This year at the wonderful Lifting the Lid International Festival of Death & Dying, whiteballoon were delighted to host this interesting and thought provoking discussion about creating meaningful goodbyes in a changing landscape.
In recent years, the landscape of funerals and how we say goodbye has changed significantly. Alongside traditional funerals, ceremonies are being reimagined and a wider range of options has emerged to reflect the diverse beliefs, values and wishes of individuals and families. From unique celebrations of life and living funerals to natural burials and direct cremation, the rituals and ceremonies surrounding death continue to evolve. But with choice, which is a positive thing, there can also be overwhelm. The most important thing is clarity, so that everyone can make informed choices that feel right for them and those they love.
For this year’s Lifting the Lid, we gathered together an expert panel to discuss this important subject. Our guests, John Adams, Katie Costello, Jess May and Dr Bill Webster, explored the changes that have taken place, the choices that are available, and the possible landscape of the future.
Watch the full talk here on YouTube:
Meet Our Panel
John Adams
John Adams is a fourth-generation funeral director, author, and host of the nationally recognised podcast Death: A Changing Industry. A past President of the National Association of Funeral Directors, he has been at the forefront of a landmark campaign to include bereavement education within the English National Curriculum – successfully achieving change in July 2025. John now works internationally, sharing his message on stages across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and is committed to breaking the silence around death, dying, and grief.
Katie Costello
Katie Costello is an award-winning soul midwife, funeral celebrant, and educator. Katie’s Dying For a Cuppa Masterclass provides CPD Accredited death education from a human perspective, and as a mentor, coach, consultant and public speaker, Katie also provides a wide range of services for professionals and organisations in this space. Katie’s mission to support the dying, honour the dead, and educate the living informs everything that she does.
Jess May
Jess May is an award-winning funeral celebrant and a Living Funeral Specialist. Founder of Crazy Diamonds Celebrations of Life for the Living, Jess helps people to create uplifting and vibrant occasions for people who are approaching death, for significant milestones in life, such as 90th birthdays, and for memory loss. Jess is a passionate advocate for living funerals and has collaborated widely, both in the UK and abroad, to spread the word about creating ceremonies that are more about life than death.
Dr Bill Webster
Dr Bill Webster is a grief counsellor, author, and well-known international speaker. He brings a unique blend of personal experience, academic education and many years of practical application to his work. Bill combines his own stories of loss with his knowledge and sense of humour to effectively communicate his message.
About Lifting the Lid International Festival of Death & Dying 2025
Now in its 5th year, this international festival lifts the lid on everything death and dying, through conversations, interactive events, workshops, art and craft sessions, live music, poetry and performance from around the world.
Organised and curated by Jo Daglass (Producer & Co-founder) and Victoria Keen (Co-founder), it features an international line-up of end of life and palliative carers, funeral directors, grief supporters, artists, writers, doctors, filmmakers, pet bereavement experts, academics, change makers and everyone in between.
Everyone involved volunteers their time, and Jo and Victoria hand-pick speakers and collaborators carefully to bring a diverse, varied and engaging, programme of events. The festival runs for 3 days, 24 hours a day and is a truly informative, creative, fun, joyful and life affirming event.
To find out more, please go to Lifting the Lid International Festival of Death & Dying 2025.