Liz Rothschild set up the Kicking the Bucket Festival in 2012 as it became clear to her through working as a celebrant and burial ground manager that it was essential to talk with people before a bereavement in order for people to feel able to ask for what they really need...

Kismet started out as ‘3 women, 3 voices, many instruments’. They formed in 2001 when Kath Lucas (whistles, clarinet), Jackie Singer (violin, mandola) and Melissa Holding (piano, accordion, koto) met at Kath’s house in the Cotswolds to share lunch and play some Celtic and Eastern European tunes...

Arne Richards is an Independent, Green Fuse-trained Funeral Celebrant.
As an experienced facilitator and presenter he knows first hand how the flow of a good funeral ceremony with its tapestry of poetry, music, words and ritual can guide the thoughts and feelings of mourners through the grieving process towards a sense of hope, love and mutual support...

Christine is an experienced clinician, Psychotherapist and Organisational Consultant with a solid career history spanning twenty years working across health and social care. Christine’s practice has a strong focus on change, inclusive leadership and transition...

Wendy is a former Registered Nurse and trained as a Soul Midwife in 2013. Since 2015 she’s facilitated workshops around death and dying, both for professionals and members of the public. She believes strongly that we all have “wisdom within”...

Srinder is a registered nurse who has worked in the field of palliative care for over 30 years. She holds a BA(Hons) in Palliative Care and a PGC in Working with Bereaved People, as well as qualifications in teaching and CBT...

Diane James is currently the Head of Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service (PBSS). Blue Cross offers a free helpline service which supports any type of pet loss, by phone, email and web chat, running for nearly 30 years...

Kat Soares is a recovering sustainability professional who has adopted a ‘slow living’ lifestyle on a small piece of land in Northern Aberdeenshire where she and her husband are enjoying learning about growing and preserving food, foraging wild foods, and keeping chickens...

James has valuable experience in the field of healing power often found from reconnecting with nature through organic horticulture and the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices...

Sophia, founder of Woven Farewell Coffins, a small willow coffin company based in Devon and the East Midlands, says "I comes from a bountifully creative family, with a mother who role modelled entrepreneurialism with a big grin and open arms...

Debi works with the bereaved (or the deceased before they transition) to put together person-centred funeral ceremonies and memorials to give fitting and inclusive farewells. She uses her working knowledge of culture, tradition, religion and spirituality and her experiential knowledge of African-Caribbean funeral practices...

Lubna Arshad was born and raised in Oxford. She achieved a BSC(Hons) in Computer Network Technologies from Manchester and has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry. Lubna's passion for equality and fairness led her to be elected as a City Councillor in 2018, representing Cowley Marsh initially, and later, due to electoral boundary changes, serving Temple Cowley...

I was a one-time death-phobe turned positive embracer of my mortality. As I write, I am alive, kicking and living on Dartmoor in Devon. The change started in 1999 and happened slowly...

Dr Georgina M. Robinson is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Theology and Religion and Centre for Death-Life Studies at Durham University, currently working
on a large European Digital Death Project with academics...

Darius ‘Victoryforu’ Smith is a fashion creative, dancer, writer, content creator and award-winning campaigner. He is also the Youth-Led Content Creator at Oxfordshire Youth. His creativity is rooted in the authenticity of his Christian faith. He is an advocate for suicide prevention, body positivity, domestic abuse education, and mental health...

Janet Stansfeld has been facilitating singing in community and healthcare settings in and around Oxford for over 20 years. She loves the way that unaccompanied harmony singing enables a heartfelt connection to self and others...

I have exhibited my own photographs as part of Artweeks in Oxford for several years. Also, as a freelance support worker for people with young onset dementia in the community, I use photography to make pictures with the people I work with...

Estephanie trained initially as a General Nurse and worked in a range of clinical settings before moving into Nurse Education at the University of Northumbria. She returned to clinical practice as a Lecturer Practitioner in Child Health...

Starting out as a small informal off-shoot of Wessex Male Choir (aka The Wessex), After Eight has evolved over the years, both in terms of repertoire and singers. Our regular fortnightly meeting at various hostelries in and around Swindon usually involve a drink to start and some singing, in that order...

I have a keen interest in the effects of grief and how we deal with bereavement in our society, as well as our reluctance to talk about death and preparing for it...

Jackie Singer is a storyteller, musician, celebrant and author of the book Birthrites – Rituals and Celebrations for the Child-Bearing Years.  Trained originally as a Drama and Movement Therapist, Jackie bridges the arts and healing worlds with performances, ceremonies, workshops, courses and one-to-one sessions...

Milly Booth-Boniface has a BA and MA in Archaeology at Cardiff University. She has worked for over 9 years in the heritage sector...

Kath Lucas has worked for many years as a musician/choir leader/teacher/project worker in many community settings, including disability theatre and the Mulberry Bush School (for traumatised children). She loves working collaboratively with others to create music, songs in particular...

Catherine Joy White is an actor, writer, filmmaker, gender advisor to the UN and founder of the award-winning Kusini Productions, a company established to champion the voices of Black women...

Sofia qualified as a solicitor in 2008 after studying law at university. She trained at a local Oxfordshire firm and has since worked at both local and regional sized firms in and around the county...

Rawz is a Multidisciplinary Artist from Oxford. His practice centres around words and music, and is rooted in social justice and the exploration and understanding of our interconnected worlds.
Rawz’ story is one of extreme contrast, determination, and triumph against the odds...

Panu Pihkala (b. 1979, he/his) is a Finnish researcher of eco-emotions and a workshop leader, who earlier also worked as a pastor. He has applied grief theory and practice to workshops and written material...