Death Café Dalston Feedback – 2 December 2016
A write up of Death Cafe Dalston
Total number of participants: 18
Number of women: 15 (including three facilitators)
Number of men: 3
Average age: 37.8
Average age women: 48.2
Average age men: 25
Overall, how would you rate this event?
(10 = excellent, 1 = poor) Total: 9.7
Women: 8.7 Men: 10
Your experience of this Death Café:
Calm, accepting atmosphere where I felt – and everyone felt – able to contribute. Conversation happened easily and could have gone on. Although I feel at ease with death, I was surprised how powerful this meeting was in its effect: to talk about death like this for so long made me feel lighter. I enjoyed everyone else who attended very much. I am interested in death as an artist and I have experienced death of close relatives. I think it is a really necessary thing this café and chat. Poet, female, 58.
I really liked it. I was very moved by the stories of people’s personal experiences of death. I was worried that I would be forced to confront things I did not want to and that would discomfort me, but I leave feeling lighter and less afraid. Student, male, 23.
A very nice intimate setting which was conducive to people sharing their personal experiences. Everyone shared some moving experiences. Psychotherapist/lecturer, female, 59.
It is very nice to be talking about my own experiences to people with similar experiences. Also to hear other stories and how they feel about the subject. Animation student, male, 29.
Enjoyed listening to range of issues Interested to hear about Natural Funerals. Living Well Dying Well.org helped me collect & focus my thoughts, ideas about death. Thank you. Teacher, female, 64.
Comforting, Uplifting, interesting. Primary school teacher, female, 52.
Wonderful – easy, open, friendly. A surprising amount of younger people. Practical and informative as well as more spiritual/abstract topics. Shared a lot of thoughts and feelings in common with other people. Teacher/librarian, female, 51.
Very interesting and positive. I really appreciated people’s willingness to share their experiences. Exhibition manager, female, 44.
I really appreciated how the space was held and facilitated, but for me I was less interested in talking about funerals and practical aspects. I would have liked to have more time to discuss experiences of death. When the group regrouped that happened – so of course it depends which group you find yourself in in the smaller groupings. I wonder if there could be a chance to regroup to follow particular areas of interest somehow. Writer/body worker/herbalist, female, 44.
Very good, welcoming atmosphere. Enough structure and space for sharing in small groups and all together (in the whole group). Movement psychotherapist, female, 34.
Inspiring/enriching. Photographer, female, 31.
Beautiful, confronting, peaceful, warm. TV researcher, male, 23.
Very friendly space to come to. I feel like I would recommend this kind of space to people. Maybe a slightly bigger group so there were more similar interests eg. Practicalities vs spirituality. As more people die around me I would like to talk about these experiences with others. Herbalist, female, 29.
Really interesting to hear other people’s views and to talk about death without feeling weird. Photography student, female, 21.
An inspiring and warm discussion amongst a wide ranging group of people in terms of age, experiences and cultural back ground. The filming at our table did not interfere with the level of intimacy in the conversation that developed very quickly. I very much enjoyed everyone and wished we could have continued our conversation much longer, at our table and also in the whole group. I particularrly liked the idea of discussing immortality and hearing people’s views and ideas on the subject. My curiosity seems endless. It was a wonderful evening. Truly pleasurable. People’s openness and acceptance of each other is moving and heart warming. Plus Juliane creates a very delightful space for us. It is peaceful, beautiful and comfortable. The soup was delicious. Thank you! Psychotherapist, female, 65.
Uplifting experience as always. Illustrator, female, 22.
What is your ethnic group?
White: 12; Mixed: 1; Asian: 1; Did not say: 4
Religious/spiritual orientation in childhood and now:
Buddhist/ Buddhist
Catholic/ Catholic
Catholic/ Agnostic
2x Was Catholic/now interested in all religion/Buddhist
Was Catholic/now atheist
3x Christian/now non-religious
Vaguely Christian/now Buddhist
Non-religious/now Pagan
Non religious/now spiritual, closest to Buddhism
Christian/ now agnostic
None/none
What motivated you to attend this evening?
I have a life-limiting illness [1]
I have been bereaved [7]
I want to prepare for my own death [4]
I wish to learn about end of life issues [7]
Other:
- Interested to hear other opinions.
- Interested in personal experiences of death and beyond death
- Love sharing and hearing personal stories/experiences/ideas of dying, death and beyond death.
- I am doing research from my dissertation.
Have you attended a Death Café before? If so, how many?
10 came for the first time
3 came once before
2 came twice before
1 attended/hosted over 30
Where did you hear about this event?
8 via the internet
3 email/Facebook
1 via tutor
3 via a friend
1 from the paper
Do you, or are you planning to host a Death Café? If so, where?
1x might be interested to host one in the future
2x hosting this Death Café (one hosts also others)