Voices

 
Life Death Whatever at Dulwich Picture Gallery
 

On the evening of Friday 3rd November 2017, Life. Death. Whatever. took over the beautiful Christ's Chapel at Dulwich Picture Gallery with a thought-provoking sound installation of voices from around the world - people talking about what death, dying, life and living means to them.  The voices were played on a loop throughout the evening in the atmospheric chapel, lit entirely by candlelight.

Highlights included a funeral director talking about the first time she was left alone with the dead, a doctor talking about the first patient who ever died in her care, a patient talking about the night she accepted that her illness was going to kill her, and a daughter having an honest conversation with her elderly mother about her end of life plan.

We've now curated the voices from the installation into an online gallery so you can listen to them in your own way.

We want you to hear your voice

It's very simple.  All you have to do is talk into the voice recording app on your phone about something meaningful to you in relation to death and dying, life and living.  There's no need to introduce yourself, just start talking.  The recording doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to express how you feel.  It can be up to five minutes in length.

Please email your recording to submissions@lifedeathwhatever.com

On grief

'I happened to go to a bit of a strange school'
Ivor Williams
'I remember when my Dad died'
Christopher
'When I was a grief civilian'
Adam Golightly
'Three years of despair and constant tears'
Lesley
'The anniversary of Josh's death'
Jane Harris
'You had been my first love, my husband and best friend, when I heard you had died..'
Anonymous
'A pre-emptive strike against true crippling grief'
Romany Reagan

On the reality of death

'Finding a dead body was something I never expected I'd go through'
Dion Watts & Erica Buist
'I wanted to see how he had lived and died'
Laura Dee Milnes

On belief

'I came to the point of my life where I could see the end of it'
Nick
'That made me feel very much at peace'
Rhys
'I wish to know...'
Bernadette
'As a Christian, I believe all life is unique and special'
Ben

On funerals

'My first encounter with death was sitting with my grandmother in the final hours of her life'
Kathryn Sansom
'What natural burial means to me'
James Leedam
'When I was widowed and had a 10 year old son'
Indra

On old age

'I worry that I'm getting in your way'
Sarah & her Mum
'I'm going to be 90 soon and I think quite a lot about what would be a good death'
Anonymous
'I sat in the chair of my Grandmother's bungalow'
Ellie

On working with death & dying

'Most of us were born in an NHS hospital'
Dr Laura-Jane Smith
'People often ask me how I can do my job'
Rachel
'I don't think I do anything differently because of my job'
Lucy Coulbert, Funeral Director
'As a nurse for nearly four decades, I've seen births and deaths'
Phillip Ball, Hospice Manager
'The first time I ever saw a dead body'
Katrina
'I wish I could say something really prophetic about working with death'
Amber Carvaly, Undertaking LA
'Some really are driving around in Bentleys'
Lucy Coulbert
'There wasn't anyone else to go...'
Adaire Petrichor
'My day job includes working with people who aren't going to get better'
Dr Ollie Minton

Children talking about death

'Who will paint my coffin purple?'
Scout & Marley
'When my gran-gran died'
Grace

On life & living

'Why is that we want so badly to memorialise ourselves, even when we're still alive?'
Peter Billingham
'This little baby taught me that life and death are one'
Rosalie Kuyvenhoven

Music

For my beloved husband who died Oct 2012 aged 46
Anonymous

Poetry

'The dark glittering beauty of grief'
Julie Troup
'What good are dead leaves?'
Paul Kefford
'I'm not old or young anymore'
Anonymous