On 18th September 2024 the “Gender and Genre: Medical Humanities and the Moving Image” Symposium was hosted at Durham University.
The event brought together a diverse group of international, interdisciplinary scholars to discuss multiple aspects of the moving image, from social media content to horror films to visual artworks. Attendees heard about exciting collaborative research projects, about personal reflections on film and embodiment, and about the power of visual histories in shaping our present representations.
The day was jointly organised by the Narrative Practices Lab and the Visual and Material Lab in Durham University’s Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities and Linköping University’s Division of Gender Studies, Department of Thematic Studies. The symposium was co-convened by the NPL co-lead Veronica Heney, together with VML lead Fiona Johnstone and Edyta Just from Linköping University. Attended by over 50 people, it brought together scholars in Literary Studies, Art History and Visual Studies, Film Studies, Critical Theory, Feminist Philosophy, Queer and Trans Theory, and Medical Humanities. A wide range of compelling papers offered opportunities for considering how genre can both limit and enable the depiction of illness, and how stories, visual forms, physical experiences, and aesthetic modes can shape our experiences of gender.
Beginning with a panel on ‘Unspeakability, Horror, and Gendered Embodiment’, the day kicked off with papers on cinematographic bodies, negotiating the complex norms of genres from horror films to period dramas. We then heard moving reflections on visual art practices, and how visual artists are mobilising collaboration, uncertainty, and care in a panel on ‘Objects, Borders, Bodies: Artists’ Moving Image’. After a brief break for lunch we were back for a panel on ‘Illness, Experience, and Storytelling’ that crossed time and space to explore narratives of dementia, cancer, and the slow violence of the after-effects of chemical disasters. We finished up with papers exploring madness and mental health across film, television, and TikTok in a panel on ‘Spaces, Norms, and Imaginaries of Madness and Mental Wellbeing’.
The symposium prioritised questions, conversations, sharing ideas and getting to know each other – the whole day was full of lively discussion and everyone left having made lots of new connections. The energy in the room was truly infectious – so much so that a significant contingent made their way to grab a quick bite to eat together before the train home! Feedback complemented the “high quality research papers”, the “extremely welcoming environment” and the “very interesting discussions in a relaxed atmosphere”. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, and everyone who presented – it really felt that this was the beginning of an interesting new space in Medical Humanities, and we can’t wait to see what happens next. We’d also like to thank the Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities who funded the event (and whose Events team led by Arya Ray provided exemplary organisational support), and Durham University’s Global Engagement Grant scheme which funded the research exchange through which the idea for the day was developed.
