Dr Elinor Cleghorn joined us for the CHMH launch with a public lecture on ‘Medicinal Thinking: Care, Collaboration and Critique in Engagements with Medicine’s Culture and History’
On 12 October 2022, CHMH celebrated its launch with a public lecture by Dr Elinor Cleghorn, feminist cultural historian specialising in women’s health and its histories. Dr Cleghorn’s talk set the tone for the Centre’s ambitions and activities – and was well-attend by members of the University of Kent community and beyond.
Centre of Health and Medical Humanities co-director Stella Bollaki addresses the audience
CHMH co-directors, Dr Stella Bolaki and Dr Dieter Declercq shared: “We were particularly pleased to welcome a variety of people at our launch, from researchers across various disciplines at The University of Kent to health professionals and members of the public. Bringing people together in this way around the theme of arts, humanities and health is one of the core missions of CHMH. And out launch set the tone for ongoing dialogue, exchange and collaboration.”
In Dr Elinor Cleghorn’s words from her lecture:
“Work in the medical humanities, in the many disciplines through which Medicine with a capital M can be expanded and reimagined, is the work of care, collaboration and critique. This work doesn’t stand in opposition to the clinical. It stands in solidarity as the connective tissue between the objective empirical practice of solving the mysteries of the human body and the bloodied intimate pulse of illness as it is lived. Flesh on the bones.”
You can view a recording of the launch event, with Dr Cleghorn’s address in full here:
Dr Elinor Cleghorn delivers her keynote lecture