Artfulness

Can we as an art museum help boost young people’s mental wellbeing?

This is an area we are currently exploring through our Artfulness course for 6th grader.

Artfulness is a sensory art cource that that forges new ways to achieve mental wellbeing through immersion, presence and ‘slow-loooking’, so that the pupils become aware of both their own and the class community’s wellbeing through thier encounter with art. The Artfulness course teaches pupils to use their senses, trust their perceptions and activate their body's intelligence. The idea is to use this information as a way to learn about art, themselves, their community and ways to better wellbeing. The Artfulness course runs for 15 hours split over 5 sessions, and concentrates on a single artwork. It takes place at school, at the museum and outdoors in the museum park.

The Artfulness course combines sustainability with art education, and builds on The 9 inner sustainability goals. Artfulness invites pupils to use art as a means to increase their awareness of both their own and the class community's wellbeing. We believe that when pupils thrive, they are able to broaden their perspectives, contribute to the common good and take action in a complex world.

Artfulness is part of the Kunstkraft project, a collaboration between five art museums - Kunsten, The Nivaagaard Collection, Brandts, Louisiana and Trapholt - and researchers from the Center for Youth Research at Aalborg University with support from the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces. Throughout 2024, the five art museums will be launching a series of initiatives to explore how different artistic methods can boost young people’s wellbeing.

Read more in the press release Five art museums join forces to support young people’s wellbeing here