Bloomsbury's Engagement with Madness Explored

Visitors to Charleston in Lewes will have the opportunity to explore two new exhibitions, 'Mad Bloomsbury' and 'On Being Ill', which examine the Bloomsbury group's complex relationship with evolving ideas of madness and illness. 'Mad Bloomsbury' is co-produced with the Mad Heritage Collective and curated by Hazel McMichael, Charleston's Curating Visibility Fellow. This exhibition includes a rare public display of works by Helen Coombe, the artist and long-term institutionalised wife of Roger Fry, and draws on never-before-exhibited works from Charleston's collection.

The exhibitions are shaped by the social model of disability, which suggests that people are disabled by barriers in society rather than by their bodies. 'On Being Ill' marks the centenary of Virginia Woolf's 1926 essay of the same name and brings together modern and contemporary artists who describe illness and disability through their lived experience, using sculpture, gesture, and mark-making. The Cracked installation, developed by the Mad Heritage Collective, is part of the exhibition programme and explores hidden histories of madness in and around the Bloomsbury group.

The Mad Heritage Collective has contributed art and interpretation to 'Mad Bloomsbury', offering a unique perspective on the Bloomsbury group's engagement with madness. The collective's work, along with the exhibitions, highlights the importance of considering disability, neurodiversity, and lived experience in understanding the group's relationship with madness. The exhibitions will run from 4 November 2026 to 11 April 2027, with 'Mad Bloomsbury' and 'On Being Ill' open to the public on Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, 10am to 5pm, at Charleston in Lewes.

The exhibitions are open at Charleston in Lewes, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Tickets are with the button beside the article. Entry to both exhibitions is pay what you can, and visitors are encouraged to pre-book. Step-free access is available to the galleries, making the exhibitions accessible to all. With its unique perspective on the Bloomsbury group's engagement with madness, 'Mad Bloomsbury' and 'On Being Ill' are not to be missed by those interested in the group's history and the social model of disability.

The exhibitions' focus on disability, neurodiversity, and lived experience offers a fresh perspective on the Bloomsbury group's relationship with madness. By exploring the group's engagement with evolving ideas of madness, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural context in which they lived. With its rare public display of works by Helen Coombe and its exploration of hidden histories of madness, 'Mad Bloomsbury' is a significant contribution to the understanding of the Bloomsbury group's complex relationship with madness.