Crafting Wellbeing: Place, Space and Heritage Trish Darcy
Event details
Discover how combining heritage crafting and outdoor natural spaces can offer a powerful way to boost our mental health and resilience.
Trish Darcy of the University of York will draw on the findings from a recent study which explored how archaeologically informed heritage crafting can support wellbeing through connections between people, place and practice. The research found that traditional heritage crafting activities, such as bead making and pottery making, can enhance mental wellbeing by creating opportunities for belonging, purpose, learning and social connection. These benefits were especially strong when heritage crafting took place in meaningful outdoor settings with natural features, where participants felt connected to the natural environment, history, identity and shared cultural memory.
‘The Geometry of Wellbeing: Mapping ancient skills’ is one of a number of events taking place as part of a special edition of YorkTalks. Celebrating University of York’s research at its best, we invite you to explore a dynamic landscape of curated talks, live performances and hands-on activities staged in the historic Heslington Hall and its grounds on the theme Heritage Reframed.
Image credit: The York Experimental Archaeology Research (YEAR) Centre, University of York
About the speaker
Dr Trish Darcy is an Applied Health Researcher in the Mental Health and Addiction Research Group at the University of York, working at the intersection of health, environment and the social sciences. She is interested in understanding how place, community and natural environments can support wellbeing and recovery, with a particular focus on mental health and long-term physical health conditions. Trish’s Festival talk draws on the Craftwell study (Shoesmith et al., 2025).
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