Summary
In March 2025 members and collaborators of the Visual and Material Lab visited Queen’s University in Canada for a three-day workshop on Curating Cultural Heritage for Health Equity and Justice.
In March 2025 members and collaborators of the Visual and Material Lab visited Queen’s University in Canada for a three-day workshop on Curating Cultural Heritage for Health Equity and Justice. Supported by seed funding from the Matariki Network, the workshop is part of a wider partnership project on Curating Cultural Heritage for the Medical and Health Humanities, bringing together researchers from Durham University in the UK, Uppsala University in Sweden, and Queen’s University in Canada.
Delegates visited the Museum of Health Care in Kingston and explored the broader role of museums in connecting communities with health experiences of the past and offering perspectives on pressing health issues today; a particular highlight of the visit was the smudging ceremony led by Dionne Nolan, Indigenous Patient Navigator at Kingston General Hospital. On day two, a full-day symposium showcased object-led health humanities teaching practices from researchers across Ontario and Canada; each panel was introduced by an object from the Museum’s collections. The third day addressed the intersections of incarceration and mental health; we visited the Kingston Penitentiary, Canada’s oldest prison and now a heritage site, and heard from Lisa Guenther and colleagues about the P4W (Prison for Women Memorial Collective). The visit concluded with a discussion in Providence Care, Kingston’s current psychiatric care facility.
With thanks to Rowena McGowan at the Museum of Healthcare, and Jenna Healey, Allison Morehead, Aditi Sen and colleagues at Queen’s University, Canada.
