While medical institutions deem the link between the absence of helminths — a type of intestinal worm — in the human microbiome and the rise of autoimmune disorders inconclusive, numerous online communities attest otherwise.
Surveying the world of DIY medicine, in particular the Helminth Therapy Support Facebook Group, Monika Gravagno used digital ethnography and performative research methodologies to explore the potential for active participation in matters of care and self-governance.
Performing Medicine is a participatory performance that challenges the hierarchical and theatrical relations of conventional medicine by drawing attention to the narrative dynamics of medical props, rituals, and languages of authority. The project emphasises the value of subjective experiences of illness to reconsider medicine as a collective effort.
For this event we will show the 7 min short film of the Performing Medicine participatory performance as part of a panel discussion.
We want to engage with communities who often experience barriers to institutional healthcare. Performing medicine shows that the Helminthic Therapy Support Group is part of a growing DIY science movement that advocates for the need of alternative systems of healthcare.
Targeting individuals often underserved by institutional medicine, the aim is to foster systems of care through collaboration, compassion, and empowerment. By challenging hierarchical doctor-patient models and valuing lived experience, the work encourages alternative, complementary approaches to healthcare.
Through this project Monika has observed how the Helminthic Therapy Support Group “performs medicine” by developing ways of managing health that resist dependence on institutionalised medicine and promote self-governance. This approach views medicine as a collective effort, with communities of individuals taking ownership of their health.
These findings do not propose that the Helminthic Therapy Support Group, and more broadly DIY movements, should replace institutionalised medicine. Rather, they suggest that there are other ways of managing medicine that sit alongside mainstream medicine. This raises questions about whether institutionalised medicine could benefit from insights and expansions inspired by DIY approaches. The intended impact of the discussion and film screening is to inspire reflection on current systems, promote community resilience, and demonstrate how personal narratives and collective action can enrich our understanding of care.
If you have any access needs, please let us know in advance so we can do our best to support your participation - contact k.pelen@csm.arts.ac.uk
Book your place for this online event via Eventbrite.
This event is part of Poetics of Care: a festival of Creative Health.
Design by Marcus, Taylor, Eve & Takaya (students of BA Graphic Communication Design)
k.pelen@csm.arts.ac.uk
