An exploration of death and dying

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Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th November 2018

why?


We have a vision of a death-friendly society in which death is shared and understood and the lives of those who have died are celebrated







what?

A passage of remembrance

Cafe

Practical guidance on end of life services 

Bereavement support

Contemplative spaces 

Death Cafe/Grave Talk

Light and sound installations

Performances

where?


St John's Church 

The High St

Glastonbury Somerset 

BA6 9JK








FREE event

What's On

everyone's invited

Our aim is to create a truly inclusive, non-religious festival for young, old, bereaved, curious, people of all faiths and no faith. We all share death and dying whatever we believe or wherever we come from

to a beautiful space

St John's Glastonbury have kindly agreed to host the festival. The church will be lit up by the internationally renowned visual artist Bruce Munro and stewarded by the church's dedicated bereavement team

to remember those who have died

Inside the church there will be a passage of remembrance. A circuit where you can bring someone you have loved who has died, put up a photo, leave a message on message tree and light a candle

reflect on death

There will be quiet spaces to reflect while listening to sound installations on death: how other cultures remember their dead, poetry and songs that 'tend death and dying'.  The Death Cafe/Grave Talk forums in the afternoon will be a chance to share thoughts, views and experiences

be inspired

Concerts will take place on both nights, Saturday featuring Górecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs - an extraordinary meditation on loss and transcendence, performed by Army of Generals and The British Paraorchestra, conducted by Charles Hazlewood with globally celebrated singer Charlotte Church

be informed

Find out everything you need to know about death and dying from our dedicated information team so that you know what to do when the time comes however far or close that is for you or your loved ones

why do we need a festival of death and dying?

be part of a gentle revolution

Drop in and remember those who have died by tracing the passage of remembrance, or come and soak up the atmosphere or sit in quiet reflection. If you feel like it, you can while away an hour or an afternoon in the cafe that will be providing delicious cakes and real coffee and where everyone's up for talking about death, or join in a discussion forum or come to the one of the wonderful concerts. 


If you've been bereaved or if you haven't, we all share death or will do one day so let's get together and build a death-friendly society, starting right here in the heart of Somerset.

Bring your loved ones who have died

Bring a picture

Bring a photo (copies please no originals we'd hate you to lose something precious) and put it up on our wall of remembrance

Leave a message

Trees of remembrance will receive your message which you tie onto it's branches while music 'that tends to grief' from around the world  plays in the background

Light a candle

Light a candle for the person or people you are remembering and spend a while sitting and listening to specially recorded voices reading poetry and reflecting on death and it's meaning in their life and culture

WHAT DO YOU THINK?