The Role of Objects and Places in Remembrance Culture: Using research in an artistic collaboration

Where do the memories of those who have died live? In their homes? Their gravestone or where their ashes were scattered? In the places they loved to visit, such as a favourite beach or a beloved football ground? In an everyday object, such as the clothes they wore? Or even in something living, like a rose bush they planted in the garden?

Using research into the history of death, dying and remembrance in twentieth-century Britain, this project involves the building and tour of an ordinary caravan full of interactive activities and works of art to get people thinking about how and why we remember those who we have lost. A visit to the caravan will involve the chance to read and listen to other people's experiences of remembering those who have died - perhaps someone from the past, or from a different cultural background. And a visit will also involve the chance to tell your own story - by adding to pieces of art in the caravan itself. This might include pinning a place on embroidered map representing somewhere that's special to you, or recording a short audio clip telling us how you remember someone you've lost. That way, the caravan will tell everyone's story of remembering over the decades.

The caravan will tour a number of sites in June 2018 and collect the contributions of members of the public along the way. It's free to visit, and there will also be a chance to take part in associated events in some of the venues, such as Leeds and Glasgow. Overall, the aim is to get everyone involved to think a bit about what role remembering our loved ones who have died plays in our everyday life - and perhaps also how we would like to be remembered when we're gone.

This project will realise unidentified impact of my Leadership Fellowship, through a major collaboration with an artist, and the use of art to engage the public in conversations about death, dying and remembrance. The project has been planned with The Grief Series team from the outset, and in consultation with our partners and venues, to ensure it meets the needs of artists, venues and their audiences. We have piloted and tailored activities to meet the needs of a broader public audience, through a process of consultation with our professional contacts (e.g. through Leeds Dying Matters Partnership), through four public engagement events at which we've tested our activities to be used in the caravan, and through working with individual participants, using an interview and consultation to develop a representation of their personal story in the artwork.
This project will have a major impact on three different groups:
1) Artists connected with The Grief Series project. This project will provide funding for over 10 artists, to develop new pieces of work, new skills, new networks, and to develop innovative ways of engaging with the public. Using academic research to inform art is a new experience for all the artists, and will enhance the quality and reputation of the work. Moreover, using sources, methodologies, approaches and findings from my research helps elevate the stories in the caravan to a more universal level. It offers the artists an opportunity to develop their knowledge of how practices of remembrance of the dead have changed and vary between communities. Finally, being part of an innovative academic/artistic partnership allows the artists to enhance their professional development and seek out similar opportunities in the future.
2) Partners/venues. The partners involved - Leeds Museums and Galleries, City of Oxford College, ARC Theatre Stockton-on-Tees, The Lighthouse Poole, and Buzzcut Festival Glasgow, with additional venues Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow, and Kampnagel, Hamburg - will benefit significantly from the project. Hosting this artwork during its inaugural tour offers the opportunity to develop their programmes with an interactive, innovative piece. It will help them attract new audiences and appeal to a diverse range of people: the subject matter is relevant to everyone, and the caravan will feature stories from a wide range of communities. It offers them the chance to present art which engages with a crucial and often taboo social issue. Finally, the project offers the opportunity to participate in an innovative partnership between artists and academics and identify the best ways of maximising such collaborations, enhancing the reputation of the partners/venues involved.
3) Members of the public. This project will reach thousands of people - c.2000 live and c.6000 through online, broadcast and media contact (estimate from Grief Series production team based on evaluation of previous Grief Series events). Interaction with the caravan and events will have a significant impact on participants. It will offer the opportunity to learn about past practices of remembrance, share their own story and in doing so reflect on how they remember and how they want to be remembered - a crucial issue for us all. The caravan will be free, whilst events offer the opportunity for those interested to engage more deeply with the research. Featuring the stories of a wide range of groups such as Gypsies and Travellers, those from BAME backgrounds, LGBTQ* people and those from other minority groups, the caravan will have wide appeal across the British population. By creating conversations about remembrance, we are encouraging people to reflect on death and dying, in a sensitive and non-confrontational way. This can be an emotional topic which many people remain scared of - using personal stories, examples of past practice, and beautiful high-quality artwork (see Visual Evidence) offers a valuable route to personal reflection.