Cark-It-Cafe: Creative Conversations on Death & Dying for LGBTIQ+ : Event 1 of 4

Cark It Café: Creative Conversations on Death & Dying

Hosted by Jewelz (The Hoola Doola)

We’re kicking off the Cark It Café series with a powerful, art-filled day of community, creativity, and compassionate conversation around death, dying, and what matters most.

This LGBTIQ+ led event welcomes queer folks, friends, and allies to explore mortality through artmaking, poetry, and open dialogue — all held in a safe, inclusive, and affirming space.

🕘 Doors open at 9:45am for a 10:00am prompt start.

Event Schedule & Highlights:

🎨 10:00am – 11:30am | Memento Mori Art Workshop with Emmie Murphy
Join community arts practitioner and founder of Wild Learning, Emmie Murphy, for a hands-on creative exploration of impermanence, legacy, and life’s meaning. You’ll create a personal collage artwork and contribute to the decoration of a Daisy Box cardboard casket — a symbolic act of collective care and reflection.
No art experience needed — just curiosity and heart.

📝 12.30pm – 2pm | Memento Mori Death Slam Workshop with Pixie Willo
Facilitated by queer poet and creative arts therapist Pixie Willo, this writing and performance workshop invites you to transform your reflections on death and grief into powerful slam poetry. Write your own eulogy, honour someone you’ve loved and lost, or explore what it means to face endings with openness.
You’ll have the option to share your piece in a supportive space — and with consent, your words can become part of the collaborative casket installation.

☕ 2:30pm – 4:30pm | Cark It Café — A Death Café with a Twist
Settle in with a cuppa for an open-hearted conversation, not a counselling session. Death Cafés are about sharing experiences, reflections, and thoughts around death in a safe, non-judgemental space.

At this Cark It Café, we’re adding our own twist — guest speakers who bring insight, lived experience, and practical knowledge to help us navigate the often-avoided topic of death and dying.

You’ll hear from:

• Russ Gluyas from ACON’s LOVE Project, offering tools and information from the Taking Control Toolkit — a vital resource for older LGBTIQ+ folks and people living with HIV.

• Scott Read from Palliative Care NSW, a queer nurse and passionate advocate for person-centred end-of-life care, drawing from both clinical and personal experience.

• Dying with Dignity NSW, sharing stories from the campaign for Voluntary Assisted Dying and practical insights into end-of-life rights and planning.

Holding Space at Cark It Café
We’re joined by Jude Tynan (she/they), a skilled and compassionate Mental Health Social Worker and Family Therapist.
Jude specialises in working with the LGBTIQ+ community, survivors of adult and childhood trauma, complex family dynamics, and relationship difficulties.

From 12:30–4:30pm, Jude will be there to simply sit, listen, and hold space.
Learn more: opendialogue.com.au/jude-tynan

This is a space for connection and dialogue — whether you're here to listen, speak, or simply be in community.

Join us for this special first event in the Cark It Café series — where creativity meets mortality, and community meets courage.