FOMU Antwerp

At FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerpen, Mindfulness in Museums (MiM) contributed to professional development within the European museum sector through a two-day programme of masterclasses on mindfulness in museums.

The programme was organised by FARO — the Flemish Interface Centre for Cultural Heritage, bringing together museum professionals interested in exploring how mindfulness-based approaches can enrich museum practice, visitor engagement, and wellbeing.

Mindfulness in Museums brings mindfulness from clinical and contemplative traditions into museums as public spaces for mental health, reflection and shared humanity.

Mindfulness in Museums and Sector Leadership

The masterclasses were led by Jolien Posthumus, founder of Mindfulness in Museums, whose work bridges the fields of museum practice, mental healthcare and contemplative traditions.

Her approach translates evidence-based mindfulness interventions from healthcare into art-based experiences in museums that support presence, emotional awareness and reflection.

By working with museum professionals, these sessions explored how mindfulness-based approaches can be thoughtfully and responsibly integrated into museum education and programming.

Programme

The two-day programme combined lectures, practical exercises and professional dialogue.

Day 1 — Introduction to Mindfulness

The first day offered a practical introduction to mindfulness within the museum context.

Participants explored:

• the foundations of mindfulness
• differences between mindfulness approaches and museum dialogue methods such as Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
• guided exercises connecting mindfulness with the experience of artworks

The session invited museum professionals to experience mindfulness practices themselves and reflect on their potential within museum settings.

Day 2 — Masterclass: Mindfulness in Museums

The second day offered a deeper exploration of mindfulness-based approaches in museums.

Themes included:

• programmes for young audiences and young adults
• applications within healthcare and care contexts
• the role of music in mindfulness practice
• trauma-sensitive and neuroscience-informed mindfulness in museum environments

The masterclass created space for exchange between museum professionals about how mindfulness-based approaches could be responsibly implemented within their own institutions.

Context

Museums worldwide are increasingly exploring how art experiences can support wellbeing, reflection and mental health.

However, the growing interest in mindfulness also requires careful implementation grounded in research and professional training.

The work of researchers such as Professor Mark Williams, co-developer of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), has played an important role in shaping the scientific foundation of mindfulness practices in healthcare and public contexts.

Mindfulness in Museums builds on these insights to develop responsible, trauma-informed approaches to mindfulness within museum practice.

Impact

Professional training programmes such as this contribute to the growing European movement connecting arts, culture and wellbeing.

By working directly with museum professionals, Mindfulness in Museums supports the development of new practices that allow museums to become spaces that foster reflection, resilience and connection.

Across more than 25 museums internationally, Mindfulness in Museums programmes continue to explore how art experiences can support mental health and broaden our perspective.

Role of Mindfulness in Museums

Mindfulness in Museums contributed to the programme by:

• delivering professional masterclasses for museum professionals
• sharing research and practice on mindfulness in museums
• introducing trauma-sensitive and neuroscience-informed approaches
• supporting dialogue between museum practice and mental health

Partners

FOMU — Fotomuseum Antwerpen
Antwerp — Belgium

FARO — Flemish Interface Centre for Cultural Heritage

Supported by

Erasmus+
The European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport.

Connect with Mindfulness in Museums

Whether you are a museum professional, a mindfulness practitioner, or simply curious — this is your starting point.