A festival is set to be held in Stretford over a weekend to encourage people to think and talk about death.

The festival, billed as ‘A celebration of our final destination’, will take place from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 12, and coincides with Dying Matters Awareness Week, with three days of activities taking place at Stretford Public Hall.  

On the Friday, a number of free workshops will be held, inviting people to take part in a wide range of activities, from poetry and embroidery to breathwork.

The Saturday will see members of the public invited to the Dead Good Fair, a free afternoon of talks, information stalls and activities, aimed at bringing death to life.

The fair, which will run from 12pm to 3pm, includes a photography exhibition, an opportunity to join a Death Cafe and a workshop on how to talk to children about death.

Theatre company Common will be offering people the chance to record their own eulogy, while humanist celebrants Mark Adams and Corinne Firth-Surkitt will be on hand with advice on how to plan a funeral.

There will also be information available about local bereavement support services, organ donation, funeral providers, hospice care, and other services to support those affected by grief.

The festival concludes on the Sunday with a free family cinema screening of the Pixar film Coco. Families are invited to join in free Mexican mask-making activities, to get in the spirit of the film.

Kate McGeevor, manager of Stretford Public Hall, said: "Dead Good Stretford is about facing up to death and having an opportunity to ask the questions that people tend to be afraid to ask.

"All of us will face death eventually, and the more we can be open about that and discuss what we would like to happen after we die, the easier it can be those affected. But the festival is not going to be a sombre affair – we’re hoping to put the fun in funeral planning."