The Coffin Tales Roadshow is coming to Kent, Medway and Essex this month with a series of free events that offer creative ways to look at the subject of death and dying.
Dr Julie Hedayioglu, Research Associate at SSPSSR’s Centre for Health Services Studies (and a BPS Chartered Psychologist and Health Psychologist, HCPC Registered) is leading the evaluation of these community events. The aim is to look at the experiences and how people engage with using creative ways of sparking conversations around death, which are known to be beneficial in supporting better choices for end-of-life care.
The Coffin Tales Roadshow, a new series of events funded by Creative Estuary Ideas Lab, gives people the chance to come and look at customs, reflect, and experience traditions around life and death. Each event will have three different workshops led by creative practitioner Natasha Steer, Poet Dan Simpson, and Heritage Scientist/Conservator Dana Goodburn-Brown. There will be investigations into burial artefacts, live cooking workshops relating to funeral food, after dinner games, and creating writing.
Dana Goodburn-Brown said: ‘Some of my favourite and most memorable work is related to the conservation of objects from graves; investigating and sharing stories from our discoveries about the life of the person they belonged to. Finds from graves represent incredible and poignant time capsules revealing the details of ancient lives. It has been my privilege to work with such objects. I rarely get a chance to discuss what these findings mean to people in communities today. It is wonderful to be part of the Coffin Tales Roadshow Team, coming together to focus on what life and death means to us all.’
Dan Simpson said: ‘Poetry is often deployed at significant life events – and, of course, at the end of it: when we come together to celebrate someone who has passed. It is words that outlast us: through stories we tell and lines engraved on gravestones to commemorate the dead. I’m excited to encourage people to write their own words on this topic, and reflect on how to live a meaningful life in the here and now through poetry.’
All are welcome to drop-in events taking place in:
- Chatham: 18.00 – 21.00, Wednesday 20 October, at Dragon Coworking, St George Hotel, 7-8 New Road Avenue, ME4 6BB
- Sittingbourne: 14.00 – 17.00, Tuesday 26 October, at The Forum Shopping Centre
- Southend-on-Sea: 13.00 – 16.00, Thursday 28 October, at Prittlewell Priory, Priory Lodge, Victoria Avenue, SS2 6NB
- and Gravesend: 10.00 – 13.00, Sunday 31 October, at St Andrew’s Art Centre, 19 Royal Pier Road, DA12 2BD
For further information, please contact:coffintalesroadshow@gmail.com
