The new Consortium for Arts + Medicine will host its first symposium "Circus Meets Medicine" from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 4 in the Tam Alumni Building on the UNLV campus. The event is free and open to the public.
UNLV emergency medicine resident alumnus Nathan Hollister and local performer Scott McDonald, along with faculty from the School of Integrated Health Sciences and the College of Fine Arts, organized the "Circus Meets Medicine" conference to bridge the gap between the medical and circus communities after noticing a lack of specialized protocols for treating injuries among circus performers compared to professional athletes.
"Circus Meets Medicine brings together performers and healthcare professionals to continue a conversation about the needs of the artistic community and the advancement of research and science," said Hollister. "It brings important stakeholders into the same room so that researchers and those working in healthcare can share the latest advancements and current projects, and performers can share what new or growing concerns they are experiencing."
The conference seeks to educate medical professionals, stimulate research in this field, and aims to provide insights into performers’ unique injury patterns, recovery needs, and ways to refine medical approaches tailored to their demands.
"This year will also act as the launch of the UNLV Consortium of Arts + Medicine, a working group founded on the pillars of research, education, community engagement, healthcare and treatment, and social support," continues Hollister. "The Consortium plans on making UNLV and Las Vegas a central hub for everything regarding the care and wellbeing of performing artists. Las Vegas grew to be the tourist destination it is today thanks to the hard work and excellence of performers, we at the Consortium for Arts + Medicine are honored to be able to give back to this community by raising the bar on how we care for performing artists!"
"The College of Fine Arts is delighted to be collaborating in the exciting work of the new Consortium of Arts + Medicine at UNLV," said College of Fine Arts Dean Nancy Uscher. "There is boundless potential for developing this rich interdisciplinary community, and there is considerable global interest in the myriad ways in which the arts intersect with the medicine and health sectors/professions. The conference Circus Meets Medicine, the inaugural fall event of the Consortium, will explore a range of innovative and powerful ideas with excellent thought leaders leading the way to the future of this creative pathway for society."
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The UNLV College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
