Dr Jennifer Riley is a research fellow in Divinity at the University of Aberdeen. Her current research explores grave goods in the UK today – the objects and items placed with people when they die, which almost certainly cannot be retrieved afterwards. She’s passionate about using her research to spark conversations about how the UK approaches death, the personalization of funerals and memorials, environmental considerations, and the concept of the afterlife in the modern world.

You can find Dr Jennifer here:

Facebook - just plain old Jennie Riley there

Instagram - @baggageforthebeyond

Linkedin (if you're so inclined) - Dr Jennifer Riley

X - JennieARiley1

Bluesky - @jen-studies-death.bsky.social

Dr Jennifer Riley FHEA

Leverhulme Early Career Fellow || Research Fellow

Divinity and Religious Studies || University of Aberdeen

Pronouns: she/her

[email protected]

Latest paper – ‘Why does funeral attendance matter? Revisiting ‘Configurational Eulogies’ in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK’ (Mortality, 2024): https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2023.2225029

University profile: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/people/jennifer.riley

Baggage for the Beyond: https://abdn.site/baggage-for-the-beyond

The Care in Funerals Casebook: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sdhp/philosophy/care-in-funerals-casebook-2456.php

The Educating for Inclusive, Caring Communities Webpage: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/eicc

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

REAL LIFE WEDDINGS FOLLOW UP SERIES

MEET MY COUPLES AND FIND OUT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR WEDDING CEREMONIES. HOW HAS LIFE CHANGED? WHAT IS GOING ON FOR THEM?

I loved this opportunity to meet up with one of my grooms Gareth Tanner who has since become a painter and moved on significantly in his life with his lovely wife Lisa.

I haven't seen Gareth since the day he married Lisa in a woodland ceremony with Pagan elements. I love him and know you will too. Enjoy!

More wedding couples to follow...

#REALLIFEWEDDING #weddingceremonieswithjessmay #weddingceremonies #weddingcelebrant #brightonweddingcelebrant 

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

Megan Trump who recently featured in the film Rave on for the Avon married the River Avon...for real.

On Opening Ceremony this week we meet 2 incredible Environmental Activists passionate Wild Swimmers taking peaceful Direct Action to affect policy change for our polluted rivers.

Hear from accomplished poet Megan and her Celebrant Ruth Sidgwick all about why a wedding ceremony, a river and an independent film about the River Avon is making waves....

Megan on instagram 

@mrs_meg_avonhttps://www.instagram.com/mrs_meg_avon/

Buy Megan Trump's latest publication: 'My Avon'

eastbristolbooks.co.uk/pages/book-events

https://www.bookhausbristol.com/

RAVE ON FOR THE AVON FILM: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvU8Vt10JAM

BBC FILM ABOUT THE FILM: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgq22y97n58o

THE OUTDOOR SWIMMING SOCIETY

https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/rave-on-for-the-avon/

Another interesting article: 

https://thebristolcable.org/2023/06/campaigners-marry-river-avon-as-battle-against-water-pollution-continues/

Ruth Sidgwick can be found on instagram

@ruthcelebrancy

and Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-sidgwick-a0293531/

#raveonfortheavon #jessmaycelebrant #mrsmegavon #megantrump #weddingceremony #marriedtheriveravon #jessmay #weddingcelebrantjessmay 

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

INTRODUCING THE DEAD PET GIRLS!

This platform and community delves into the world of pet death, offering a welcoming space for honest conversations whilst exploring the quirky cultural aspects of pet loss that are often left unspoken.

57% of UK households and 66% of US households have pets, with a whopping 97% considering them family. Pet loss, then, becomes a powerful unifier for us all. It touches everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Kim Kardashian and everyone in between. Often, our first encounter with death is through a childhood pet, shaping how we navigate grief throughout our lives.

Cat Dorman is a curator and emerging writer currently based in Washington, DC. She has developed the lead exhibits for a new museum across from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue exploring the fraught concept of the American Dream opening in 2025. Much of her work centers on the intersection of social history, art and literature, and death culture.With Dead Pet Girls she particularly enjoys bringing to life the many wild and fascinating personalities buried in the history of pet loss and animal culture and exploring what we can learn from them. Cat received her BA from American University in Literature and Art History and her MA from University College London in English: Issues in Modern Culture. She is currently working on her first collection of short stories.

She survives her deceased cats Max, Minnie, Marie, hamster Duchess and fish Annie and Pudd (x4). 

 Steff Boulton is a documentary producer and writer based in London who works in both development and production. She holds a dynamic track record, having nurtured acclaimed documentaries from initial concept to broadcast on prestigious platforms such as the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and Disney+.Dead Pet Girls provides a platform for her to explore and share her fascination with the interplay of pop culture, history and pets whilst also providing solace and community for those journeying through pet loss. She has a BA in History from University College London. 

 She survives her dog Henry, rabbits Tippy and Lola, fish Flipper and Dipper and cat Cassius Earl Grey I. 

you can find out more here!

https://www.deadpetgirls.com/about

#jessmaycelebrant

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

Meet the founders of Soul Films! Wendy Pye & Sybil Ah-Mane 

Soul Films are sensitively produced short films that remember and celebrate someone who has died or is reaching end of life. A QR code linking to the film online can be printed on to a memorial plaque that will be placed in a significant public space, creating a lasting legacy and an alternative memorial site.

Listen in and hear all about their creative films memorialising wonderful people in their favourite places. Their work resonates with a sense of place and memory and they were wonderful to chat to, as close friends with shared grief and a shared journey.

ENJOY

You can find them here: 

https://www.flexiblefilms.co.uk/soul-films

Wendy is also the co-founder with Dagmara Rudkin of Luna Arts exploring the power of creativity in how we grieve and looking at new ways to do funerals.

https://lunaarts.org.uk/

Sybil Ah-Mane can be found here: https://magicvideobox.co.uk/about/

I LOVED OUR CHAT and hope that you do too x

#lunaarts #funerals #livingfunerals

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

THE WIDOW COACH Karen Sutton

Join us as we chat about Widowhood and the amazing way in which Karen re-invented herself and found new purpose after the sudden death of her husband whilst her children were still young.

Determined not to be defined by his death she set about rebuilding her life and in the process decided to start supporting fellow widows in their grief. Inspiring in her positivity, compassion and concern for people who have suffered the death of a significant other she seeks to coach people through their grief to a new place of acceptance.

Karen runs Workshops and Retreats and online support programmes and has an fantastic International reputation in her global community. When she launched her business there was so much demand that it went viral.

I love Karen and you will too.

You can find Karen here: 

https://www.karensutton.co.uk/

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

• Janelle Ketcher from POSTAL SERVICE FOR THE DEAD

Postal Service for the Dead is an ongoing, collective project where people send letters to anyone in their life who has died. Birthdays, death days, anniversaries, holidays, or seemingly random days can all spark grief. Writing letters to those who have died has always been a powerful tool, but we felt something was missing – the physicality of stamping and mailing it out. So, we invite you to write a letter that helps your healing journey. Not all grief looks the same and neither will the letters. You can submit a letter of gratitude for how they impacted your life or a list of grievances that you still hold towards them – use this space to say whatever. Inspired by PostSecret, we started this project to help folks heal through writing, the power of snail mail, and shared grief experiences.

• Mary Parnwell from BRIGHTON DEATH COLLECTIVE

Brighton Death Collective is a peer led initiative creating welcoming & inclusive spaces to talk all things death, loss & end-of-life. Here to demystify death admin and dying well. Mary creates workshops to enable people to engage with end of life issues and includes Postal Services for the Dead as part of those gatherings.

Find the Brighton Death Collective on Instagram @brightondeathcollective

or on their website

https://www.brightondeathcollective.co.uk/ 

Postal Service for the Dead @postalserviceforthedead

or on their websitehttps://www.postalserviceforthedead.com/

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

Toby Angel is a co-founder and Manager and Director of Sacred Stones a community memorial provision for cremation ashes...

Toby is part of a development in reclaiming ancient burial traditions including Barrows

The long barrows are beautiful visit www.sacrestones.co.uk

to find out more.

#memorials #livingfunerals #communitymemorials #celebrationsoflife #jessmaycelebrant #

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

Today we have Dagmara Rudkin sharing with us about her astonishing shrouds. I first met Dagmara a couple of years ago and was blown away by her gorgeous shrouds which are unlike any I've ever seen. I can't wait for you to hear more about them.

We are obviously talking about death in this episode and so if that is a trigger for you this might not be for you x

I will let her speak for herself:

Hi I'm Dagmara, I am a Polish-born and Brighton-based visual artist and art educator. I work freelance at my studio at the Phoenix Art Space and as an associate lecturer in Art and Design at Brighton MET, Phoenix Art Space and Hastings Contemporary.

Burial shrouds.
I graduated from Glass and Fine Art Painting and later on completed MA in Sequential Design and Illustration. Now I work not with glass which is precious and hard and brittle but with fibre and soft and mainly reclaimed materials. Making shrouds and commemorative textiles has given a new purpose and a new meaning to my practice. Here, I bring my passion for unfolding stories, and celebrating and honouring someone’s life, acknowledging life and nature cycles, doing as little harm to the environment as possible. Each shroud is unique, each handmade with love and care. I particularly cherish working with textiles of the deceased family’s heirlooms. Their table and bed linens, their garments and trimmings hold stories of travels, friendships and family events. Now they can serve their last purpose: to help with the final journey, to help with processing grief of those left behind.

Shroud Making Workshops.

I am in a process of developing workshops where you can design and make a shroud for yourself or your loved one. Making your own shroud is a stimulating and life-enhancing experience, regardless of how far you may be from the end of your life. Getting together and making a shroud for a person you love helps with processing grief and anticipation of your own death.

Art Workshops easing conversation about death and dying.

Together with my friend and colleague, photographer and filmmaker Wendy Pye, I have co-founded Luna Arts– an art organisation that specialises in art workshops and events for well-being. Wendy is also a co-founder of Soul Films , an organisation that makes films about the life of someone who has died or is near dying. Together, we facilitate workshops where creativity is used to ease conversation about death and dying.

Teaching

I have been teaching Art and Design for over 20 years and offer workshops to individuals and groups. I have experience in pastoral care as a Course Leader on Adult Foundation Course and I also facilitate art workshops for schools and adults at Hastings Contemporary and Phoenix Art Space. I hold a PGCSE in Art and Design.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT DAGMARA AND HER SHROUDS HERE 

https://dagmararudkin.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dagmara.rudkin/

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/

MEET SALLY, Menopause Mindset Mentor and hypnotherapist based here in Brighton.
We had a lot of fun laughing out our former selves in this episode,  but also acknowledging the importance of the ceremonial at different stages of our lives including menopause.

Sally Garozzo is a multi award winning Clinical Hypnotherapist using Rapid Transformational Therapy and a Trauma Informed Coach.  She has a special interest in every aspect of behaviour change but particularly around the menopause transition.   She helps people with symptoms like fears, phobias, anxiety, depression insomnia etc and she thrives by having a diverse range of clients, extracting and cross pollinating ideas and resources. In it’s absolute essence, she helps people feel deeply at home with themselves and empowered by their minds.  

Alongside this, she is the host of the podcast The Menopause Mindset and offers two self paced online courses for wellness practitioners, one for cold water therapy and one for menopause wellbeing.  

Sally Garozzo BA (Hons), RTT, Cl.Hyp
Accredited Practitioner with GHSC and CNHC
Award Winning Hypnotherapist
ICF Certified Holding Space Practitioner

ITOL Accredited Trauma Informed Coach

Singing Teacher/Vocal Coach
www.sallygarozzo.com

www.singingnaturallybrighton.co.uk

*The Menopause Mindset Podcast - Listen Here
*What The Bleep is Behaviour Change Anyway Podcast - Listen Here
*Grab your free 20 minute Relaxation Hypnosis Recording - here

You can find Jess here:

https://www.jess-may.com/