Roehampton Art Psychotherapy students secure internships with the Courtauld Collection
- Wednesday, April 6, 2022
MA Art Psychotherapy students Danny Kitchener and Isabel Hendley have secured paid internships with the prestigious Courtauld Collection, on their Illuminating Objects programme.
The Illuminating Objects Internship is a focused, interdisciplinary programme offering postgraduates in fields outside of the history of art the chance to select, research and display a rarely seen work of art from the sculpture and decorative arts collections of the Courtauld Gallery. The aim is for each new intern to imprint their perspective on their chosen object, and communicate it to visitors (online and in the physical gallery) through the lens of their discipline. Illuminating Objects interns have come from the fields of anthropology, fashion, product design and engineering, graphic design, theology, science communication and comparative literature, and this is the first internship which is being recruited from the field of mental health. Illuminating Objects is proudly supported by McQueens Flowers Ltd. The project is overseen by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, McQueens Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Courtauld.
Danny Kitchener said: “I’m honoured to have been offered this unique internship at the Courtauld Gallery. When I lived in London, I previously worked at Somerset House Museum, its neighbouring facility, initially as a volunteer supporting exhibitions, and then within the learning department facilitating creative workshops linked to exhibitions. Therefore, I am well versed in how audiences interact with objects in exhibition spaces and how to interpret public responses and develop related workshops. Still, I am looking forward to bringing my experience working within mental health and therapeutic training at Roehampton back to the sites where my Art Therapy journey began.”
Isabel Hendley said: "I am thrilled to be participating in the Illuminating Objects programme. I am really looking forward to the collaborative aspects of the internship and to creatively apply my understanding of art therapeutic theory and practice to the collection."
Dr. Jonathan Isserow, Head of Partnerships and Community Engagement in our School of Psychology said: “We are really delighted that two students from the MA Art Psychotherapy Programme can contribute to the display of this unique collection and promote the intersection between museum prescription, mental health and well-being!”
Find out more about our MA Art Psychotherapy, and our outstanding postgraduate programmes.