Poetry Helps
The Power of Listening
For 2020, as part of Bristol Poetic City, we have a Writer in Residence: Shagufta K. Iqbal
Her beautiful poem ‘Spectrum’ and social media series launches on World Mental Health Day October 10th. Go to You Tube to be entranced by her poem: https://youtu.be/Fv4XRLmQilE
Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770) is a celebrated young Bristol poet. He died young at 17, of a suspected suicide, his poems went onto influenced many other poets including Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge. In celebration of his work and 250 years after his death. In partnership with Bristol Festival of Ideas we are exploring with Shagufta his legacy funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The poem is inspired by the collection at Glenside Hospital Museum and looks at how we have survived Lockdown, and how we can come together and support the most isolated in our communities in the coming months of uncertainty and local lockdowns and is collaboration with filmmaker Jon Hardy and illustrator Ana Velandia.
We are so thrilled to have our Poet-in-Residence about to start. It has been wonderful to see what Shagufta has been creating during her time with the museum and how our extraordinary collection on mental health care inspires her.
“I am so excited to be selected as a poet for the Glenside Museum residency. The conversations this residency looks to shed a light on, is such an important one. Discussing mental health and wellbeing, (particularly in the last few months) is something we need to stop shying away from. Poetry is a beautiful tool to bring a space of safety to look at healing where we feel most vulnerable. I hope we can bring an honest and hopeful element to our shared stories and truths.
Visit Us
Glenside Hospital Museum is located within the grounds of the old psychiatric hospital housed in the 1881 Grade II listed asylum church. The main hospital building is now used by the University of West of England as their Health and Social Care Campus. We’re in situated in the Grade II listed church just inside the grounds. For more details, including group booking and accessibility, please see our visiting page.
"If you have never been to Glenside Hospital Museum, it is a wonderful museum. It is not gloomy or depressing but fascinating and hopeful. A really progressive institution."
Julie Begen
"A fabulous history of the area, the hospitals, and of approaches to mental health and learning disabilities. An amazing array of artefacts, surgical instruments and ephemera. The staff were really welcoming and knowledgeable. Absolutely loved it!"
Lea Roberts
Contact us about the museum
