Manicómio - The MadHouse

Manicómio is a creative and artistic innovation space in Lisbon, founded in 2018. With multiple projects intersecting art, creativity, social transformation, and mental health, the core of Manicómio is contemporary artists and creatives with mental illness often excluded due to the stigma surrounding mental health in society.

Born from over 20 years of experience in psychiatric hospitals and the art world initially through the P28 association Manicómio was created as a distinct project beyond hospital walls and limiting perspectives. Located in central Lisbon, outside psychiatric institutions, our studio and gallery share space with other creative professionals, making it impossible to tell who has a mental illness. This reflects our belief in blending, valuing, normalizing, and accepting madness. Manicómio became Portugal’s first studio and gallery dedicated to both raw and contemporary art, hosting 12 resident artists. They are offered creative freedom, artistic representation, and support in sales, exhibitions, and collaborations.

From this artistic base, we’ve developed:

The Agência: the world’s first design and communication agency run by creatives with mental illness; Consultas sem Paredes: mental health consultations in artistic and unconventional spaces, improving access to psychiatric, psychological, and psychotherapeutic services;

Nós os Loucos: immersive drawing studios in psychiatric units, with training in mental health innovation, recovery, and human rights;

Humans of Manicómio: a “dysfunction agency” offering consultancy, training, and advocacy in art, mental health, human rights, and employment.

Our goals include:

• Promoting and professionalizing artists with mental illness to enhance their economic inclusion, autonomy, and wellbeing;

• Raising awareness and normalizing mental health topics, bringing the issue beyond psychiatry and hospitals into the community;

• Influencing better public and private policies affecting those with mental illness and society at large;

• Empowering health professionals and public leaders with more human-centered approaches.