Advocate! Arts to shine a light on invisible struggles and stigma in medicine: an exhibition curated by students on the intercalated BA in Medical Humanities at the University of Bristol.

Open 11am to 5pm

This collection of artworks has been created and collated by Bristol Medical students who have taken a year away from their medical curriculum to study the humanities.

Threading the Needle aims to trace historical threads in the relationship between women and healthcare cross-culturally, from both patient and practitioner perspectives. By unpicking the problematic histories of the past, we can better understand and recognise how their influence lingers today. Charting this timeline allows us not only to celebrate the strides that have been made but also to reflect on the issues which persist and the work still to be done.

The choice to tie this exhibition together using thread draws upon a recognition of the intersection between traditional socially-constructed female roles and the spaces modern women are now able to aspire towards and succeed in. The line from needlework and women’s craft to surgical suturing is but one example of where we can find the traditionally feminine in a medical world built on the historic exclusion of women. Such powerful images of continuity may help to expand the opportunities for and agency of women in the sphere of healthcare.

Tea and coffee available

All are very welcome