Medicine and the Arts are often viewed as opposite ends of a spectrum, although both are ever-changing and possess the ability to heal. This session will explore the perfect convergence when medicine meets arts. Look into the minds of doctors who experienced medical traumas and patients who have been exposed to pain everyday, witness how they use art to express their inner emotions in the most tangible form. Join us to listen to and appreciate art as a form of self-expression and healing from doctors’ and patients’ perspectives. Perhaps you just need that little push to be your own kind of artist.
Speakers:
Dr Jennifer Harrison
Dr Jennifer Harrison is a child psychiatrist and contemporary Australian poet based in Melbourne. Dr Harrison has published eight poetry collections since 1994 and has received the Christopher Brennan Award for her sustained contribution to Australian poetry. Additionally, she founded and manages The Dax Poetry Collection at Dax Centre located at the University of Melbourne, which aims to educate audiences on understanding of the mind, mental illness and psychological trauma though poetry and its creativity. Concurrently, she is the secretary of the World Psychiatry Association Arts Section.
Dr Catherine Crock
Dr Catherine Crock is currently a physician at the Royal Children’s Hospital and the founder of Hush Foundation, which aims to transform healthcare culture through Arts. With three theatrical plays about health care and sixteen musical albums, Hush Foundation has created a hospital environment that is less stressful and more tolerable for young children undergoing treatments. Additionally, she also co-founded the Gathering of Kindness, a research project that aims to nurture and instil a culture of kindness throughout the healthcare system.