Oxford Playhouse is delighted to be involved in Outside the Box, a project in collaboration with University of Oxford Gardens Libraries and Museums (GLAM) and the Museum of Oxford, as part of the Reconnect Project.

Funded by the Rothschild Foundation, Outside the Box is a pilot project which provides cultural and creative activities for people who have been referred through social prescription, either through their GPs, link workers or by self-referral.

Outside the Box aimed to improve socialisation and provide creative opportunities for people living with Mild Cognitive Impairment or mild-moderate memory difficulties. The participants were invited to try different creative activities including art, music, drama and dance, and use objects from the Museum of Oxford collection as inspiration.

The project initially ran in Summer 2022 and was then adapted and repeated for an extended period in Summer 2023.

Outside the Box was evaluated under the guidance and support of Dr Anne Ferrey, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Primary Care and both projects in 2022 and 2023 showed a significant improvement in participants’ wellbeing.

This film was commissioned to document the sessions in Summer 2022 to demonstrate impact.

Video credit: Museum of Oxford