In Progress

Hiding in the Pub to Cutting the Cord? Fatherhood and Childbirth in Britain from the 1950s to the Present

Over the last fifty to sixty years, a complete transformation has taken place in the role of fathers in their children’s births. Once considered ‘unmanly’ to take any part in the rituals surrounding childbirth, the presence and participation of men in this major event is now considered essential. As such, men are encouraged to attend ante-natal classes, support their partners throughout pregnancy and beyond, and even cut the umbilical cord once the baby has been born. Likewise, those fathers that fail or refuse to attend are condemned as unsupportive and uninterested husbands and fathers.

War, Memory, Trauma

In light of the major and enduring conflicts that have shaped the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it is unsurprising that memory and trauma have emerged as highly visible, and at times contentious, concepts that are widely invoked by the public, the media, medical professionals and academics. How do service personnel cope with the stress of modern warfare? And how do they remember their experiences on the frontline? This project examining the psychological impact of modern war on servicemen will include a number of public events: a public lecture, poetry reading & exhibition and drop-in object handling sessions at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.

Previously Undertaken

Inside the Irish Giant: History, Science and Art

The Irish Giant by Cartoon de Salvo : Developed in close collaboration with a medical ethicist and a medical historian, this work-in-progress performance plunges its bloody hands into Byrne's history to discover: who owns our bodies - and who should? Are we all just flesh and bone? And how do you live when death is daily shadowing your every step...? Intellectually the production asks important and timeless questions about what it means to be human in the past and present, and of the relationship between science, faith and commerce. Can our belief in the ‘usefulness’ of science justify the disregard of other beliefs and value systems? How ‘valuable’ is human life? A night of theatre making and scientific enquiry started with a chance to see this brand new show as it's being made followed by panel discussions about the impact and themes of the piece; Religion, Science and Commerce & Gigantism, Genetics and History.

Medical History, Immersive Museum Theatre, and ‘The Last Women’

This project centred on a collaboration between the Centre for the History of Medicine and the Coventry-based Triangle theatre company. They worked together on Triangle's new production, 'The Last Women', inspired by the histories of Mary Ball, hanged in Coventry in 1849, and Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain in 1955. The Last Women brought together historical research with improvisational enquiry in a series of formal and informal events and interactions between a company of seven actors, experts, young people, and other members of the public.

Picture: Courtesy of Triangle Theatre

The Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital Project

The closure of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in Coventry City Centre, and the Hospital’s relocation to a new purpose-built ‘super hospital’, marked a significant moment in the history of the NHS and pointed to the changing nature of health care in the UK. Through a programme of activity that took archiving, disseminating, and interacting as its key concerns, the Centre for the History of Medicine at Warwick sought to stimulate public discussion on a variety of issues, including the history of the Hospital, changes to the NHS, and the future role of hospitals and their place in the community.

Sexual Health Awareness Week

Sexual Health Awareness week, the first of its kind on a university campus, explored the changing personal, national and global politics of sexual health, in particular HIV and AIDS, through art, drama, film, research, and critical discussion. It brought together staff, students, witnesses, charities and schools in a wide range of events and projects addressing sexual health.