For the first time post-pandemic, Choose Health, a program of South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC), successfully coordinated two in-person visits to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The ROM is a long-standing partner of the Choose Health program. The partnership serves as an innovative means for people to stay active while living with long-term health conditions. Museum exhibits are used to address social isolation and bring together diverse members of the community to discuss topics of power, community-building, storytelling and mental health.
Two groups visited the ROM’s Being and Belonging exhibit on December 8, 2023 and January 5, 2024. The exhibit featured the works of 25 women artists from the broader Islamic world, spanning from West Africa to Southeast Asia. The exhibit addressed complex and contemporary issues faced by women in the Muslim world. Both visits were followed by very engaging discussions amongst group members about the exhibit’s themes of space, movement and power.
Choose Health looks forward to creating more opportunities for in-person programming in the near future. In 2024, Choose Health will continue to engage with community members to offer chronic disease and chronic pain workshop series. The workshops offer mutual support and work towards building participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their health and maintain active and fulfilling lives. Choose Health also provides workshops for caregivers and health literacy professional development opportunities for health care providers. To learn more about Choose Health programs please visit selfmanagementtc.ca.