AN EVENT looking to break the taboo of openly talking about death is being held at a Worcester library.
Taking place at The Hive tonight, the Worcestershire Arts Partnership will be working with the countywide End of Life and Palliative Care Network to encourage communities to be more relaxed about conversations around death and dying.
A group of arts and health professionals will be on hand to form a group of like-minded individuals and organisations who will be prepared to collaborate on a project encouraging people to be more comfortable talking about death.
Dr Maggie Keeble, chair of the End of Life and Palliative Care Network, said: “I’m very excited about the potential of this group. For far too long this has been seen as a taboo subject to be broached only in a hospital environment or very close to the end of someone’s life.
“We need to take the conversation out to the public and give everyone the opportunity to express their wishes, and then communicate those wishes to family friends and the people who will potentially be making decisions on their behalf, if they are no longer able to do so.”
Coun Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member with responsibility for communities, said: “Death is a very sensitive and emotive subject, which is why it has so often been the domain of artists and writers to explore within their art.
“A collaboration between the arts and healthcare communities can only help encourage greater candour and reflection of death and dying. My hope is that this project will break the taboo, and I very much welcome it.”
The event runs from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
E-mail Dr Keeble at [email protected] or Steve Wilson, county arts officer at Worcestershire County Council, at [email protected] for more information.
