Head, Hand and Heart 2024
John Ruskin believed that the move from hand crafted objects to machine made mass-produced goods during the industrial revolution was detrimental to workers, physically, mentally and emotionally. He thought that industrialisation removed workers from the artistic process and as a result from nature itself. Ruskin felt that this dehumanized the worker and led to a loss of dignity. Ruskin advocated producing art and craft as he thought it brought “the hand, the head and the heart” together, helping to create a more purposeful and fulfilling way of life. This display takes Ruskin’s thinking as inspiration and explores how taking part in creative activities and producing hand crafted objects can improve people’s lives today.
Alongside objects from the Ruskin collection there are artworks made within education and community settings, including Sheffield’s Freeman College. These settings range from educational programmes that use creativity and craftsmanship to develop self-awareness and confidence to artworks created as part of a therapeutic process. This includes projects that utilise creativity to improve mental health and wellbeing such as Combat Stress and Fine Cell Work as well as artworks created by individuals to raise awareness of grief and loss such as the Aids Memorial Quilt and the Yorkshire Speak Their Name Suicide Memorial Quilt
Sheffield Museums would like to thank Combat Stress, Fine Cell Work, Freeman College, Hardwick Hall (National Trust), Yorkshire Speak Their Name Suicide Memorial quilt, The Terrance Higgins Trust and the UK AIDS Memorial quilt partnership for their support in creating this display.
Please visit their websites to find out
more
Combat Stress
Fine Cell Work
Freeman College
Hardwick Hall
nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/peak-district-derbyshire/hardwick
Yorkshire Speak Their Name Suicide Memorial Quilt
facebook.com/yorkshirespeaktheirnameevents
Terrance Higgins Trust
UK AIDS Memorial Quilt
Samaritans UK
Contact Samaritans free – day or night,
365 days a year, visit the website to find your nearest branch.
Phone: 116 123
Terrance Higgins Trust Helpline
Call THT Direct on 0808 802 1221 for support,
advice and information
email us at info@tht.org.uk
The Mix
(25 years and younger)
Information and support services for under 25’s
Phone: 0808 808 4994 (4pm to 11pm daily)
Crisis messenger text service 24/7 85258 or
THEMIX Webchat 0600 to 2300
themix.org.uk/getsupport/speak-to-our-team
Shout
24/7 text service, for anyone in crisis, anywhere, anytime.
Text Shout to 85258
CALM
CALM exists to prevent male suicide
in the UK. The helpline is free, anonymous and confidential.
Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (5pm to midnight)
Papyrus HOPELINEUK
PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide
offers support and advice to young
people who may be at risk of suicide.
Phone: 0800 068 41 41
(Monday-Friday 9.00am to 10.00pm,
Weekends and Bank Holidays 2.00pm to 10.00pm)
Text: 0786 003 9967
Combat Stress Helpline
The helpline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For veterans and their families 0800 138 1619
Serving personnel and their families can call 0800 323 4444