PoW! Events

April 2, 2026

Behind closed doors: The hidden mental health crisis in prisons

On Thursday 7th May UWE programme leader Paul Gavin is hosting a talk. Drawing on research and practice, this session will examine the prevalence of mental health conditions among incarcerated populations, the impact of isolation, overcrowding, and violence, and the systemic barriers to effective care.
January 22, 2026

Victorian patient portraits: a talk with Dr Paul Tobia 19th March 2026

Unlike the sometimes sterile notes of the medics, these photos brought back their humanity, though often pose more questions: What were they like? Can you tell what was wrong with them? Did they like having their photos taken? In this talk, Dr Tobia will discuss how people with psychiatric problems have been portrayed, how photography changed that, and how our asylum used these photographs.
October 6, 2025

Two asylums under one roof: gender differences in Victorian healthcare

On Thursday 20th November our brilliant researcher Dr Paul Tobia will present a thought-provoking talk and discussion, examining how gender shaped experiences of care and control within the asylum. How were men and women treated differently — and what does that tell us about society then and now?
July 31, 2025

Did Victorians believe heavy drinking caused Spontaneous Human Combustion? (A talk on 16th Oct)

In this slightly bizarre talk at Glenside Hospital Museum Dr Pam Lock, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol will share her research on Victorian theories about spontaneous human combustion and how they helped found the new discipline of alcohol medicine.
Paint your own ‘mini brain’
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