Introduction

This exhibition guide was commissioned by Mental Health Media, as part of the Testimony project.  It is aimed at community organisations and new arts promoters who would like to use the Testimony archive as a starting point for developing a contemporary art exhibition. 
Testimony started in 1999 as a response to the changing face of the British mental health care system.  In its first phase, the project created an audio-visual record of life within institutions based on the old Victorian model.  As former methods of treatment died away, the life-stories of those who had experienced them could be preserved and recognised as a valid part of the UK’s shared history.  Specially trained interviewers went to film over 50 people from a range of backgrounds to give them a chance to speak from their own perspectives.  This footage is now stored in the Life Story Collection in the British Library Archives.
In its current phase, Testimony aims to draw on this resource to widen awareness of the issues raised in the interviews.  We have commissioned artists and film-makers to create new works that draw attention to the experiences of service users in the last century, showing how such experiences are still relevant today.  These works have been toured around the UK and now form part of an online resource that you can download and use as a starting point to create your own exhibition. 
The Testimony exhibition guide provides accessible and practical advice about the challenges involved in commissioning, exhibiting and promoting visual art exhibitions in small galleries and community venues across the UK. It covers everything you need to know about setting up an exhibition and contains checklists, templates and things to think about.

In the guide:

1. Start to organise your own exhibition 
2. Choose a theme for your exhibition 
3. Finding and commissioning the artists 
4. Find and choose a venue
5. Which audiences 
6. Events, workshops, screenings
7. PR and Marketing