On the Irregular with Java Bere

For the final episode of season 4 I talk with undertaker and owner of the independent funeral service Natural Endings, Rosie Grant. After listening to several episodes of this season, Rosie reached out to me to suggest talking with me about her creative, personal, and as she described it ‘radical’, approach to honouring the lives of those we love. I have admired Rosie and her fellow undertaker Lisa’s work from afar, via social media, so this felt like a true honour to be invited over for a chat, and the perfect way to end this season on creativity and grief. One grey July morning, Jon and I drove over to visit Rosie and Lisa in the old sorting office in the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden. Rosie has thoughtfully transformed the beautiful and characterful old buildings into a mortuary alongside a light and airy space for hosting ceremonies. Our conversation with Rosie was both moving and insightful. And because Jon was present to help out with recording, and I knew he would have questions and thoughts, I invited him to chime in if he felt compelled to. Which he did (although slightly muffled as he wasn’t mic’d up). what came out of this was an incredibly open and vulnerable conversation about grief, honouring the lives of others and developing our own personal rituals. I cannot wait for you to hear Rosie’s fascinating story, about how she first found her calling as an undertaker in the mid 90’s, through organising her own mother’s funeral, How she navigated the very traditional world of funeral directors, her stint as a cabaret performer, her training as a psychotherapist and then her return to her ultimate purpose as a funeral director. This conversation has stayed with me on a profound level, and the topics we discussed have ignited many important conversations with my own friends and family. Thank you Rosie and Lisa for inviting us into the beautiful space you have created and for demystifying the process of death, ritual and grieving. We feel truly honoured. A gentle warning, this episode contains some swearing, mentions of infant death and some references which may be upsetting. Welcome to the season finale of On the Irregular: On Creativity and Grief with Rosie Grant. You can find Rosie online at naturalendings.co.uk and on instagram @naturalendings or please head to the show notes for links. Support the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit javacbere.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk with writer, poet and playwright, Cordelia O’Neill. We discuss Cordelia’s play ‘Anything is Possible if You Think About it Hard Enough’ about a young couple whose baby is born still. We discuss creativity as a tool for developing empathy and how experiencing loss can bring you closer to joy, love and hope. And we talk about the twist of fate where Cordelia’s life imitated her art. This episode includes swearing and an in depth and detailed conversation about our personal experiences of late stage termination for medical reasons, so please be aware before listening. Welcome to my chat with the tender and ever so lovely Cordelia. You can find Cordelia online on X @cordeliaoneill3 or at www.smallthingstheatre.com If you or someone you know has experienced or is experiencing baby loss through late stage termination, you can find support at ARC (antenatal results and choices) www.arc-uk.org Post production and jungle composition: Jon Tipler Support the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit javacbere.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk with Yorkshire artist, Jess Kidd. We discuss Jess’ childhood as an acutely shy child who often lived in her own imaginary world, the comfort she found in creativity as a form of expressing herself, the challenges she experienced at art school and then being diagnosed with health issues that impacted her life dramatically. We also talk about cognitive behavioural therapy and the place it has in her creative process, her multi disciplinary practice and the solace she finds in nature.. Welcome to my chat with the ever so gentle, and ever so thoughtful Jess Kidd. A gentle warning, this episode contains swearing You can find Jess online at https://www.jesskiddart.co.uk and on instagram @jesskiddart Jess would like to share the following resource which she has found useful: https://letstalkaboutloss.org/ @talkaboutloss Post production and jingle composition: Jon Tipler Support the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit javacbere.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk to photographer Jo Ritchie and writer Laura Mcdonagh. We talk about their work on Projecting Grief, a collection of stories and portraits from individuals who have found comfort, distraction or hope in a creative pursuit after losing someone they love. We also talk about how they came together creatively, their own experiences of grief and how it has changed them in defining ways, the power in sharing your own story of grief and the things we gain through loss. Welcome to my conversation with the utterly wonderful Laura and Jo. A warning, this conversation contains swearing and the odd bit of background drilling from the workmen next door. You can find Projecting Grief online at projectinggrief.com and on Instagram @projecting_grief Post production and jingle composition: Jon Tipler Support the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit javacbere.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk with writer and disabled content creator, Helen Lear. Helen and I met at drama school in Manchester, sixteen years ago. Since then, a lot has happened. In her twenties, Helen dropped her life in the Uk to travel through Australia and New Zealand, envisioning a life of further international travel ahead of her. During this time she began to experience serious health issues that were impacting her day to day life, which led her to the difficult decision of moving back to the UK. Then, Age 27, and eight months into a new relationship, Helen suddenly lost her vision and became paralysed from the neck down, both overnight. Helen then had to go through the process of regaining her sight and learning how to walk again. We talk about adjusting to her newly medicalised life at the time, having to give up a job she loved, and all the other versions of herself that she often thinks about, had none of this happened, We talk about how using a wheelchair has opened up the possibility of travel for her again and how meeting new people and visiting new places soothes her feeling of unsettledness. Welcome to my conversation with my lovely friend, Hele Lear. A gentle warning, this episode contains swearing. You can find Helen online at https://www.wheelybraw.scot and on Instagram @wheelybraw or you can head ot the shownotes for links. Post production and jingle composition: Jon Tipler Support the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit javacbere.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.