Bringing together an artist, scientists, clinicians and people with lived experience to explore xerostomia

Welcome to Dry Mouth Dialogues

An interdisciplinary symposium exploring art, science and care in xerostomia

Dry Mouth Dialogues is a unique artist-led symposium that brings together world-leading scientists, clinicians and an artist working in medicine to explore one of the most overlooked conditions in healthcare.

Dry mouth (xerostomia) affects millions of people worldwide. More than simply a lack of saliva, it can have a profound impact on eating, speaking, sleeping, oral health, relationships and quality of life. Yet despite advances in research and clinical care, the lived experience of dry mouth often remains invisible.

This symposium creates a rare opportunity for artistic practice, scientific research, clinical expertise and lived experience to come together in conversation. Rather than presenting these perspectives separately, Dry Mouth Dialogues places them alongside one another as equally valuable ways of understanding the condition.

Led by artist Emma Barnard MA (RCA), whose Arts Council England-funded research explores the lived experience of dry mouth, the symposium invites audiences to consider how art can make invisible health conditions visible, deepen understanding, and encourage new ways of thinking about healthcare.

Through keynote talks, discussion and audience participation, the symposium will explore the biology of the salivary glands, advances in diagnosis and treatment, the realities of living with xerostomia, and the role of artistic practice in communicating experiences that are often difficult to express.

Whether you are living with dry mouth, researching it, treating it or encountering it for the first time, we warmly invite you to join the conversation.

Who should attend?

This symposium is open to anyone interested in the relationship between art, science and healthcare, including:

People living with dry mouth or Sjögren's syndrome

Healthcare professionals

Scientists and researchers

Artists and creative practitioners

Students

Carers, family members and members of the public

No specialist knowledge is required.

Event format

Welcome and introduction

Speaker presentations

Panel discussion

Audience Q&A

Informal networking

Accessibility

We are committed to making this event as accessible and welcoming as possible. If you have any access requirements, please let us know when booking and we will do everything we can to support your attendance.

Address:

18th Floor

Guy’s Tower Wing

Guy’s Hospital

Great Maze Pond

SE1 9RT

Artwork (2nd Image) © Zib Baines

Description supplied by the event organiser.