Death Café at Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston, 25/5/16





The Death Café was attended by 5 people, with the initial topic for discussion to be death online and digital legacy, as these were themes present in the work on show at the gallery space. The event was attended by a student who was doing her thesis on the ecology of death and the design projects that were in place to faciliate the most eco-friendly ways of dying possible. As a result of this, the conversation was orientated towards these themes which was very insightful and educational for all involved. What was interesting was that the conversation focused on these environmental topics in death, and then went back to digital legacy, to only move back to the first topic - which showed a clear flow in conversation and the linking of the topics in new ways (for example, the environmental elements of dying in the digital age). 

Everyone involved was open minded and happy to talk equally. The created environment was intimate and lighthearted and accomodated for a range of participants, some who had never attended a Death Café before. Discussing the environmental elements of death was uplifting, positive and provided hope to a lot of the participants. We all learned a lot and felt happy steering the conversation organically - we all felt like we were faciliators which created a good environment for sharing discussion. 

All involved felt that they had new insights and felt comfortable and inspired. In terms of the context of the event, healthier options for a snack were suggested, sparkling water, and more cushions were elements that could have improved the experience slightly.

 


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