Death Matters
Conference

When we hide death and dying behind closed doors we do more harm than good in our communities, in our families, and to ourselves. I believe that the culture of silence around death should be broken through art, discussion, education and innovation. As we become more death-literate we have the freedom to make more authentic choices and live more creative, connected and meaningful lives in the process.

I’m part of a growing network of people throughout New Zealand who are re-imagining how we do death. We are mixing in some of the old ways with some of the new and sharing practical knowledge and skills to allow us to make informed choices during the various stages of the death and dying process.

 

This conference is a unique opportunity to learn and contribute with a fantastic range of inspirational and knowledgeable speakers, covering a diverse array of topics. The conference is a celebration of life, as much as an exploration of death. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

—Dr. Kate Grundy, Clinical Director, Canterbury Integrated Palliative Care Services

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In 2019 I started the Death Matters Conference to make it easier, more accessible and empowering for all of us to learn about and talk about death. The conference brings together a cross-section of inspiring speakers sharing interesting and provocative subjects. Past topics have included suicide, euthanasia, Compassionate Communities, near death experiences research, complicated grief, and the latest research on the future of death and immortality.

 

The 3rd Death Matters Conference took place in 2022 and was the start of a whole month of death-focused workshops, training clinics and art events including the 2nd Transforming Death Art Exhibition held at the Arts Centre, Christchurch.

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