Friend of Final Fling, artist Gina Czarnecki, is chuffed that her plan to commission 25 coffins to inspire thinking about death has been funded, thanks to Arts Council England & Lottery Ticket-buyers.

Gina says, “The exhibition and public events Who We Are Now is built upon The Last Wish Project and is inspired by ideological challenges around life and death, art, culture, and the funeral industry.”

Coffins to inspire thinking about death

There will be a call for ideas and twenty five of the coffins will be designed by people across England to celebrate diversity. The coffins will provide observations and provocations about death, dying, funerals, ownership, authorship, taboos, values, traditions and cultural practices.

The coffins will be shown at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on Mexican Day of the Dead, Halloween and All Souls day this year. They’re sure to spark debate.

It’s not Gina’s first round of funding. She received a £50,000 grant for The Last Wish Company from the Arts Council England North West to manufacture 100% recycled and biodegradable ‘end of life pods’. The money helped her to produce 10 prototypes. Just as with this year’s project, the coffins were exhibited as artworks before being sold.

Gina started developing the idea for creative, bespoke pods her dad died. She believes individual and unique coffins can help people with their grief after the death of a loved one. “There was a gap in the market for customisable, eco-friendly coffins and I found more and more people telling me that it was a great idea and that they wanted one too.” Gina was part of Spark Up, a programme to support emerging ideas get off the ground.

 

Final Fling is interested in sharing opportunities for discussion and engagement with death and dying and the rituals around these most significant life events. If you have an event to share, use our free EVENTS noticeboard.