In May 2026, the Arts in Health team and participants were hosted to an insightful, guided tour of the “Wes Anderson: The Archives” exhibition. The archives provided a glimpse into the creative process and evolution of the American filmmaker through imaginative curation of the puppets, music, and outfits featured in his films. 

The tour began in a display showing the beginnings of Anderson’s journey from a writer to filmmaker in his university days. There were numerous notebooks, polaroids, and hand drawn storyboards showcasing all the work that took place behind the scenes to complete his first short film “Bottle Rocket” in the early 90s. It was interesting to see how he continued to grow and work with many of the collaborators he met at university. 

From this section, we began to see Anderson’s shift into feature films. The participants and team reminisced and shared their own memories connected to the time that Anderson’s first feature films were released.  Familial themes noticeably became ingrained into his work, such as with “The Royal Tenenbaums”. Puppets and stop motion were also a key part of Anderson’s work; the adaption of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” as a notable example. The group were stunned at how their designs continued to evolve despite the rise of CGI. The colour palettes and costume design were also a standout aspect of Anderson’s work. It was incredible to see the pieces that came from collaborations with major fashion houses, such as Louis Vuitton and Prada.  

To close the visit, the group had a relaxing lino printing workshop inspired by different pieces of the exhibition. We want to thank the Design Museum for hosting us for such an insightful tour and relaxing workshop. 

If you are interested in hearing more about the work of Arts in Health, please do not hesitate to contact our team. You can email us on cnwlartsinhealth@nhs.net or visit our website.