Environments and the Health Humanities Conference

The idea for the Health Humanities Consortium was born in 2014 during a final session of an international health humanities conference at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Since that time, we have created a Steering Committee, officers, bylaws, and are applying for our non-profit status; we have supported 4 fantastic conferences. As we neared the 2018 HHC Meeting at Stanford, what became clear was that we had several potential sites for the 2020 conference but nothing for 2019. Did we want to skip a year? Overwhelmingly, we were told that regular attendees did not want to skip. However, being a group with no resources (we do not yet collect dues), finding down payments on conference sites was a barrier. At the Stanford meeting, several members of the Steering Committee talked about having a 2019 “bootstrapped” meeting, meaning one that we all took a part in putting together given the short deadline. We also joked that given the lack of startup funds for the 2019 meeting, that maybe we should crowdfund it.

So here we are, asking for your support.  

We are excited to be working with DePaul University for the 2019 Health Humanities Consortium Meeting which will be held in the historic DePaul Center. Situated in the middle of the heart of one of the world’s great cities, there are opportunities to network, share your work, and continue growing the Consortium. We will also be walking distance from some of the best performing, architectural and visual arts found anywhere in the world—Art Institute of Chicago, theater, Chicago Cultural Center, public art, Harry Washington Library, and much more.  Not to mention that Chicago is one of the food capitals of North America. 

But to do this, we need your help. The HHC and this meeting is in start-up mode and that requires many hands to continue building this incredible community.  Thus, we are asking you, the health humanities scholars, practitioners, artists, educators, and supporters to help us make this meeting a reality. We are getting the space discounted, but we still need to pay for the facilities and AV. We also need to subsidize the cost of food during the event, and we wish to offer an award for the best student paper and help students to attend this remarkable gathering. 

In its generosity, the HHC has agreed that anyone donating $100 or more will receive the first year of dues to the organization (when that is up and going later this year) for free. You can support this meeting at any level. In true start-up thinking, this meeting can only happen with your support. Would you help us to be able to hold a 2019 meeting?  

#HHC2019