June 2026: 'Figments: Madness, Health and Creativity' Conference
Published: 23 June 2026
On the 15 June the University of Glasgow hosted the ‘Figments: Madness, Health and Creativity’ conference.
On the 15 June the University of Glasgow hosted the ‘Figments: Madness, Health and Creativity’ conference. The event was a collaborative initiative, organised by Dr Mila Daskalova and Dr Cheryl McGeachan (members of the Medical Humanities Research Centre), Julia Macintosh (Founding Director of the Centre for Mad Culture UK) and Azra Khan (Co-Director of the Centre for Mad Culture UK and leader of the community history project CAPS Oor Mad History). It brought together over 60 attendees from across the UK, Europe, and North America for a day-long exploration of creativity and madness that went beyond biomedical definitions and romanticised representations of mad genius. The panels combined traditional academic presentations with creative performances and personal reflections dedicated to the experience of madness from the nineteenth century to the present. Among the main themes that emerged during presentations and subsequent discussions were the central role of art in expressing and understanding madness when rational comprehension reaches its limits; the importance of lived experience and communities of care in pursuing better outcomes for people with mental health issues; and the ethics of representing madness. During the breaks, attendees could visit interactive displays of artworks and personal archives and stalls of the partnering organisations – Centre for Mad Culture UK and the Oor Mad History.
The conference received funding from the British Academy and the University of Glasgow’s Lord Kelvin / Adam Smith Fellowship.
First published: 23 June 2026