Conversations on death and dying: exploring performance as a prompt.

Area of Science:

• Performing Arts
• Sociology
• Thanatology

Background:

• Conversations about death are often stigmatized, negatively impacting end-of-life care quality.
• Socially engaged projects like Death Cafes aim to encourage open discussion on mortality.
• Cultural taboos surrounding death hinder open dialogue and support systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if autobiographical performance can stimulate discussions on death and dying.
• To analyze the effectiveness of a performance/dramaturgical methodology in engaging participants with end-of-life subjects.
• To explore how autobiographical performance influences conversations about death, dying, and bereavement within a socially engaged context.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mixed-methods approach combining Practice as Research (PaR) and qualitative research strategies.
• Utilized autobiographical performance strategies within the Death, Dinner, and Performance project.
• Conducted inductive, thematic analysis of participant responses and PaR reflections.

Main Results:

• Recurring themes emerged in participant discussions regarding death and dying.
• The use of commensality and autobiographical performance facilitated engagement with sensitive topics.
• Relationality was enhanced through the socially engaged performance strategies, fostering deeper conversations.

Conclusions:

• Autobiographical performance serves as a viable method for initiating and sustaining conversations about death and dying.
• Socially engaged artistic practices can effectively address cultural stigmas surrounding mortality.
• The Death, Dinner, and Performance project demonstrates the potential of performance art in improving end-of-life communication.