Manhandling the brain: Psychiatric Neurosurgery in the Mid-20th Century

Date: Tuesday 5 July, 5 pm
Speaker: Dr Ken Barrett

Speaker biography:

Ken Barrett  was an NHS neuropsychiatrist before migrating to the art world via an MA in contemporary visual art.  Earlier in his career he obtained a doctorate in psychophysiology and held academic posts in Bristol and Keele. 

His current work is also research based and has been exhibited in a variety of settings including cathedrals, galleries and museums.

Brief summary of the lecture:

2016 marks 75 years since the first UK pre-frontal leucotomy, a procedure introduced in Portugal in 1935. Over the next 30 years 70,000 people with psychiatric problems were operated on.

This presentation, and the linked art and archive installation in Queen Square Library (until 22nd September 2016) explores these events, alongside their healthcare and academic context.