This October Frome will be host to the largest Festival of Death and Dying in the South West, ‘Pushing Up The Daisies’.
Held over three days, it will bring a host of well-known writers, speakers, film, theatre and music, as well as have plenty of experts in all matters to do with death and bereavement available to give information to the public, free of charge. Anything from having a green funeral to matters of wills and probate, the Cheese and Grain will host 30 different stalls on Sunday 13th October with talks and film being shown upstairs.
Held in conjunction with Dorothy House, the RUH and Mendip Health Connections, the aim of the Festival is to open up conversations about this important and inevitable part of life and make the public more aware of their choices, costs and procedures. Talks will be given by many, including local crematoria, The Natural Death Centre, GoSimply Funerals and the RUH, and The Good Grief Project will be showing their film that has been touring the country to rave reviews, and is recommended by Emma Thompson.
On Saturday Christ Church and St John’s Church will open their doors for a quieter and more contemplative chance to hear music, see art exhibitions and talk to helpers and supporters about more personal experiences with counsellors coming from Winston’s Wish, the Bereavement Centre and Wellbeing Frome. There will be a chance to hear a new work by Helen Ottoway and light a candle for a loved one. Both churches will host their own events throughout the day.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening there will be events at The Bennett Centre and Christ Church. Friday will have storyteller Jane Flood and multi media artist, Christine Sweetman-Willis, sharing myth and magic, as well as personal stories in a candlelit space, Saturday brings the world-renowned writer, broadcaster and journalist Kevin Toolis to Frome, whose best selling book about the Irish Wake has featured on radio and television, and who will talk and read poetry together with Irish musician, Wes Robinson, from Bristol. This promises to be the highlight of the Festival from a wonderful and evocative speaker. Sunday brings Liz Rothschild with her fabulous tour of her play ‘Outside The Box’ for a final evening of celebrating the rich variety of art and music inspired by our experiences of loss.
Organisers say, “We would also like everyone in the Frome area to nominate the song they would like played at their funeral, as we will make a top ten funeral song list that will be announced late afternoon on Sunday by top London DJ Chris Tofu MBE. You can go to the webpage or our Facebook to tell us at www.pushingup thedaisies.co.uk
The events will raise money for Dorothy House and BLINK and is being kindly supported by JC Atkinson, Musgrove Willows and GoSimply Funerals.
