Together, we can stare down the final mystery with a song on our lips!

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Performers and researchers, Doctor Leah Cotterell and Mistress Narelle McCoy, have created warmly entertaining and moving shows that explore cemetery spaces and funeral practices.  Their aim is to de-stigmatise and demystify end of life and funeral practices by prompting reflections and conversations in good company. In their performances they share their own stories, the stories of other funeral singers, and their research on the role of music in death, grief and mourning. By presenting their research to general audiences in cemeteries, museums and community halls, Leah and Narelle have succeeded in creating safe spaces for conversation and reflection about end of life care, death and mourning rituals.

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> More about the performance projects

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In 2026:

• Contributing to the establishment of the Queensland Cemetery Heritage and Arts Association

• Presenting at the “Stories in Stone” Conference 29 August

• Preparing an academic article for submission to a top journal

• Joining a creative writing project with the Centre for Death & Society (Bath University)

• Fundraising for a 2027 season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

• Planning to document and share a “Death for Dinner” conversation