Launch of the Centre for Open Thanatology

Join us for the launch event for The Centre for Open Thanatology. It is The Open University’s interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to the study and education of death, dying, loss, and grief across the life course and in diverse contexts. The theme for the day is Dialogue and Engagement with Death and Loss, reflecting the Centre’s vision to use research and education to foster open dialogue and critical engagement with death and loss.

This event is open to everyone – interested members of the public, practitioners, academic and community researchers, students, and service providers.

Highlights include:

· Keynote by Professor Neil Thompson

· Live Podcast recording with Dr Bethan Michael-Fox interviewing Dr Korina Giaxoglou.

It will be a chance for you to learn more about the Centre’s work and future opportunities. At the launch, you will hear from members of Open Thanatology about different areas of our research, such as:

- history, stories and archives

- health and social care

- bereavement support

- funeral practices

- climate change

The event will feature a mixture of presentations and discussions. The schedule includes time for networking and viewing materials produced by Centre members.

Places are limited for in-person attendance, so we recommend registering early. In-person attendees will be provided with a lunch voucher to be used at the Hub, along with refreshments throughout the day. Details about how to get to the Open University campus, including cost-effective travel routes, will be shared with registrants via email.

At the time of advertising, we cannot guarantee that all content will be recorded or shared electronically after the event. For online attendees, access to in-person presentations is via live-stream.

Programme Overview

9:30am Registration (in-person); from 9.55am online participants moved from lobby

10.00am Welcome

Professor Erica Borgstrom, Co-Director for the Centre for Open Thanatology

Professor Lindsay O’Dell, Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies

10.15am Keynote

Professor Neil Thompson - “A Career in Grief”

11.00am Panel 1: Postgraduate Research Showcase

Kirstie Atherton: “Opting for the Unknown: Are we in control of direct cremation and do we know where it will lead us?”

Dr Danny Conway: “Some in joy and some in sorrow - Voluntary Gravedigging in the West of Ireland.”

Andy Langford: “Factors that influence the practice of trained volunteers providing telephone support to bereaved men.”

12.00pm Lunch Break (for online participants, from 1pm breakout rooms are available for networking)

1.30pm Panel 2: Presentations from Centre for Open Thanatology members and colleagues

IN PERSON STREAM

Dr Jon Rainford & Dr Stephanie Mulrine: “Grieving Divergently: Exploring experiences of grief and bereavement for neurodivergent children and young people.”

Dr Stuart Taylor: “Legacies of The Lost in Criminology.”

ONLINE STREAM

Dr Marie Clancy: “Arts based approaches to death literacy and palliative care practitioners' wellbeing.”

Dr Carly Speed: “Thinking Critically About The Lack Of Change Concerning Deaths in Psychiatric Detention."

2:15pm Roundtable Discussion “Existential Dis/Connections-Exploring death and its aftermath through a decolonising lens.”

Panel members: Dr Eleni Dimou, Dr Lystra Hagley-Dickinson, Dr Jane McCarthy, Rekha Vijayshankar, Dr Catherine Pestano.

3.00pm Break

3.20pm The Death Studies Podcast Live Interview - Dr Bethan Michael-Fox in conversation with Dr Korina Giaxoglou

4.20 pm Closing Remarks