SHCG Journal: Engagement, Outreach or Participation?

We are pleased to share that a new journal article by our Community Engagement Curator, Sylvia Keck-Soler, has been published in the Social History in Museums Journal. Titled "Engagement, Outreach or Participation? Reflections on Community Work and Creative Health in London Art Institutions", the article builds on the insights gathered during last year's Feedforward Series on Creative Wellbeing. Sylvia's investigation offers a timely insight into how major London arts organisations navigate the tensions between formal institutional structures and grassroots community care.

Read more about the Feedforward sessions on Creative Wellbeing

Artists from Headway East London pose in front of their paintings in The Curve gallery. Photo: Leon Foggitt, 2023

The article examines the rise of "creative health" as a vital participatory practice, specifically within the context of mental health programming at the Barbican, South London Gallery, the Horniman Museum and Gardens, and Whitechapel Gallery. Sylvia explores the shifting terminology in the sector, distinguishing between "outreach" done for communities and "participation" done with them, while arguing that the museum’s role is evolving from director to mediator. By highlighting the necessity of resource-sharing and diverse curatorial approaches, the text reflects Looking Forward’s ongoing commitment to bridging the gap between London's arts institutions and socially engaged networks.

Hands On Base, Horniman Museum and Gardens. Photo: Joel Knight.

The full article is available in Social History in Museums: Curating Communities (Vol. 49, Autumn 2025), by the Social History Curators Group.

Journal Access: Social History Curators Group