Academic and public interest in death and dying is growing. With the increasing popularly of death cafes, the death positive movement and celebrations like ‘Day of the Dead’, the common idea that death is a taboo subject is questionable. But when it comes to a more personal conversation about death and dying in our own lives, it becomes more difficult. This conference will consider spatial, emotional and embodied perspectives on death, dying and remembrance. It will instigate a conversation about the role of space and the way being in particular places can affect our emotional states, as part of a process of remembrance.
We invite contributions of all kinds on the following questions:
- Where do the memories of the dead live?
- What role do our senses play in acts of remembrance?
- How might different spaces trigger particular emotional memories of those who have died
- What practices do different individuals, families and communities use to manage processes of dying and remembrance?
- Any other questions or related topics
The conference will explore how and why attitudes and practices relating to death and dying differ over time and between cultures across the world. It brings together artists, academics and professionals working in the area of death and dying to question how we might learn from these different ways of ‘doing death’, and in particular, how space, emotion and the senses interact in processes of remembrance. We welcome proposals for academic papers, posters, short provocations, films, artistic interventions, or any other format we can support.
Our confirmed keynote speakers are Professor Allan Kellehear (University of Bradford) and Dr Avril Maddrell (University of Reading). The programme will also feature contributions from international artists.
This conference is jointly organised by The Grief Series team, led by Ellie Harrison, and the University of Leeds’ ‘Living with Dying’ project, led by Dr Laura King.
To submit a proposal, please email an abstract of c.250 words and a short biographical statement of c.100 words to Jessica Hammett ([email protected]) by 30th November 2017.