Cork Death Café at Maureen’s

Cork Death Café will take place at Maureen’s, 14 Mulgrave Road, Shandon, T23 FT65

Hosted by dancer and artist Solène Weinachter together with poet, bodyworker and celebrant Lisa Fannen in conjunction with the performance of AFTER ALL, the Death Café wil last 90 minutes and is a group directed conversation. It is a space to share any experiences, feelings or questions around death. It is not a space that offers grief support or counselling, but follows in the tradition of the Death Cafe movement (that began in the UK in 2011) and aims to host accessible, respectful and confidential space.

The cafe can host up to 20 participants, who are welcome to discuss any aspects of death and dying that they wish to. People are also welcome to just come and listen with no pressure to contribute. There will be some time after the Death Café for any further informal conversations if desired.

Local Death Café host Siofra Hegarty (Telling the Bees) will join the conversation and beverages will be available for purchase following the event.

Solène Weinachter is an independent dancer and choreographer based in Scotland. Her artistic practice is rooted in connection with audiences using the intersection between dance, theatre, storytelling, humour and what could appear as uncomfortable conversations. She has worked with a wide range of dance and physical theatre companies in Europe including: Scottish Dance Theatre, Lost Dog, Joan Clevillé, Gecko Theatre Company, Vera Tussing and most recently Oona Doherty. She is also a founding member of Collective Endeavours, a Glasgow-based music and dance improvisation collective. Her current projects are Antigone, Interrupted by Joan Clevillé, and a touring production of Juliet & Romeo by Ben Duke.

Lisa Fannen (she/her) is a poet/artist performing solo and in collaboration with musicians, soundmakers and dancers. She is also a bodyworker and health activist concerned with dialogue and information exchange about health as part of movement for social justice. Lisa has also trained as a celebrant and in work that is concerned with how we tend to the dead, and to grief. She has brought these facets to supporting Solène in research and making stages of AFTER ALL, including co-faciliating Death CafÉs. Death Cafés are safe spaces where people can speak about any aspect of death that they want to, and are intended to accompany the touring performances as another dimension of its engagement.