Photograph of an exhibition gallery wall, square on. The wall is a light pink colour and contains a central panel which is set forward from the way, upon which a large colourful old painting is hung. The painting depicts a family portrait with a mother figure a father figure and a young child. At the base of the wall, under the painting is a low white barrier to prevent visitors from getting too close. In front of the painting, standing with their backs to the camera are 3 young people looking at the painting. One stands alone on the left hand side and the other 2 stand together on the right. Either side of the main painting, further small pen and ink artworks can be seen, framed in brown wooden frames.
  • Season

On Happiness

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From serenity to ecstasy, contentment to awe, happiness encompasses many different positive feelings. What it means to be happy has preoccupied thinkers throughout history, and each of us has our own ways of feeling good. On Happiness is a season of free events, activities and two exhibitions – Joy and Tranquillity – which celebrate the complexity of positive emotions and invite you to explore the big questions.

What links our emotional and physical health? How have people, today and in the past, tried to experience happiness? Who gets to define what makes a ‘happy life’ and why? And in difficult times can joy help us navigate adversity?

In our venue and online, enjoy multi-sensory artworks and historic artefacts, and see how cultural, scientific and spiritual perspectives on happiness compare with your own point of view. On Happiness offers an opportunity to rethink and reclaim happiness for our world today. 

  • Exhibition

Joy

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Past
  • Installation

Viscera

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Past
  • Exhibition

Tranquillity

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Past
  • Discussion

Happiness, A Mystery

Online
Available to watch

Part of Library Insights

  • Auto-captioned
  • Workshop

Choreographing joy

Online
Past

Part of Dance the pain away

  • British Sign Language (online)
  • Discussion

Social dance and traumatic histories

Online
Past

Part of Dance the pain away

  • British Sign Language (online)
  • Auto-captioned
  • Limited audio description
  • Discussion

Harold Offeh in conversation

Online
Available to watch

Part of Dance the pain away

  • British Sign Language (online)
  • Auto-captioned
  • Limited audio description
  • Discussion

Curating happiness

Online
Available to watch
  • British Sign Language (online)
  • Speech-to-text
  • Limited audio description
  • Book extract

The meaning of happiness

What is happiness? Tiffany Watt Smith charts how its definition has changed over time, from chance emotion to something that can be measured and controlled.

Part of Inside our books
  • Book extract

Solving the mystery of how to be happy

Crime writer Sophie Hannah thinks she might be too happy. Worried she’s using her happiness as an excuse to avoid a big work problem, she turns to a life coach for help.

Part of Inside our books
  • Article

How to be poor and happy

Money, security, self-sufficiency and charitable giving have long been linked to happiness. But what if you’re working class?

  • Serial

The happiness quest

When will we find happiness? In this six-part serial, Kate Wilkinson pursues our experiences at different times in our lives, and asks whether happiness is the ultimate goal of our lives.

  • Serial

How to be human

Writer, artist and cartoonist Gemma Correll considers emotions, relaxation and the tricky business of being human.

  • Serial

Aspects of joy

What do we mean by joy? Is there more to it than fleeting sensations of pleasure or wellbeing? In this series of articles, we consider this elusive emotion by exploring different aspects of joy.

  • Serial

Ace joy

In this comic focusing on asexuality, Katie Green illustrates the queer joy of viewing one’s orientation – and oneself – as complete and whole.

  • Serial

Feeling through nature

Five writers explore the connection between the natural world and wellbeing. Nature here proves to be anything but a straightforward solace: instead it is a place of mixed and unexpected emotions.

  • Serial

Licence to happiness

Queer zine-maker Holly Casio explores the perennial pursuit of happiness.

  • Serial

Hello Happiness

What is happiness? In this five-part podcast, broadcaster and journalist Bidisha and guest presenter Moya Lothian-Mclean invite their guest speakers to explore the meaning of positive emotions, rising from hope and joy to tranquillity and resolve, all the way to ecstasy and euphoria.

  • Installation

Regarding Forests touring exhibition

In this peaceful and restorative installation in St Bartholomew’s Hospital's North Wing, artist Chrystel Lebas offers staff, patients and the public an immersive experience of the rainforest.

  • Film

Who Wants To Be Happy?

Exploring the question of happiness with artist Jamie Hale and experts from different fields.

  • Film

Joy is a protest

Who defines happiness and on what terms? This short film explores acts of kindness and positive activism. An accompanying zine features interviews, artworks, poems and illustrations.

  • Art commission

Updating Happiness

An emotional check-in device by poetic data designer Stefanie Posavec. Complete a questionnaire and in return receive your own uniquely designed quote.

Peace as Pastime DJ mix

This two-hour music mix is inspired by the way durational dance and improvisational music can soften our wounds.