Why the title? Well we recognise that in the 21st century we have become increasingly unfamiliar with many aspects of dying and death. There are a variety of reasons for this. These include

1. the welcome and enormous advances in medicine and technology, so we are living much longer
2. our changing lifestyles and the changing structures of and places where we find our intimate and social networks.  The ‘neighbourly care system’ is disappearing   

So we have a greater focus on survival and the expectations that go with this – ignoring dying and death. This has meant that dying and death has increasingly become the territory of medicine and care systems. Equally we live a commodities based existence where individuality is highly valued. This can sometimes lead to living in more fragmented and isolated ways.

I wonder how many of you have experienced a death of someone close to you. It is now not unusual to reach the age of 50 or so before we are witness to such an experience or even to be in the presence of a dead body. 

This unfamiliarity with the features of dying in the 21st century is sharpened by the need to reshape some of our rituals to guide our behaviours at such times. We increasingly need to find a language, a form of words and shared ways of knowing for how to bring up the subject of dying and death and dialogue with others on the subject.  How then do we find ways to talk to one another close to us or with those around us? – as we do all still die!
We hope to offer and provide a possible entry point to such discussions by using some art forms -  firstly the image as a way in to form your own stories about what the image might trigger or say to you, and secondly the use of newly constructed ceremonies to use in our everyday lives at these times .
We have available as material on the website:

1. The images and their texts displayed under 6 themes

The 6 themes are:  

• The West Midlands connections: decay, regeneration and renewal
• Juxtapositions and the fine lines: being alive, hope and death
• Compassion, attachments, love and connections
• Remembrance and continuity
• Living life well, life as a journey
• Metaphors and symbols (including how we manage risks)
  

2. The whole collection of images taken against the suggested criteria with a supporting taped narrative from 10 of those participating in the project 

3. Details of the ‘Extraordinary ordinary day’ – a performance of sharing memories led by members of the arts and ceremonies organisation ONCE

They invited participants to come and sit at the kitchen table in the centre of the dome, watch the stories unfold and to add their own memories to the temporary memorial in the outside space 

4. A range of images, at least 1 from each of those who participated in the Images project  

5. The DVD piece ‘every day a little death’ produced by Jon Cowen for an assignment as part
of his MSc in Media studies while at Birmingham University. This DVD is already available   
available on the web site in our Reflections on dying and death section 

While you view the images we suggest you hold a range of questions:

1. what does living with dying and death mean to me?
2. which images mean or connect to me the most?
3. what words would I use or what stories would I tell to share any meaning of those images to those around me or later to my family and friends?
4. What are the parts of dying and death I find difficult to talk about – how might the art forms here help with this? 

And as you leave this material:

• What will you take away with you?
• Which of the images most struck a chord of connection to you and the opportunity to open that dialogue with yourself and others?
• What image would you now take/find to depict any aspect of living, dying and death that you could use to open up a dialogue with your family and close others     

Pauline Smith,
Lead for End of Life Care in NHS West Midlands