interactive guide to understanding mental health and the impact it has on your physical health, that runs throughout the museum.
Exploring everything from mindfulness and the dangers of screen time, to body image and office ‘burn out’, the Mental Health Matters Trail works alongside the exhibition, which looks at the strain of modern life and the impact it has on the human body, and encourages visitors to delve even deeper into the anatomical journey BODY WORLDS London offers, using over 200 real ‘plastinated’ bodies and body parts, all donated to be preserved by Dr Gunther von Hagens’ plastination process.
Peter Tabernal, CEO of BODY WORLDS London said, “We are incredibly proud to be collaborating with the C&I NHS Trust on such an important subject. Physical and mental health are intrinsically linked, and we are passionate about opening up the conversation and raising awareness on how best to look after our minds, bodies and souls. Mental health affects everybody – young and old, from every generation, from every walk of life – and we need to break the taboo and embrace talking about it. We share the same values as the C&I NHS Trust; respecting our bodies and understanding the need to look after both our physical and mental wellbeing in order to fully nurture ourselves.”
C&I Medical Director, Dr. Vincent Kirchner said, “Everyone has mental health – good or not so good – and we are delighted to be partnering with Body Worlds to highlight what each of us can do to improve it. It is wonderful that more people are speaking out openly about their mental health difficulties without fear of being judged and that they are more open to listening to others do the same. We hope our partnership with Body Worlds will continue that revolution and eliminate for good the stigma around mental health difficulties and highlight the importance of enhancing our wellbeing.”
