About this event

Join us for the next instalment of our Political Mind series, with speaker Jonathan Sklar. 

This seminar examines the devastating bombing of Dresden at the end of the Second World War in relation to contemporary forms of violence. Using music as a lens, it explores the psychic dimensions of violence, including the role of sadomasochism in sustaining totalitarian regimes, with reference to current global conflicts.

Drawing on Winnicott’s concept of holding, the discussion considers themes of care and its absence through cultural and musical works, including Schubert and Shostakovich, whose compositions reflect life under political terror. The seminar also addresses the limits of representation in the face of extreme trauma, such as Auschwitz.

Finally, it reflects on the relevance of these questions today, in the context of climate crisis, rising authoritarianism, and social fragmentation, with particular attention to their impact on adolescents, and asks what psychoanalysis can offer in response.

The ghosts of the past are coming back to haunt us. 

What is your wish, my child?
From me and the magic hat,
the magic lamp, the magic stick,
the trick, the shoes, whatever:
A dress? A prince? A horse?

M. Atwood, Venice Biennale 202

Speaker: Jonothan Sklar

Jonothan Sklar is an Independent Training Analyst of the British Psychoanalytical Society (BPAS) and a psychoanalyst in private practice since 1984. He is a former Consultant Psychotherapist and Head of Department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.

He has held a number of senior international roles, including Vice President of the European Psychoanalytic Federation and Board Member of the International Psychoanalytical Association. He has taught widely for many years, particularly in Eastern Europe, as well as in Chicago and South Africa.

Jonothan Sklar is the author of several books, including Landscapes of the Dark: History, Trauma, Psychoanalysis (Karnac, 2011), Balint Matters: Psychosomatics and the Art of Assessment (Karnac, 2017), and Dark Times: Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Politics, History and Mourning (Phoenix Press, 2018).

Please note: This event will be recorded, and available to registered participants for 1 week.

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Concession tickets are available, for students, BPAS candidates and NHS trainees. Please email [email protected] if you are unsure if you qualify for a concession ticket.

Views and opinions expressed by speakers are their own and do not represent the views or opinions of the Institute, event organisers or other speakers. We expect delegates to respect the confidentiality of clinical material discussed in our events. The content must not be recorded, conveyed or disseminated in any format and participants must not share access to the event with non-registered participants.