An Evening with Dr Phil Hammond: Monday 24 October 2016: Oxford Town Hall Don’t miss this exciting evening – come and join us for an evening of laughter brought by this comedian – a frequent guest on Countdown, Have I Got News for You, The News Quiz and many others. Come and listen to this … More Stop Press! How Long Have I got?
The Festival is thrilled that on November 5th comedy writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, joined by friends Andy Hamilton (Radio 4, The News Quiz, etc., ) and neuroscientist and Professor of Laughter Sophie Scott, will be presenting “Laughing in the Face of Death”. See elsewhere on this website for full details. In the meantime here’s a few … More 2 Catherine Wheels and a Packet of Sparklers
Sophie writes: Charlotte and I arranged funerals for both our parents that reflected them both as amazing people, and also our feelings for them. Its not a hands on tips list, but may inspire others to confidence re painting or decorating a coffin for their loved one. I hope so! When our mother died, my … More Coffin painting – an inspiring story
Grace Noble is Senior Partner with local Solicitors Lee Chadwick. She was also a nurse. This unusual combination gives her valuable insights in her work, as she explains here. Grace is a member of the panel for “Speed dating with Death” on 5th November at the Festival– When asked ‘what do you do?’ my first thought is … More A Solicitor with a nursing background…
Be part of the postcard project at Kicking the Bucket Festival by writing a postcard with words of advice for dealing with grief and send it to Liz Rothschild. Details at the foot of this piece. Rachael Chadwick explains- “There’s nothing we can do”, they said. In January 2012, my mother (aged 59) was … More 60 Postcards: Using Storytelling to Tackle Grief
Family funeral guide and educator Jerrigrace Lyons is a pioneer of the home funeral movement. Based in California, She is founder and director of Final Passages, a non-profit educational institute of conscious dying, home funeral and green burial education, and a founding member of the National Home Funeral Alliance. She writes: Death is the last … More Reclaiming Death: The Home Funeral Alternative
Fear of dementia has overtaken cancer, according to a new study commissioned by Saga, which shows that 43% of people over 50 fear developing dementia more than any other illness. The Kicking the Bucket Festival knows that facing our fears can help reduce them – so has invited New End Theatre to present DON’T LEAVE … More “Dementia is the illness we fear most”
I have been to a few Death Cafes, but this week was my first try at hosting one. Fortunately I had some very supportive helpers who could be relied on to cope with anything that turned up. In the event I needn’t have worried – my anxiety that no-one might come was ill-founded, and around … More Telling our stories
The popular Day of the Dead Ceilidh is back again this year (details below). Jackie Singer explains what its all about- The music is driving, the people young and old, with painted faces swirling, laughing. The lights are low, and candles in front of an altar flickering. On the altar are photographs of departed loved … More A Ceilidh for the Day of the Dead
Grief and anger can have a raw honesty about them, especially in bereavement. The following speaks for itself, reminding us that there can sometimes be no “right thing” to say to someone suffering a shattering loss. No one else’s reactions and emotions are the same as ours. In some ways it is impossible ever truly … More The honesty of anger
Kicking the Bucket Festival 