What is Mental Health: Perspectives from Contemporary Art and Medicine

Reforming Anatomy and the RSM Students Committee will bring an exciting evening to the RSM, with drinks, nibbles and an informal, comfortable environment as we explore conceptions of mental health in contemporary art and medicine through lectures, lively interdisciplinary debates and a performance from the Corali Dance Company.

This unique event will bring together leading professionals in the arts and sciences to provide their honest perspectives on dialogues between creativity and healthcare.

The focus will be on assessing two opposing views:

• That levels of creativity are commensurate with risk of suffering from psychological illness;
• That art constitutes an effective mode of treatment for mental health disorders.

Through questioning these two perspectives, we will reach a conclusion on the relationship between the arts, mental wellbeing and holistic clinical practice.

This will be the first of three events in a new series with Reforming Anatomy. All three events will be connected through the central discussion of “What is Health?” considering its mental, social, and physical dimensions. We will explore the intersection of contemporary art and medicine, synthesising science’s investment in objectivity and the arts’ focus on subjectivity to illuminate the conditions of human life. Inspiring a collaborative and engaging atmosphere, the events will consist of dynamic and multifaceted programmes incorporating keynote talks, performances, short film screenings, and contemporary artworks. 

Educational Objectives

• Gain familiarisation and contact with individuals and charities that work in the cutting edge field of arts and health;
• Be able to appreciate the wide scope for creative practice in providing holistic and successful mental health care;
• Value critical thinking and debate to explore the art of clinical practice.