BrumYODO is delighted to present another ‘In-Conversation With’ event. A series of facilitated conversations with interesting people from the world of art, comedy & literature about death, dying and remembrance.
In this next In Conversation event on the 16th of December BBC Radio’s Nikki Tapper talks to Robin Ince, acclaimed comedian and co-host of Radio 4s The Infinite Monkey Cage; and award-winning undertaker and comedy fan Carrie Weekes about the importance of laughter and humour as part of acceptance, grieving and remembrance.
Tickets can be booked here
Robin Ince
Robin Ince is a comedian, an author, a broadcaster and a populariser of scientific ideas.
He is best known as the co-host of the Sony Gold Award winning BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox. He also co-hosts the podcast Robin and Josie’s Book Shambles, which gains over 100,000 listeners a month and is part of The Cosmic Shambles Network, which he also co-created.
His most recent book, I’m a Joke and So Are You, was described by Chortle as ‘one of the best books ever written about what it means to be a comedian’ and is about humanity and using humour to cope with death, grief & melancholy. He also wrote the book, The Bad Book Club, and has edited and written short stories for two volumes of Dead Funny: Horror Stories by Comedians, as well as writing and presenting documentaries about the history of self-help, comedians and melancholy, Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, Richard Feynman, General Relativity and Dr Seuss.
As a stand up he has toured the world and won three Chortle Awards, the Time Out Outstanding Achievement Award and was nominated for the British Comedy Awards Best Live show. The Guardian once wrote that, ‘When someone writes a history of modern comedy, they should make room for Robin Ince’ and of his latest show The Scotsman described it as an ‘alchemic mix of enthusiasm, knowledge and observation’.
He has created, curated, pioneered and hosted numerous nights mixing science, music and comedy at some of the most celebrated venues around the world from the Hammersmith Apollo to the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto and the Royal Albert Hall. His brainchild Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People continues to sell out theatres every year, over a decade after its first appearance, and in 2019 he embarked on a world tour of arenas with Professor Brian Cox.
He has received an Honorary Fellowship of UCL, an honorary doctorate from Royal Holloway College (University of London), and is a fellow of the British Science Association.
Carrie Weekes
Carrie Weekes is 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.
As a member of BrumYODO, Carrie is passionate about raising awareness for end of life choices and encouraging discussion. Providing supportive spaces and opportunities that enable better conversations about death and dying.
