Demelza to hold exhibition exploring death, dying and remembrance across cultures

The exhibition has been created as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week and aims to encourage conversations around the topic.

The Art of Belonging forms part of a Hospice UK-funded Dying Matters community arts project, co-organised by Demelza’s Psychotherapeutic Practice Manager Jennie Steer and Vice Chair of Medway Inter Faith Action Group Beth Atkins.

It showcases personal and cultural responses to loss, memory and grief through art, photography, poetry and music and will be on display at the Halpern Gallery in Chatham from Saturday 9 to Tuesday 12 May.

Across nine community workshops, more than 100 people came together to use creativity to remember loved ones who have died and reflect on cultural traditions surrounding death and remembrance.

Contributors include families supported by Demelza, alongside members of Medway’s diverse communities, including individuals from the local Hindu Mandir (the only established Hindu place of worship in Medway), the Black Arts Hub, the Sahara group (which supports older members of the South Asian community), English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) students from MidKent College and more.

The project forms an important part of Demelza’s work to strengthen connections with diverse communities. Demelza provides expert clinical care, emotional support and practical help to children with serious or life-limiting conditions and their families, including end of life care and bereavement support.

However, families from ethnic minority backgrounds can face multiple barriers to accessing children’s hospice care, including language barriers, cultural differences and a lack of knowledge of the services available. Through this project, Demelza aims to raise awareness of the support they offer and build meaningful connections with communities across Medway.

A member of the Baha’i community in Medway said: “I commend Demelza in running this project. As Baha’is we believe death is not something that should be feared and that art and music are very important in the spiritual and emotional upliftment of individuals and people around them.

“I think the exhibition and creative workshops will play a vital role in opening dialogue, sharing experience and improving mutual understanding and awareness of support available from Demelza and others, for people of all faiths, beliefs and cultures. Hopefully this will make ‘end of life’ not such a scary, worrying or lonely prospect.”

The Art of Belonging celebrates the richness of different cultural approaches to dying and remembrance while reflecting on the shared emotions and experiences they reveal. It uses art and creativity to encourage open, compassionate conversations about dying, death and grief and the support Demelza offers to children and families during the most challenging times.

Free to attend and open to all, The Art of Belonging will be on display at the Halpern Gallery in Chatham from 10am-4pm on Saturday 9, Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 May.

Come along to explore, reflect and celebrate the creativity and voices of Medway’s communities.