On 25th May, we will be hosting two live, online performances of Homeward Bound and Hospice: A Love Story in partnership with American based artistic movement, Grief Dialogues Health Care Education and the Highland Hospice, Inverness.
Airing live, via Zoom at 6.00pm, the performances are being brought to life by drama students, Sophie Wink and Luke Carmichael from Inverness College University of the Highland and Islands and by veteran Grief Dialogues actors Gretchen Douma and Kiki Abba who reprise their original roles.
Opening up conversations around death and dying
Both performances offer a creative and valuable educational experience that help to open up important conversations about death and dying, and shed light on the human impact receiving a terminal diagnosis can have on a family.
Homeward Bound (Seth’s Story) is based on the true story of Seth and Lesley Goodburn and the 33 short and heart-breaking days from Seth’s diagnosis with pancreatic cancer to his death. Originally written as a play in 2016 and developed by the National Council for Palliative Care and Pancreatic Cancer UK to help improve end of life care, it has since been filmed and widely shared as a valuable educational resource for health care professionals as part of training and service improvement programmes.
Hospice: A Love Story is written and based on the experiences of Elizabeth Coplan, Founder and Chief Playwright for Grief Dialogues. Focusing on death and all its complications – relationship, physical, spiritual – it tells the poignant story of a ‘crisis at the bedside’ between two sisters trying to come to terms with death of their mother who had cancer.
After the performances, both Lesley and Elizabeth will be available to discuss and answer audience questions.
Creatively bringing education alive
Speaking ahead of the live performances, Clinical Education Lead at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, Camilla Barrow, said:
“We’re always seeking out new and innovative ways to share our knowledge and expertise to help improve palliative and end of life care for patients and carers. We’re committed to engaging and reaching as many people as possible and working with our partners on this project is a real privilege.
“We’re excited to be bringing education alive creatively through these live performances and hope people find them a valuable educational resource.”
To register your interest in this unique live performance, please visit Eventbrite.
To find out more about Birmingham St Mary’s wider curriculum of palliative and end of care education, please visit www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/courses-training
