The history of death masks: faces of the departed
Throughout history, humans have longed to remember the dead—not just in spirit, but in form. Among the most haunting and intimate expressions of this desire is the death mask: a cast taken from a person’s face shortly after death. More realistic and tangible than a portrait and more personal than a gravestone, these masks freeze a final moment in time. They’ve been used to honour monarchs, memorialise artists, and even explore the science of the human skull. From Tutankhamun to Lenin, let’s take a look at death masks through history.
Books for children and young people – World Book Day
We know that death and dying is a taboo topic for most adults, but this is especially the case when communicating it to children and young people. To mark World Book Day on 6 March, Part of Life guest blogger, Amy Jackson, explores some of the most popular children’s books on death, dying and grief.
Assisted dying in the UK: compassion or manslaughter?
As MPs voted in favour of Kim Leadbeater’s Private Member’s Bill on Assisted Dying, we delve deeper into the issues of assisted dying and explore opinions on both sides of the debate.
Burial customs from around the world
In the western world, though our funerary practices are evolving, we are most familiar with two methods to dispose of the dead: burial and cremation. In other parts of the world, the treatment of the dead and disposal of remains can vary enormously, with vastly differing rituals and beliefs.
A Good Goodbye
What makes a good goodbye? We invited independent funeral celebrant, and ex-social worker, Susanna Watson to share her thoughts on what elements make for a good funeral send off.
Cemetery Photography
Ever heard of Taphophilia? We approached tombstone tourist, Madame Cimetière, to share her love of cemetery photography and discover more about this respectful and beautiful art form.
Dr. Kate Woodthorpe on the future of grief
Part of Life spoke to Dr. Kate Woodthorpe, Co-Director of the Centre for Death and Society (CDAS) at Bath University, about how she came to work in death studies and where she believes the future of grief is heading.
‘Get Mortal’ - Dead Good Parties
We are sisters, Katy and Lindsey Vigurs (Vigurs rhymes with tigers). We are the founding directors of DEAD GOOD, a not-for-profit, arts-based death education company that aims to end taboos around all things death and dying. We have deliberately introduced a bright, bold and quirky vibe to the death education scene in the UK.
A Grandparent’s Grief
The death of a grandchild is hard to bear. But the death of three and his own wife, seems incomprehensible. Self declared ‘problem solver’ and grandfather Peter Hime, shares his perspectives on making death a part of life for children and how to support a family through the impossible.
End of life care and learning disabilities
People with a learning disability and autistic people, who die earlier than the rest of the population face little or no end-of-life care planning. Lynnette Glass, BSW LeDeR area coordinator writes about their ambition to change this inequality.
From the mouths of babes…
19 year-old Jess’s Mum died in May 2021. In this honest and disarming interview Jess shares her experience of death, grief and bereavement and its catastrophic impact on her academic career and personal life.
More Than Ever - a film review
Film review of Cannes nominee More Than Ever. A tale of love, loss, grief and conscious death against the breathtaking backdrop of the Norwegian fjords.
Death is a dirty word
Like birth, it is something that unites us all, yet death has become a dirty word. Part of Life is here to change that.