Medical and care heritage can contribute to health and wellbeing in a variety of ways. Inspiring exhibitions or thought-provoking public engagement activities invite contemplation and reflection, while learning and healing can be generated by encounters with hidden histories and marginalized perspectives. Creative approaches include museum visits to hone the observational skills of medical students; touching, drawing, and discussing museum objects to process experiences of illness, disability, or caregiving; and community
curation projects to enrich museum collections and diversify the stories they tell. This workshop will present innovative projects engaging with experiences of illness, diagnosis, and treatment which are breaking the silences surrounding intimate aspects of disease and caregiving and will highlight the benefits for healthcare professionals as well as patients.