Festival of Death and Dying

11/11/2025

Join facilitators Harp Kalsi-Smith and Rhee Duthie for an interactive workshop exploring how to build compassionate communities, to better support ourselves, each other and our wider community through the tough parts of life ✨💪🏼💜

01/11/2025

Hear from Curatorial Advisor and Festival Dramaturgy Victoria Spence, founder of about what to expect at the Festival of Death and Dying 💙

31/10/2025

A 2025 Death Fest Workshop! Join Rebecca Lyons and Emma Beattie as we come together to consider what home funeral is, what it could look like and how we can pool our wisdom to help make it happen for each other. The aim is that you walk away with new knowledge and a sense of empowerment.

13/11/2024

Death and dying are multi-faceted and deeply ambivalent experiences. There is not one true way of thinking about and understanding them. In this workshop come learn about the diverse and often irreconcilable perspectives of philosophers such as Baruch Spinoza, Sigmund Freud, Martin Heidegger, Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida on death and dying.

Dr Dalia Nassar is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney. Her work sits at the intersection of the history of German philosophy and environmental philosophy and ethics.

Dr Peter Banki is a scholar and teacher of European philosophy and literature, he has a background in Iyengar yoga, dance and the martial arts (Tai Chi, Capoeira Angola). His somatic and movement practice forms the basis of his work in the erotic field.

11/11/2024

We are thrilled to have Dr. Pia Interlandi join us in collaboration with Maree Clarke and Kerri Clarke as they bring together their practices for the first time in the workshop 'Interlacing Cloak Making and Garments for the Grave'.

Dr Pia Interlandi is a design pracademic in the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University. Intersecting fashion and funerals, Pia explores materials and materiality in relation to dress, death, and decomposition. Through her practice, Garments for the Grave, Pia designs rituals for facilitating dressing, and addressing the dead body. She co-designs garments with the terminally ill and dresses them with family for their funerals.

08/11/2024

Saturday Workshop: A living wake is a chance to honour a loved one while they are still here to enjoy the party. It means they have the chance to listen to and appreciate the stories being told about them and can understand the impact they have made on their friends and family. Learn how Tash Verco organised a Living Wake for her mother.

Natasha is a committed yogi and believes strongly in experience-based learning. She has a Masters in Communication for Development from Malmo University in Sweden. Her academic work focuses on housing justice movements in Europe and South Africa and her political work is focused in Environmental Justice movements.

Can't wait for you to join us!

06/11/2024

01/11/2024

Join Kim Somerville and Sarah Barry for a Voluntary Assisted Dying and Doula Care workshop.

This workshop offers information and discussion on the introduction of Voluntary Assisted Dying within N.S.W. It covers who is eligible and what is involved within the process.

Drawing on experience of accompanying our clients, we reflect upon how doula support can greatly assist those travelling with their person to be present, supported and carry what they need to from the experience of voluntary assisted dying. Presented by members of Life Rites Doula led end of life and holistic funeral care

24/10/2024

Join Nadine J. Cohen and with Jackie Dent in 'Humour and Humanity in Writing about Death.'

is a Sydney-based writer and refugee advocate published widely in mastheads including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, SMH, ABC, Harper's Bazaar, and more. Her debut novel, Everyone and Everything, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim and named Booktopia’s debut release of the year. Nadine also co-hosts and produces Grave Matters on SBS, a podcast about death, grief and the business of dying.

We can't wait! 📙

23/10/2024

Join us for the 2024 Festival of Death and Dying this November on Gadigal Land, Sydney.

Our Festival Program Overview is up! Check out the website for more information about each session, or keep your eyes peeled here as we continue to introduce our wonderful speakers, guests and workshop facilitators 🖤

*Exact session times will be confirmed soon.