what happened in the 2017 festival

 Pushing Up Daisies Festival 2017 had a fantastic 70 events taking place in Todmorden this May 

The full 2017 programme of events is here - if you're a festival from around the country or world, please feel free to steal any of our ideas. We'd love them to be used, just credit us if you can. 

As in previous years we ran 'The Last Post': A unique postal service and 'Across the Divide Archive':  the world's first collection of letters to the dead which people engaged with even more than last year. You can find out more about these services here, which you can take part in at any time (we'll keep letters sent now until the 2018 festival).

​New for this year we have a special focus on events related to Dementia - these were in Green in the programme, and all Town Hall Hub events were in blue . The Festival got underway with our, now annual, Arty Farty Starty Party and closed with the beautiful Firey Folky Funeral Feast on the final Saturday.

For a fantastic set of photos of a range of the events, check out Andy Wade's beautiful photos here.
And check out participants' comments and feedback, where we have them, here.
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For an overview of the different type of events we ran, see below ... 

exhibitions


'Accompany' - Creative With Nature Workshop and Gallery - Wed 10th -Sat 13th May 10-5

'Icons for an Unknown Faith' Town Hall Cafe Space - Wed 10th & Thurs 11th May 10-8, Fri 12th May 10-4

'With-In-Memoriam' - Art installation at Centre Vale Park & Todmorden Unitarian Church  - throughout week 

learn new things
​'Dementia Awareness' - Training - Mon 8th, Tues 9th & Sat 13th May 9.30-11 & 1.30-3 

​'Resuscitation - It's not Holby City' - Talk/Q&A - Mon 8th May 11.30- 1

'What Happens To Us After We Die? A Spiritual Perspective' - Talk - Mon 8th May 2-4

'Living and Dying With Alzheimer's' - Talk/Q&A- Tues 9th May - 11.30-1

'Staying Connected' - Talk - Tues 9th May 2-4

'Creative Dying, Using Permaculture To Design How We Die' - Workshop - Tues 9th May 2-4 & 6-8 (same workshop twice) 

'The Significant Other' - Talk/Q&A - Tues 9th May 5.30-7 and Wed 10th May 12.45-2.15 

'The Ability To Change The Future Is Inside You, What Tissue Can You Donate After You Die?' - Talk/Q&A - Wed 10th May 12-2

'The Compassionate Executor' - Talk/Q&A Wed 10th May 2.15-3.15

'What Does Academic Research Say About The Dying Experience?' - Talk/Q&A - Wed May 10th 3.30-5

​'Getting Your House In Order' - Talk/Q&A - Wed 10th May 6-8

'We're Listening Now. LGBT and End Of Life Care' - Talk - Thurs 11th May 10.30-12.30

'Do You Know Who I Am?' - Talk - Thurs 11th May 10.30 and 11.30 (same talk twice) 

'Death In The Digital Age' - Talk - Thurs 11th May 12.45 - 13.45

'Icons For An Unknown Faith' - Talk - Thurs 11th May 11th 5-6

​'Keeping Company' - Talk - Thurs 11th May 6-8 and Sat 13th May 4.30-6.30

'Buried Alive, Past Funeral Customs In Calderdale' - Talk - Thurs 11th May 9.30-10.30 pm

'Is A Hospice Just For Dying In?' - Talk/Q&A - Fri 12th May 11-1

'Tea With The Undertaker' - Talk/Q&A - Fri 12th May 3.30-4.30

sharing feelings 


'People Affected By Suicide - Space To Talk' - Discussion - Sunday 7th May 11-1 

'Men Affected By Suicide' - Discussion - Wed 10th May 10-12

'Men's Grief Group' - Discussion - Thurs 11th May 7-9

'LAPT Improving Access To Psychological Therapies' - Info Sharing - Friday 12th May 10.30-4

'Faith, Fear and Philip Larken - Discussion - Fri 12th May 1.15-2.45

performance


​'With-in-Memoriam'- Performance - Sun 7th May 9-10pm 

'You Cant Take It With You! A Celebration Of Dead Good Tunes' - Concert - Mon 8th May 7.30-9

'The Cleverest Thief' - Performance - Tues 9th May 3-5

'I Don't Know What I'm Supposed To Be Doing' - Performance - Tues 9th May 7-9 

'Gilgamesh' - Performance - Wed 10th May 6.30-8.30

'The C Word' - Performance /Q&A - Thurs 11th May 8.30-9.30

'Deadly Quiz' Followed By 'Play Back Theatre' - Quiz/Performance - Fri 12th May 7-9

'A Tribulation Concert' - Performance - Say 13th May 3.30-5.30

Get Stuck in

​'The Human Cry (Part 1)' - Discussion - Mon 8th May 10-12

'Grave Yards and Burial Places' - Walk - Mon 8th May 10.30-12

'The Human Cry (Part 2)' - Workshop - Mon 8th May 1.30-4

'Leaving Your Mark' - Writing Workshop - Mon 8th May 1.45-3.45

'Natural Funeral Flowers' - Workshop - Wed 10th May 10.15-11.45

Death Cafe - Discussion - Wed 10th May 10.30-4.30 

'Mementoes' - Writing Workshop - Wed 10th May 3-5

'Traveling The Path Into Death' - Workshop - Wed 10th May 6.30-8.30

'Reiki With Catherine' - Info/Short Treatments - Thurs 11th May 11-1

'Return To The Land Of Your Soul' - Chanting - Thurs 11th May 2.15-3.45

'Poems To Die For' - Poetry Reading/Discussion - Thurs 11th May 2.30-4.30 

'Singing For the Dying' - Meeting - Thurs 11th May 7.30-8.30

'Death Disco' - Thurs 11th May 9.30pm onwards

'The Crossing' - Discussion - Fri 12th May 10-3.30

'Who Do You Think You Are?' - Workshop - Fri 12th May 3-4.30

Films
'A Monster Calls' - Film 12a Cert - Fri 12th May - 2-3.50 (doors 1.30)

'Whose Life Is It Anyway?' - Film 15 Cert - Fri 12th May 4.10-6.10 (doors 3.55)
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'Big Hero 6' - Film PG Cert - Sat 13th May 11-12.45 (doors 10.30)


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Children and Families 
'Dragonflies and Waterbugs' - Workshop- age 8-11- Sun 7th May 12.30-2

​'Did the school hamster really just "go to sleep?"' - Talk/Q&A - FOR ADULTS ONLY - Thurs 11th May 4.45-6 

'A Monster Calls' - Film 12a Cert - Fri 12th May - 2-3.50 (doors 1.30)

'Big Hero 6' - Film PG cert - Sat 13th May 11-12.45 (doors 10.30)

'Skull Painting' - Craft - Sat 13th May 1-2 

'Waterside Wonders' - Final Fling - Sat 13th May 2-4