Making Space
Let’s Talk about Death: An evening of Creative Exploration with Luna Arts
Building on their Making Space residency workshop, join Luna Arts and their invited guests - including artists, writers, academics, and funeral industry professionals to explore the value of hosting a Death Salon, inspired by the spirit of 18th-century salons. This informal, exploratory gathering will offer fresh perspectives through presentations, installations, and discussions and guests will share ideas and stories on these topics, demonstrating how creative processes have helped them confront mortality as well as reimagining meaningful ways to honour those who have died.
This informal, exploratory gathering will encourage collaboration and challenge traditional ideas surrounding death, funerals, and memorialisation
We invite audience feedback, which will be instrumental in whether we further shape and develop this Death Salon concept.
About The Artist
Luna Arts originates from Wendy Pye’s 17-year exploration of death and dying, starting during her MA in Photographic Arts and deepening through Death Doula training, counselling, and Samaritans volunteering. This journey highlighted the therapeutic value of open conversations about death.
Wendy co-founded Soul Films, collaborating with Flexible Films to create short films celebrating individuals nearing the end of life or who have died. These films feature a unique memorial concept—a QR code linking to the film on a plaque in a public space, connecting memory to place. Commissions include films for poet Benjamin Zephaniah and Death Café founder John Underwood. Wendy also lectures in Photography and Collaboration at Falmouth University and explores life and death themes in her projects, including live spoken word performances with writers and musicians.
Dagmara’s fine art practice, developed during her MA in Sequential Design, is rooted in myths, rituals, and religion. Her recent work focuses on the art of burial shrouding, creating handmade, sustainable shrouds from recycled textiles as a personal, eco-conscious alternative to traditional coffins. She offers bespoke workshops where participants design and craft shrouds or memorial cloths, encouraging reflection on mortality and grief. Dagmara also lectures and runs mixed media workshops in art and design.
As members of the Brighton/Hove Health & Arts Wellbeing Network and participants in therapeutic sessions with the Orange Collective, Wendy and Dagmara have received valuable support for this project. This has inspired an in-depth Arts Council funded R&D phase to advance their workshops and research how creative activities can encourage conversations about death, dying, and remembrance, helping to break taboos around these topics.
Tickets £4 + booking fee
Fabrica
40 Duke Street, Brighton
BN1 1AG
