A free creative workshop exploring 200 years of mental health care comes to The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury this July. Led by Oxford Health Charity with support from a £156,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, the ‘Warneford 200: Mental Health Through the Ages’ session runs on Tuesday 28 July 2026 from 10am to 1pm in the accessible Lock Room.
Participants will examine archival material and produce artwork responding to the history of Warneford Hospital, which opened in July 1826. Only ten tickets remained at the time of writing, and booking is essential. Anne-Marie Cadman, the workshop tutor, will guide service users, hospital staff, and members of the wider community through the creative process. A selection of the work created may be included in future Warneford 200 exhibitions across Oxfordshire.
The Mill is the fifth stop on a year-long touring exhibition that began at the Museum of Oxford in January 2026 and has since visited Headington, Wantage, and Woodstock. Banbury’s hosting window runs from 7 July to 1 August 2026. Dr Jane Freebody, historian of psychiatry and programme advisor, said the bicentenary is “not just a moment to reflect on the past, but a chance to uncover and share untold stories from patients, staff and the wider community.”
Since its founding as one of England’s first charitable asylums, the Warneford has encouraged therapeutic creative activities as part of patient wellbeing and recovery. The hospital, now part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, has evolved from institutional care into modern community-based services. A new therapy garden inspired by 1820s designs has also been built on the hospital grounds as part of the anniversary programme, alongside a theatre production running in the former chapel from 23 June to 4 July.
Tickets for the workshop are free but limited. The Lock Room has step-free access, though attendees should be aware of low ceilings and two pillars in the space. The event recognises the hospital’s long tradition of using creative activities to support mental health, with artwork potentially forming part of the touring exhibition that continues to venues across the county.
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