As ‘In Memoriam ‘, an outdoor artwork by Luke Jerram opens to visitors, join undertaker Carrie Weekes as she talks to local guest speakers on how we can find ways to commemorate the impact of COVID-19 and the fundamental role that creativity and community plays in times of crisis.

With Graham Callister, Director of Festivals Birmingham Hippodrome; Dr Sarb Clare, Deputy Medical Director at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; Marcelle Porteous of Sew Marvellous community partner in In Memoriam.

Places are limited so reserve your free place here.

This event is part of the online programme for BrumYODO’s festival A Matter of Life and Death – our annual arts and culture festival aiming to encourage conversation about death and dying.

In Memoriam will be sited in Aston Park. Birmingham from 8-16 May during the national Dying Matters week and is presented in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome and supported by Without Walls, Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council, more info about the whole programme can be found here.

Guests 

Graham Callister is the Director of Festivals Birmingham Hippodrome. Graham directs in-house festivals that include B-Side Hip Hop Festival, Summer in Southside and Chinese New Year, has produced and directed the bi-annual Birmingham Weekender, and was Creative Producer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony.  

Dr Sarb Clare is Deputy Medical Director and Acute Medical Consultant at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. Sarb has been on the frontline caring for hundreds of people affected by Covid, witnessing first-hand the toll it has taken on our community and NHS colleagues. 

Marcelle Porteous is a single mom and Customer Success Director for a global tech company. Since April 2020, she has been the driving force behind Sew Marvellous, a volunteer craft group based in Birmingham who have lovingly created and distributed 28,000 handmade items to charities, community groups and the NHS in our city. She is chair and trustee of the Big Community Sew, which enables home sewers across the UK to make for charitable causes.

Carrie Weekes is member of BrumYODO and co-founder of award winning funeral directors, A Natural Undertaking based in Birmingham. They believe that choice and the power to take greater control are important when saying our final farewells, providing unique funerals that reflect an individual’s qualities.

The event is free to attend, but booking is required.