She said literature, art and design offered “gentle entrance points into what is a vast, complex, difficult, challenging and traumatic topic at times. Luby said 60% of participants said they felt more comfortable talking about death in a library.ĭr Stacey Pitsillides, vice-chancellor’s senior research fellow in the school of design at Northumbria University, has created online and physical works that encourage people to engage with the subject. Victoria Dilly, future funding project manager at Libraries Connected, said: “Libraries can be that safe trusted space in the community to have conversations that might not always be welcome in every area of society … Having a space where those conversations can happen with caring staff on hand to support is actually really powerful.” This is being investigated and a further statement will be made. We deeply apologise for the offence caused. Unfortunately one of the animal costumes was inappropriate which we were not aware of at the time of booking. In our society, death is an even bigger taboo than sex.” During an event put on at the library today there was a performance by a Carnival Arts Company. We avoid planning for it and feel awkward around people who are grieving. “It’s well understood that we’re all going to die but the problem is that we just don’t talk about it. “In the current climate, we have been prompted to think more about loss: the loss of normality, loss of work or income, and the loss of loved ones,” she said in the Libraries Connected proposal. The sick performer, now known online as 'Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey,' is part of the Mandiga Arts Group. More than 5,000 people have attended their digital events in the last year. Redbridge Libraries Summer Reading Challenge event at Goodmayes Library in east London sent shockwaves through social media as footage of the monkey thrusting his prosthetic penis at passing vehicles went viral. So far 58 libraries have expressed interest to the charity Libraries Connected, which is working with the three libraries and academics from the University of Northumbria on a framework to help all libraries become death-positive.Įven though libraries have not been able to physically open throughout the whole of the pandemic, there has been huge demand for them, said Anita Luby, head of cultural services at Redbridge. Thank you If your event doesn’t appear on the Calendar page within 24 hours of submission, please email with the details so we can locate it and ensure it’s published.
Redbridge central library monkey registration#
And now, as the pandemic death toll continues to rise, it is set to be rolled out nationwide. If your event is virtual, please ensure you have included a link to registration in the description section. Redbridge is one of three library services in the UK – the others being Newcastle and Kirklees – that have joined the initiative.