Therapeutic taskscapes and craft geography: cultivating well-being and atmospheres of recovery in the workshop

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper presents empirical material drawn from a participatory ‘apprentice ethnographic’ research project examining the everyday geographies of a recovery-oriented wood workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland. It addresses two key literature gaps in human geography: firstly, empirically developing the concept of atmosphere within therapeutic landscapes research, and, secondly, exploring the notion of well-being in spaces of craft. The paper develops a more enlivened understanding of well-being as a dynamic and emplaced process, with the study’s methodological approach allowing the researcher to focus less on the individual psychological attributes of participants and more on the spatial aspects of journeys towards recovery and well-being. The paper highlights how ‘atmospheres of care’ are tentatively co-constructed and maintained in the taskscape of the workshop, creating a liminal space of recovery and transition. It concludes with implications for the wider study of social and ethical economic enterprises and institutions of care.