Yinnar South Church

Beautiful, raw, and honest: Events at Yinnar South

Twin events, ‘On Being Mortal’, a group reflection led by death doula Rev Sue Newcombe, and ‘Aidios’, an art installation by local artist Liz Tyler, provided a safe place for people to talk about death and dying at the Yinnar South Historic Church on the weekend of April 11 to April 12.

Eleven people attended Rev Sue’s session ‘On Being Mortal’, where she led an intimate discussion on what death means for those experiencing or contemplating their own death journey or that of someone close to them. As a death doula, Rev Sue is trained to help people navigate their end-of-life journey. A safe space, whereby mutual agreement thoughts expressed would not leave the room, the session was a time of sharing thoughts and experiences as well as asking questions. Some of what was spoken of was hopeful and some bittersweet, as people shared their fears and feelings and beliefs about death and dying.

The art installation ‘Aidios’, a Greek word meaning ‘timeless eternity’, was also well-attended, even though the weekend was a rainy one. The installation by local artist Liz Tyler -- who has been exploring archways as a point of transition -- consisted of five large monotype prints, four of which were suspended from fishing line within the church, and one which was attached to the pale blue entry door. Their arched shape complemented the arched windows of the church. Each of the prints contained dancing or falling figures, lit by the natural light filtering through the church windows. The positioning of the prints was done in such a way as to have the blue paint of the church interior above and the white paint below, and many of the visitors commented on how well the colour enhanced the artwork, remarking that the blue made them think of the sky or of heaven.

A few of the visitors had an added tour of the Yinnar South countryside as they got lost while looking for the church and arrived by circuitous route! Visitors were both impressed and touched by the exhibition. One lady, Michelle, commented, ‘We loved the experience and wanted to linger. Somehow, even the dreary weather today just added to the drama. Beautiful, raw, and honest.’

Both events were held on the weekend of April 11-12, with ‘Aidios’ held from 1 PM – 4 PM both Saturday and Sunday, and ‘On Being Mortal’ held from 11 AM – 12 PM on Saturday only.