A Matter of Life & Death
6—14 May 2017 Woodland by French & Mottershead Photo credit: Paul Blakemore
What does it mean to have a Good Death? Discover Birmingham's new arts & culture festival on the subject of death and dying. Tickets and further information available at BrumYODO.org.uk and macbirmingham.co.uk
#LifeDeathBrum
A Matter of Life & Death 6—14 May 2017
DEATH CAFES What does it mean to have a Good Death? Discover a new arts festival taking place in Birmingham tackling the subject of death and dying. As part of Dying Matters Awareness Week 2017, A Matter of Life and Death will host an eclectic line-up of events, performances, exhibitions and workshops, encouraging creative and cultural reflection and discussion on life, death and everything in-between. The programme offers plenty of opportunity to join the conversation and debate the issues around death and end of life care at panel talks and death cafes. Also discover practical knowledge about how to plan a funeral and find out more about what you can do to help someone cope with dying, death and bereavement.
BrumYODO.org.uk • #LifeDeathBrum @BrumYODO
/BrumYODO
Death Cafes Since 2011, 4,393 death cafes have taken place in 47 countries across the world. At a death cafe, people (often strangers) gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss the big and broad subject that is death. BrumYODO invites you to join us & take part in a discussion group about death, with no agenda, objectives or themes.
Death Cafes will take place at various locations during the festival. Some options are: cafe at mac, hosted by BrumYODO
Please note this is a discussion group, rather than a grief support or a counselling session.
Sun 7 May 3-4.30pm Tue 9 May 3.30-5pm Fri 12 May 11am-12.30pm
www.deathcafe.com
Hot drinks and cake are available to buy from the café at mac, and can be brought up to the room.
Free, booking required
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery hosted by Birmingham Museums Trust
Wed 10 May 12noon-1pm Birmingham Progressive Synagogue hosted by Rabbi Margaret Jacobi
Wed 10 May 2.30pm-4.30pm
MARKET
DEATH DISCO
A Matter of Life and Death Marketplace
Wellbeing & Support Service
Sat 13 May 8.30pm-Midnight mac Birmingham
Sat 13 May & Sun 14 May
Sat 13 May & Sun 14 May 11am-5pm, mac Birmingham
11am-5pm, mac Birmingham
On the penultimate night of the festival, BrumYODO present a night of disco, dancing and death. Join us for a wake like no other, featuring a playlist of your chosen funeral songs. Take to the floor to the sound of your own eulogy and be ‘sent off’ in your own inimitable style. Song requests will be available from our DJ or tweet your requests @BrumYODO. Drinks available from the Arena Bar.
Come and browse our wide variety of stalls, featuring information services from local organisations and a selection of quality handmade products from local artists and makers including ceramics, food, jewellery and craft items. Free, drop in
Need a bit of time-out? Wellbeing staff and volunteers from John Taylor Hospice and St Mary’s Hospice will be on hand to offer support should you want a quiet space to explore any feelings and emotions the event evokes. Simply pop over to the hospice stands and ask to see a member of the wellbeing team who will be on hand.
DANCE LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW
Free, drop in
Free, drop in
TOURS CremaTOURium & Natural Burial Ground Tour Wed 10 May 10am-2pm. Bus pick up from Queen's Ride car park located by mac.
A unique bus tour, taking you on a trip behind the scenes at Redditch Crematourium and then on to the beautiful natural burial ground at Westall Park. The tour will challenge preconceptions of what is possible at a funeral and dispel common myths about cremation and burial. £5.90 / free with own transport, booking via BrumYODO website required. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
Agnihotra Sat 13 May, 11am–12noon & 4pm–5pm mac Birmingham
The Art of Death Tour Wed 10 May 11am-12noon Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham Museums hold objects from across time and across the world that tell the story of death. Join us for a walking tour of the gallery, taking in everything from Roman cremation chests to paintings of poisoning. Free, book by emailing Rosie: Rosie.Barker@birminghammuseums.org.uk
Agnihotra
Cremation in India has historically been based on the principles that underpin the ancient Vedic (‘Hindu’) practice of Agnihotra. This prayer/fire ritual (also known as yajna or homa) is always done after a Vedic funeral. This unique event will demonstrate this ancient practice and will explore its health, spiritual, social and environmental benefits as well as the scientific basis behind it. Outdoor event, please dress accordingly. £3, booking required.
Death & the Maiden Sat 13 May, 4.30pm mac Birmingham
Westall Park Natural Burial Ground
Death & the Maiden seek to capture the relationship between women and death in its entirety. In this illustrated talk, Lucy Coleman Talbot will guide us through time and across cultures to examine how women and death are so closely connected, exploring why so many women are choosing to work with death. £6, booking required.
PERFORMANCES & EXHIBITIONS Dying Matters —Celebrating Life in the Face of Death 6—29 May, mac Birmingham
This exhibition presents 12 photographs selected from the 2016/17 Dying Matters photography competition. Entrants submitted photographs and text to ‘Celebrate Life in the Face of Death’. It is the hope that this work will inspire more people to make advance care plans and to support those who may need it in times of grief and bereavement. Free, drop in
Dead End Job Sat 6 May 3pm, Coffin Works
Drawing on the history of the Coffin Works and the stories of the people that worked there, this specially commissioned interactive performance will give you the chance to discover the sights and sounds of factory life and find out how the Newman Brothers made a living out of dying. Produced by the Coffin Works in partnership with BrumYODO and The Playhouse. £8.50, booking required please book via BrumYODO website.
Hijinx: Meet Fred
Death & Dine
Tue 9 May 8pm, mac Birmingham
Fri 12 May 7.30-8.30pm, mac Birmingham
Meet Fred, the two-foot-tall cloth puppet who fights prejudice every day. He just wants to be a regular guy, part of the real world, to get a job and meet a girl, but when threatened with losing his PLA (Puppetry Living Allowance), Fred’s life begins to spiral out control.
We've all heard the expression "Food is Life" but how does food relate to death? To find out, join Annabel de Vetten of Conjurer's Kitchen for a delectable and delicious evening of deathly facts and food. This event will include tasting samples. All food served is vegetarian.
Contains strong language & puppet nudity. £12 / £10, booking required
£14, booking required
Woodland, French & Mottershead Sat 13 May 1-5pm & Sun 14 May 10.30am-5pm Cannon Hill Park
Experience French & Mottershead’s moving audio art work Woodland, describing your body’s slow fade into the leaf litter of the forest floor. This work connects you deeply to your body, and considers the biological and chemical processes that continue long after you are conscious, as you are gently subsumed by the earth. £8.50, booking required. Time slots every 30 mins, book via BrumYODO website.
FESTIVAL FINALE: The Death Show Sun 14 May 7pm, mac Birmingham
Death. Bit grim, isn’t it? Morbid, macabre and even unmentionable but does it have to be that way? Drawn together by their shared fear of death, ‘thanatophobes’ Lucy Nicholls and Antonia Beck invite you to embark on a journey of discovery, contemplation and courage. Take some time out to celebrate your own mortality, laugh, cry, stick two fingers up at the grim reaper, and discover why talking about death is incredibly life affirming. £10 / £9, booking required
TALKS & DEBATES We Need to Talk About Death Mon 8 May 7.30-8.45pm, mac Birmingham
It’s official – we are all going to die. So why is that we still find it so difficult to talk about death? This engaging discussion will explore a range of aspects around death and dying, including what constitutes a Good Death, why talking about death doesn't bring it closer, and how to plan for one of life’s few inevitabilities. £6, booking required
What’s God Got To Do With It? Thu 11 May, 8-9.15pm, mac Birmingham
What Really Matters at the End of Life? Sat 13 May 2.30-3.45pm, mac Birmingham
People who imagine their own or loved one's death often focus on being comfortable, calm, surrounded by their family and with a sense of completion. In this session our audience and panel will explore what gets in the way of this happening, what a Good Death could look like from an ethical and medical perspective and what we can do to influence our personal and community's future experiences. £6, booking required
Bringing Death Care Home Sun 14 May 1.30-2.30pm, mac Birmingham
Death Cafes
Hosted by Claire Turnham, Chair of the Home Funeral Network UK. Did you know that family and friends can legally care for their own at home when they die and make funeral arrangements themselves? Not so long ago it was the norm to be much more involved when a death happened. Now there is a growing movement to reclaim this art of family and community participation in after-death care and family-led, home funerals. This event will explore; What is a home funeral? What are the benefits? What do we need? Where do we begin? Who can help us?
Throughout the festival we have several death cafes (event locations and timings overleaf and detailed on our website).
£6, booking required.
Please note this is a discussion group, rather than a grief support or a counselling session.
It’s Your Funeral
Compassionate Communities
www.deathcafe.com
Sat 13 May 11am-12.15pm, mac Birmingham
Sun 14 May 4-5pm, mac Birmingham
Hosted by A Natural Undertaking. What is a funeral for? And how have our choices and decisions changed over the years? Come along to our panel discussion and find out what is possible from the traditional send-off to the very newest developments in technology.
Free, booking required
Featuring John Taylor and St Mary’s Hospice chief executives Penny Venables and Tina Swani and community campaigner Tommy Whitelaw, this panel discussion invites you to join the conversation and find out how you can support your family, friends and community. Free, booking required
Artist talk with
An inter-faith discussion on death and French & Mottershead dying. This thought-provoking and stimulating conversation will ask the Sun 14 May 11am, mac Birmingham question ‘What’s God got to do with Join artists French & Mottershead to death?’ This event is an opportunity discuss their work Woodland and share to discuss perspectives on death and your experience and thoughts on death dying with leaders from Birmingham’s and the natural processes of life beyond Buddhist, Christian, Humanist, Islamic, death. Free, booking required Judaist and Sikh communities. We will explore questions such as ‘When it comes to death, are we having a secular crisis?’, ‘How can we cope better with the fear of death and dying?’ and ‘What happens after death?’ £6, booking required
£6, booking required
At a death cafe, people (often strangers) gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss the big and broad subject that is death. BrumYODO invite you to join us and take part in a discussion group about death, with no agenda, objectives or themes.
WORKSHOPS Willow Weaving Workshop
How to Plan a Funeral
Thu 11 May 10am-12noon & 2-4pm, mac Birmingham
Sat 13 May 1-2pm, mac Birmingham
An opportunity to learn how to weave beautiful organic sculptures out of willow. Learn how to make hearts, flowers, fish and experience the therapeutic values of weaving. All materials are included in the ticket price. £11, booking required
Funeral Flowers Workshop Sun 14 May 10-11.30am, mac Birmingham
Hosted by Tuckshop Flowers. Don’t want your name spelled in chrysanthemums at your funeral? Get creative and work with others to explore your collective ideas for naturally beautiful floral tributes to represent the essence of how you’d like your life to be celebrated. We’ll look at the practicalities of working with flowers, and work together to create something lovely from our shared ideas. £10, booking required
Weaving a Willow Coffin Fri 12 May 10.30am-3.30pm mac Birmingham
Lily Willow Coffins will be demonstrating weaving a willow coffin and you're welcome to join in. They specialise in weaving coffins with family members and find the therapeutic value of weaving makes this a uniquely valuable and tender part of saying goodbye. Bring along any materials that are suitable for weaving and you can add them to the coffin.
Sun 14 May 12.30-1.30pm, mac Birmingham
Murmuration Workshop
Artists Jane Thakoordin and Margaret Murray will transform The Hub at mac into a metaphorical murmuration, featuring artworks created by local people of all ages. The murmuration will be made up of a large number of embroidered handkerchiefs, symbolising the act of waving goodbye. This unique installation will commemorate the ways we express our thoughts and feelings about death and dying, and explore how we can create living legacies for those no longer with us but not forgotten. Come and create your own artwork for the display. Free, drop in
£6, booking required
Creative Writing Workshop
Free, drop in
Thu 11 May & Sun 14 May 1.30-4.30pm, mac Birmingham
Hosted by A Natural Underaking. Have you ever thought about your own funeral? Would you prefer to be buried or cremated? What music would you like? And would you like a fancy coffin or a simple shroud? Join us for a surprisingly uplifting, practical workshop to help you think about some of the things that are possible. We can help you create your funeral wishes, and then you can get on with living life to the full!
Art Macabre Death Drawing Salon Sat 13 May 6-8pm, mac Birmingham
London purveyors of ‘death drawing’ invite you to inject a lethal dose of theatricality and fun into sketching from life. Draw models posing as powerful feminine figures. From ancient Hindu goddess Kali – representing destruction and rebirth with her multiple limbs, to Bad Beti – a contemporary skull face with attitude. All levels of drawing confidence welcome! All materials are included. Please note this event may contain nudity. £14, booking required
Birmingham children’s author, Juliet Clare Bell, will lead this workshop exploring how ideas from real life experiences can be used effectively to create fictionalised writing about death and dying. Suitable for both budding and more experienced writers. £8, booking required.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DEATH
FILMS at mac The Death of Mr Lazarescu / Moartea Domnului Lazarescu + Nu Body (short) Sun 7 May 2-5.30pm, Cert. 15
Nu Body by Sonia Sabri Company (short) Exploring the light versus dark, the real versus fairytale versions of female existence. It asks questions: who owns the female body? What is the female experience today? What is womanhood? What is the world teaching our daughters? Why are so many daughters still buried before they get chance to live? The Death of Mr Lazarescu Fabulous, Internationally acclaimed as one of the best films of the past decade, The Death of Mr Lazarescu explores the dire consequences of an ailing medical system in Romania and the one man who bears the brunt of it all.
Bugs: The Film
Departures + The Offering (short)
Mon 8 May 6-7.30pm, Cert. 15
Wed 10 May 5-6.45pm, Cert. 12a
Since the United Nations recommended edible insects as a resource to combat world hunger, they have been heralded for their taste by cooks and gastronomes, for their low ecological impact by environmentalists and for their nutritional content by public health scientists. For the past three years, a team from Copenhagen based Nordic Food Lab has been travelling the world to learn what some of the two billion people who already eat insects have to say.
The Offering by Sima Gonsai (short) Local filmmaker Sima Gonsai explores the emotions felt by a family in mourning and how they use the bond of loved ones, spirituality and creative freedom to reconnect and heal themselves. Departures Loosely based on Coffinman, a memoir by Shinmon Aoki, the film follows a young man who returns to his hometown after a failed career as a cellist and stumbles across work as a nōkanshi — a traditional Japanese ritual mortician.
£9 / £8.10, booking required
£9 / £8.10 concessions, booking required
£9 / £8.10, booking required
Dark Victory
Hilary and Jackie
Tue 9 May 5.30-7.30pm, Cert. PG
Thu 11 May 5-7.15pm, Cert. 15
A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and must decide whether or not she’ll meet her final days with dignity. Starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.
The tragic story of world renowned classic cellist Jacqueline du Pré, as told from the point of view of her sister, flautist Hilary du Pré-Finzi. Starring Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths.
£9 / £8.10, booking required
Life:Moving Exhibition & Talk Sun 14 May, 3–4pm (talk), films screened until 5pm, mac Birmingham
Nu Body by Sonia Sabri Company
An exhibition of films made by participants at John Taylor Hospice. The films were made as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary research project at the University of Birmingham. Its broad aim is to challenge society’s misconceptions about terminal illness, giving those experiencing it the opportunity to tell their stories and bringing these stories to a wider audience. Free, booking required
£9 / £8.10, booking required
Stairway to Heaven (A Matter of Life and Death) + The Dad Project (short) Sun 14 May 2pm, Cert info below. The Dad Project (short) Briony Campbell and her father David, spent the last six months of David's life recording their relationship through photography and video. This led to a short film, far more beautiful than bleak, inviting you to reflect on your own relationships. Cert 14+ Stairway to Heaven (A Matter of Life and Death) A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court. Starring David Niven, Kim Hunter. Cert U £9 / £8.10, booking required
TIMETABLE
#LifeDeathBrum There are so many fantastic people & organisations part of this festival. We'd urge you to visit our website to discover who is involved!
Tickets can be purchased online:
BrumYODO.org.uk & macbirmingham.co.uk at mac in person, or by phone 0121 446 3232
Venue addresses:
Terms and conditions may apply, all event end times are approximate and events may be subject to change. Full event details including age restrictions can be found at the BrumYODO website.
mac Birmingham Cannon Hill Park Birmingham B12 9QH
All details are correct at time of print.
EVENT NAME
TYPE
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Chamberlain Square Birmingham B3 3DH
Coffin Works 13-15 Fleet Street Birmingham B3 1JP
VENUE
DATE
TIME
COST
EVENT NAME
TYPE
VENUE
DATE
TIME
COST
Dying Matters -Photography Exhibition
mac
6—29 May
Throughout
FREE
Artwork
Cafes
See listing
Various
Throughout
FREE
Cannon Hill Park
Sat 13 & Sun 14 May
Sat 1-5, Sun 10.30-5pm
£8.50
Death Cafes
Woodland - Audio Experience
Dead End Job
Performance
Coffin Works
Sat 6 May
3pm
£8.50
Death & Dine
Performance
mac
Fri 12 May
7.30-8.30pm
£14.00
The Death of Mr Lazarescu + Nu Body - short (Cert 15)
Films
mac
Sun 7 May
2-5.30pm
£9 / £8.10
It's Your Funeral
Discussion
mac
Sat 13 May
11am-12.15pm
£6.00
Agnihotra Demonstration
Performance
mac
Sat 13 May
11-12 &4-5pm
£3.00
Bugs: The Film (Cert 15)
Film
mac
Mon 8 May
6-7.30pm
£9 / £8.10
How to Plan a Funeral
Workshop
mac
Sat 13 May
1-2pm
£6.00
We Need to Talk About Death
Discussion
mac
Mon 8 May
7.30-8.45
£6.00
What Really Matters at the End of Life?
Discussion
mac
Sat 13 May
2.30-3.45pm
£6.00
Dark Victory (Cert PG)
Film
mac
Tue 9 May
5.30-7.30pm
£9 / £8.10
Death & The Maiden
Talk
mac
Sat 13 May
4.30pm
£6.00
Hijinx: Meet Fred
Performance
mac
Tue 9 May
8pm
£12/£10
Art Macabre - Drawing
Workshop
mac
Sat 13 May
6-8pm
£14.00
CremaTOURium and Natural Burial Ground Tour
Tour
See listing for full information
Wed 10 May
10am-2pm £5.90 / Free (9am pickup) See listing
Death Disco
Party
mac
Sat 13 May
8.30pm-12am
FREE
Marketplace
Market
mac
11am-5pm
FREE
The Art of Death Tour
Tour
BMAG
Wed 10 May
11am-12noon
FREE
Sat 13 & Sun 14 May
Departures + The Offering - short (Cert 15)
Films
mac
Wed 10 May
5-6.45pm
£9 / £8.10
Wellbeing and Support Service
Support
mac
Sat 13 & Sun 14 May
11am-5pm
FREE
Willow Weaving
Workshop
mac
Thur 11 May
10am-12pm & 2-4pm
£11.00
Funeral Flowers
Workshop
mac
Sun 14 May
10-11.30am
£10.00
French & Mottershead
Talk
mac
Sun 14 May
11am
FREE
Murmuration
Workshop
mac
Thur 11 & Sun 14 May
1.30-4.30pm
FREE
Creative Writing
Workshop
Hilary and Jackie (Cert 15)
Film
mac
Thur 11 May
5-7.15pm
£9 / £8.10
What's God Got To Do With It?
Discussion
mac
Thur 11 & Fri 12 May
8-9.15pm
£6.00
Weaving a Willow Coffin
Workshop
mac
Fri 12 May
10.30am -3.30pm
FREE
mac
Sun 14 May
12.30-1.30pm
£8.00
Bringing Death Care Home Talk
mac
Sun 14 May
1.30-2.30pm
£6.00
Stairway to Heaven + The Dad Project (Cert 14+)
Films
mac
Sun 14 May
2pm
£9 / £8.10
Life:Moving (Talk & films)
Talk, Films
mac
Sun 14 May
3-4pm, 5pm
FREE
Compassionate Communities
Discussion
mac
Sun 14 May
4-5pm
FREE
The Death Show
Performance
mac
Sun 14 May
7pm
£10 / £9
A Matter of Life & Death 6—14 May 2017 A Matter of Life and Death is organised and managed by BrumYODO, a volunteer collective set up with the aim of empowering our communities to have more open and honest conversations about death and dying. BrumYODO is part of a national and international social movement which believes there is such a thing as a Good Death. When we shy away from talking about death and dying we risk creating a society in which we don’t know our choices at end of life. By starting the discussion, we can all explore how or where we would wish to die and what services we need to support us. BrumYODO is a diverse and growing group of local undertakers, celebrants, florists, artists, academics, hospices, palliative care professionals, GPs and arts and heritage organisations. Please visit our website for more information and details on how you can get involved.
BrumYODO.org.uk • #LifeDeathBrum @BrumYODO
/BrumYODO
Design by Kerry Leslie