Last year, the inaugural A Matter of Life and Death festival presented an unforgettable week of imaginatively curated events exploring that most taboo of subjects, death, and its absolute inevitability. What on the surface may appear grim (reaperish?) content for  ‘entertainment’ is a blossoming cultural carnival of frank and honest discussion, mixed easily with tears of joy and sadness. There is simply no escaping the fact that life ends, what events such as A Matter of Life and Death foster is the space to understand, accept and ultimately embrace the full circle of existence. So many highlights including a Kitchen Conjurer Sleepy Hollow screening complete with bizarre snack tastealong, workshops on fabulous funerals, the stunning exhibition Memento Mori: Exploring Death and Dying through Art, a natural burial ground tour and our favourite, a performance of The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad, a production exploring bereavement for kids. The wonderful Death Cafe’s will be running throughout.

Thu 10 May to Sat 26 May at various venues, various prices brumyodo.org.uk/

Check out our other May art picks here.