Philadelphia Death and Arts Festival

05/31/2026

One year since the Philly Death and Arts Festival and we are still in awe of what a magical weekend it was. The art was stunning. The death was educational. We grieved together, we had long conversations together, we built a mandala together, we sang together, all under trees and above the graves of so many. Meanwhile, we are cooking up good things for the next one...

03/20/2026

If you attended mayfield brooks' performances at last year's festival, you're in luck. They are returning to Philly to share their brilliance at The Whole Shebang the first weekend of May. I know at least one festival organizer will be there all weekend.

Here's more info:

Rage Rave
May 1, 6-9pm
$15, NOTAFLOF
@ The Whole Shebang, 1813 S 11th St
More info: https://www.thewholeshebangphilly.com/ragerave

Decomposing Dance… Choreographing Breath
May 2 + 3, 10:30AM-4:30PM
Sliding scale $105-$200
@ The Whole Shebang, 1813 S 11th St
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVSP5e7lGEnioFAK4eDJjXEugxrpXsya2gbzqB72wZQAcdJg/viewform

01/16/2026

Throwback Thursday to our incredible 2025 festival.

Pictured are two people standing in the dirt pool in the reflective space, and Eiko Otake performing A Body In Laurel Hill.

📸 Photo by Ashley Smith, Wide-Eyed Studios

10/29/2025

We only have a few spots left for our Community Dinner on Thursday, November 13th, at 5:30 pm.

At Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley in Germantown, we’ll share photos, videos, and stories from the festival so attendees can reconnect and those who missed it can see what it was like.

Then, PDAF steering committee member and death midwife Naila Francis will guide conversations about the festival’s impact, questions around end of life and the arts, and collective dreaming for the next event.

Whether you attended the festival or not, the dinner is another opportunity to (re)connect around aging, dying, and grieving.

Space is limited, attendance is FREE. Please RSVP by November 7th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwVMklj-VUqP9yKbMhYNTmhA5PtuX6OWQUAm69Huh4ZdBPVQ/viewform

Pictured: PDAF closing ceremony, where we spontaneously gathered around the festival mandala

10/29/2025

From our friends at Threshold Collective:
Too Poor to Die: A Conversation on Equity, Dignity, and Death

Join author Amy Shea and Pat Quigley, funeral director at Laurel Hill, for an intimate evening exploring what happens when society’s most vulnerable die without resources, family, or recognition.

📖 Shea’s new book, Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins, reveals the often unseen inequities that persist even in death — and invites us to reflect on how privilege, access, and care shape our final chapters.

📅 Friday, Nov 7 at 5:30pm
📍 MAAS Building, 1325 N. Randolph St., Philadelphia

Stay after the talk for tea, conversation, and community reflection.
Donations of new men’s and women’s t-shirts will be accepted for Philly House, supporting those experiencing homelessness.

Hosted by Threshold Collective and Laurel Hill, with books available from The Head & the Hand.

10/16/2025

Join us for a Community Dinner: November 13th at 5:30 pm
Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley in Germantown

Did you attend the Philadelphia Death and Arts Festival last spring? Do you wish you had? Are you interested in future Death and Arts Festivals? Please join us for an evening of reflection on this year’s festival and visioning for the next one!

We’ll share photos, videos, and stories from the festival so attendees can reconnect and those who missed it can see what it was like.

Then, PDAF steering committee member and death midwife Naila Francis will guide conversations about the festival’s impact, questions around end of life and the arts, and collective dreaming for the next event.

Space is limited, attendance is FREE. Please RSVP by November 7th.
https://forms.gle/PMb48C6tKkqbgMy2A

The building at Wesley is fully mobility accessible. The room holding the dinner is a 2-3 minute walk down the hall from the elevator. Please contact [email protected] with any questions about accessibility.

06/01/2025

Schedule for the final day of the Death and Arts Festival!

Laurel Hill West
3PM - Shavon Norris: THE CRONING (solo.duet 48.25)
4PM - mayfield brooks: Viewing Hours
4:30PM - Black Aging Matters with Saharra Dixon, Shavon Norris &Krista Nelson
6PM - Imagining the Future of Dying and Death Care
7:30PM - Closing Ritual

Laurel Hill East
2PM - Eiko Otake: A Body in Laurel Hill
2PM - DonChristian Jones: The Politics of Mourning IV

06/01/2025

Attention festival attendees: please allow extra time to get to Laurel Hill West! Traffic may be affected by the nearby ROOTS picnic.

In general, plan to arrive early to all festival events! Show locations may require a 5 - 10 minute walk.

See you soon!

05/31/2025

Today's schedule for the Death & Arts Festival!

Laurel Hill East
1:30PM - How the Body Dies
3PM - Terminal Diagnosis Session
5:30PM - Grief Walk in the Garden of Stories with Krista Nelson
6:30PM - Learn a Lenape Mourning Song

Laurel Hill West
3PM - Mel Hsu: deciphering the knots in the pine beams
4:30PM - Panel Discussion: Caretaking Experiences
6:30PM - Writing Workshop: Care for the Grieving Heart with Naila Francis
8:30PM - Eiko Otake: Why and How I Perform in Cemeteries:

05/30/2025

https://whyy.org/articles/laurel-hill-cemetery-death-and-arts-festival/

The inaugural Death and Arts Festival, taking place at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill East and West cemeteries, brings together five artists who explore aging, dying and grieving.