60 acast.com Here We Are, The Living https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/here-we-are-the-living en Jess Hamilton death, dying, death doula, palliative care, funeral, end-of-life, ceremony, grief, relationships, history, culture,australian,stillbirth Quiet Night A journey through an independent funeral home Here We Are, The Living is an immersive journey through a holistic funeral home in South Sydney, and an intimate map of how we care for the dying, the dead and each other.


In a culture marked by fear and avoidance, Jess Hamilton wants to know how to talk about death. Over years, she’s collected sounds and stories from Life Rites, an independent funeral home founded by artist, end-of-life doula and funeral director, Victoria Spence.


Room-by-room, Jess follows Victoria deeper into the building, where she meets doulas, morticians, florists, artists, coffin manufacturers and others working invisibly to care for the dead and the living who love them.


As the story unfolds, it becomes a map for reclaiming lost knowledge and language around dying, and empowering people to make sense of what it means to die, lose, grieve, rebuild and to live.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Here We Are, The Living is an immersive journey through a holistic funeral home in South Sydney, and an intimate map of how we care for the dying, the dead and each other.


In a culture marked by fear and avoidance, Jess Hamilton wants to know how to talk about death. Over years, she’s collected sounds and stories from Life Rites, an independent funeral home founded by artist, end-of-life doula and funeral director, Victoria Spence.


Room-by-room, Jess follows Victoria deeper into the building, where she meets doulas, morticians, florists, artists, coffin manufacturers and others working invisibly to care for the dead and the living who love them.


As the story unfolds, it becomes a map for reclaiming lost knowledge and language around dying, and empowering people to make sense of what it means to die, lose, grieve, rebuild and to live.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> false Jess Hamilton info+6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0@mg-eu.acast.com 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 here-we-are-the-living serial https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0/1790045721731-8714dbfd-36d0-4ded-bedb-9c9afd94fcf2.jpeg https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/here-we-are-the-living Here We Are, The Living 08: ENGINE ROOM (the office) 08: ENGINE ROOM (the office) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT 35:12 6ace4f7b7ce338e8cd9e620c false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace4f7b7ce338e8cd9e620c 6ace4f7b7ce338e8cd9e620c 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 8 Upstairs is the office - the engine room - where the old funeral directors would have once lived. The team is managing a busy week, looking after the business, and getting ready for a sold out night of artists talks. The funeral home has hosted film nights, grief raves, artist residencies and open days, to offer a safe and creative space for death literacy. Jess reflects on how spending time in a funeral home has changed her, and Victoria tells us her hopes for the future.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Chantel Jurcevic, imbar amira nassi (aka imbi), Christine Pan, Andrew Fraser, Liz Bradshaw, Harriet Gillies.


The artist’s audio was recorded at Life Rites during Death by Powerpoint, a collaboration between Life Rites and Queer Powerpoint for Sydney Festival 2026.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Upstairs is the office - the engine room - where the old funeral directors would have once lived. The team is managing a busy week, looking after the business, and getting ready for a sold out night of artists talks. The funeral home has hosted film nights, grief raves, artist residencies and open days, to offer a safe and creative space for death literacy. Jess reflects on how spending time in a funeral home has changed her, and Victoria tells us her hopes for the future.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Chantel Jurcevic, imbar amira nassi (aka imbi), Christine Pan, Andrew Fraser, Liz Bradshaw, Harriet Gillies.


The artist’s audio was recorded at Life Rites during Death by Powerpoint, a collaboration between Life Rites and Queer Powerpoint for Sydney Festival 2026.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[07: TRANSITIONS (the hallways & corridors)]]> Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:30:00 GMT 30:13 6ace4d98d3bfab176eaf2821 false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace4d98d3bfab176eaf2821 6ace4d98d3bfab176eaf2821 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 7 This chapter is about the waiting, the in-between and the liminal spaces we move through, in our own individual ways, after the death of someone we love. Jude and Ben share insights from grief counselling and doula care, and Skye reflects on the grief circles they run for people who have passed through the funeral home. Jess reflects on her personal experience of moving through grief within the broader Western culture that still treats death and grief with stoicism, avoidance or awkwardness.


“We often wish we could bring back black dresses or an armband that says ‘Be careful, I’m grieving’, so that publicly people can learn sensitivity, and good language around how we speak to people.” - Jude


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

07:45 - 25:59 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth

14:23 - 14:48 Miscarriage


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Suzanne Robbins (Bold Botanicals), Skye Robertson and Jude Neeme-Samson.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This chapter is about the waiting, the in-between and the liminal spaces we move through, in our own individual ways, after the death of someone we love. Jude and Ben share insights from grief counselling and doula care, and Skye reflects on the grief circles they run for people who have passed through the funeral home. Jess reflects on her personal experience of moving through grief within the broader Western culture that still treats death and grief with stoicism, avoidance or awkwardness.


“We often wish we could bring back black dresses or an armband that says ‘Be careful, I’m grieving’, so that publicly people can learn sensitivity, and good language around how we speak to people.” - Jude


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

07:45 - 25:59 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth

14:23 - 14:48 Miscarriage


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Suzanne Robbins (Bold Botanicals), Skye Robertson and Jude Neeme-Samson.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 06: CEREMONY (the chapel) 06: CEREMONY (the chapel) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT 33:41 6ace42342c705f746c1aa2f2 false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace42342c705f746c1aa2f2 6ace42342c705f746c1aa2f2 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 6 The chapel is the space where people come for funerals and memorials, viewings, dressings or being withs. Aunty Rhonda, Ben, Victoria and Chantel share elements of their ceremonial practice, and how funeral ceremonies that reflect our values, or the values of our people, can lay the foundation for healthy grieving. And we hear of the internal ceremonies that the team here hold, guided by the Elders Aunty Rhonda and Jude, to honour the people they’ve cared for and themselves.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

05:00 - 07:35 Suicide

24:15 - 25:59 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovener, Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Skye Robertson, Chantel Jurcevic and Jude Neeme-Samson.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The chapel is the space where people come for funerals and memorials, viewings, dressings or being withs. Aunty Rhonda, Ben, Victoria and Chantel share elements of their ceremonial practice, and how funeral ceremonies that reflect our values, or the values of our people, can lay the foundation for healthy grieving. And we hear of the internal ceremonies that the team here hold, guided by the Elders Aunty Rhonda and Jude, to honour the people they’ve cared for and themselves.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

05:00 - 07:35 Suicide

24:15 - 25:59 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovener, Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Skye Robertson, Chantel Jurcevic and Jude Neeme-Samson.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 05: TEMPLE (the mortuary) 05: TEMPLE (the mortuary) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 19:30:00 GMT 32:26 6ace3f8694a3daa98e800378 false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace3f8694a3daa98e800378 6ace3f8694a3daa98e800378 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 5 “We love this mortuary, we call it our temple”. It’s a rare thing to be able to step inside a mortuary and meet the people who care for our dead.


We’re guided by the mortuary doulas Vicki and Sarah, who show us how they care for people by playing their music, massaging their hands, and restoring their dignity. We meet Amanda, the mortician, and follow a crowd curious of people in on Dying to Know Day.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

05:00 - 07:35 Suicide

24:15 - 25:59 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Sarah Barry and Vicki Melson.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> “We love this mortuary, we call it our temple”. It’s a rare thing to be able to step inside a mortuary and meet the people who care for our dead.


We’re guided by the mortuary doulas Vicki and Sarah, who show us how they care for people by playing their music, massaging their hands, and restoring their dignity. We meet Amanda, the mortician, and follow a crowd curious of people in on Dying to Know Day.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

05:00 - 07:35 Suicide

24:15 - 25:59 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Sarah Barry and Vicki Melson.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 04: DELIVERY (the ante room) 04: DELIVERY (the ante room) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:42:00 GMT 40:52 6ace3d51e53019e8908226e0 false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace3d51e53019e8908226e0 6ace3d51e53019e8908226e0 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 4 The ante room is the first port of entry for the dead - and the staff entrance. We meet Jimmy, the mortuary transfer driver, as he brings a person into Life Rites for after death care. Kim shows us the cool plates, and explains how they work for home vigils. Victoria and Sonja share how Mortality, End-of-Life and Dementia Doulas can help us navigate illness, the end-of life, aged care and life. Jess starts to open up about her personal story, and an important phone call with Victoria.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

  • 06:38 - 07:25; 15:54 - ; 27:40 - 28:37 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth
  • Cancer


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Kim Somerville, Jimmy Mandoukos (All Hours Mortuary Transfers), Sonja Godfrey-Chan and Pat Joyce.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The ante room is the first port of entry for the dead - and the staff entrance. We meet Jimmy, the mortuary transfer driver, as he brings a person into Life Rites for after death care. Kim shows us the cool plates, and explains how they work for home vigils. Victoria and Sonja share how Mortality, End-of-Life and Dementia Doulas can help us navigate illness, the end-of life, aged care and life. Jess starts to open up about her personal story, and an important phone call with Victoria.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

  • 06:38 - 07:25; 15:54 - ; 27:40 - 28:37 Pregnancy loss and stillbirth
  • Cancer


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Kim Somerville, Jimmy Mandoukos (All Hours Mortuary Transfers), Sonja Godfrey-Chan and Pat Joyce.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 03: VESSEL (the coffin room) 03: VESSEL (the coffin room) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:36:00 GMT 35:35 6ace370937f0bd18cc223fec false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace370937f0bd18cc223fec 6ace370937f0bd18cc223fec 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 3 We start this episode with in a big and busy coffin factory, guided by Johnny and Matt. Jess tries out a pandanus coffin, and Leah shows us seedy silk shrouds dyed with flowers and turmeric. We put hands to materials in the coffin room, and imbi grounds us in human composting.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess HamiltonLaura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Johnny Mat Byron from Key Industries, Sarah Barry, Leah Giblin, and imbar amira nassi (aka imbi)

.

This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We start this episode with in a big and busy coffin factory, guided by Johnny and Matt. Jess tries out a pandanus coffin, and Leah shows us seedy silk shrouds dyed with flowers and turmeric. We put hands to materials in the coffin room, and imbi grounds us in human composting.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess HamiltonLaura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Johnny Mat Byron from Key Industries, Sarah Barry, Leah Giblin, and imbar amira nassi (aka imbi)

.

This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 02: ARRANGEMENT (the arrangement room) 02: ARRANGEMENT (the arrangement room) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:35:09 GMT 36:31 6ace1bbc94a3daa98e7c56ad false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace1bbc94a3daa98e7c56ad 6ace1bbc94a3daa98e7c56ad 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 2 We step into the “arrangement room”, where people first come if they’re organising a funeral. Victoria hands us a booklet about shock, and recollects organising her parents’ funerals. Jude shares stories of the first funerals in the building, and Skye tells us what happens after a death. We hear an intimate and powerful story of a father navigating the death of his wife, and finding meaningful ways to involve their daughter.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

17:00 - 23:20 Cancer, and talking to children about the death of a parent


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Jude Neeme-Samson, Lei Chen and Skye Robertson.

This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We step into the “arrangement room”, where people first come if they’re organising a funeral. Victoria hands us a booklet about shock, and recollects organising her parents’ funerals. Jude shares stories of the first funerals in the building, and Skye tells us what happens after a death. We hear an intimate and powerful story of a father navigating the death of his wife, and finding meaningful ways to involve their daughter.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

17:00 - 23:20 Cancer, and talking to children about the death of a parent


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton. This episode features Victoria Spence, Ben Gibson, Jude Neeme-Samson, Lei Chen and Skye Robertson.

This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 01: ARRIVAL (the foyer) 01: ARRIVAL (the foyer) Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:34:37 GMT 33:40 6ace0e8868b7ce6ffb077bfe false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ace0e8868b7ce6ffb077bfe 6ace0e8868b7ce6ffb077bfe 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 full 1 1 Welcome to the fun home! We cross the threshold with a crowd of curious people who’ve come to explore the funeral home on Dying to Know Day. We’ll unravel the past hundred years of death avoidance to understand why we find death so awkward and uncomfortable in Western culture.


As we step inside, we meet Victoria, Life Rites’ Founder, and hear her story of coming of age in the 80s in Sydney, witnessing the HIV/AIDS epidemic run through her community, arriving to this work and building. And Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovener shares how she came to be Life Rites’ Elder in Residence after running from death for many years.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

17:00 - 21:04 Witnessing the HIV/AIDS epidemic


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton in collaboration with Victoria Spence and the Life Rites team. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton.

This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Welcome to the fun home! We cross the threshold with a crowd of curious people who’ve come to explore the funeral home on Dying to Know Day. We’ll unravel the past hundred years of death avoidance to understand why we find death so awkward and uncomfortable in Western culture.


As we step inside, we meet Victoria, Life Rites’ Founder, and hear her story of coming of age in the 80s in Sydney, witnessing the HIV/AIDS epidemic run through her community, arriving to this work and building. And Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovener shares how she came to be Life Rites’ Elder in Residence after running from death for many years.


This is a safe and creative story about the-end-of-life, and we understand there may be some topics that are sensitive for people with lived experience. Specific topics by timecode in this episode:

17:00 - 21:04 Witnessing the HIV/AIDS epidemic


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton in collaboration with Victoria Spence and the Life Rites team. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton.

This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Here We Are, The Living Here We Are, The Living Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:06:02 GMT 3:29 6ab4696a59a98735e115472b false https://shows.acast.com/here-we-are-the-living/episodes/6ab4696a59a98735e115472b 6ab4696a59a98735e115472b 6ab1ebaff9e04b2235449dd0 trailer 1 Here We Are, The Living is an immersive journey through a holistic funeral home in South Sydney, and an intimate map of how we care for the dying, the dead and each other.


In a culture marked by fear and avoidance, Jess Hamilton wants to know how to talk about death. Over years, she’s collected sounds and stories from Life Rites, an independent funeral home founded by artist, end-of-life doula and funeral director, Victoria Spence.


Room-by-room, Jess follows Victoria deeper into the building, where she meets doulas, morticians, florists, artists, coffin manufacturers and others working invisibly to care for the dead and the living who love them. As the story unfolds, it becomes a map for reclaiming lost knowledge and language around dying, and empowering people to make sense of what it means to die, lose, grieve, rebuild and to live.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton in collaboration with Victoria Spence, and the team Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Here We Are, The Living is an immersive journey through a holistic funeral home in South Sydney, and an intimate map of how we care for the dying, the dead and each other.


In a culture marked by fear and avoidance, Jess Hamilton wants to know how to talk about death. Over years, she’s collected sounds and stories from Life Rites, an independent funeral home founded by artist, end-of-life doula and funeral director, Victoria Spence.


Room-by-room, Jess follows Victoria deeper into the building, where she meets doulas, morticians, florists, artists, coffin manufacturers and others working invisibly to care for the dead and the living who love them. As the story unfolds, it becomes a map for reclaiming lost knowledge and language around dying, and empowering people to make sense of what it means to die, lose, grieve, rebuild and to live.


Visit our virtual map of the funeral home at herewearetheliving.com. Support our impact campaign here. Share a story, feedback or testimonial with us here.


Here We Are, The Living is a Quiet Night production made by Jess Hamilton in collaboration with Victoria Spence, and the team Life Rites Funerals. Original music by Adam Connelly and Billy Ward. Mix by Jess Hamilton and Laura Brierley-Newtown. Editorial Support by Farz Edraki. Artwork by Annie Hamilton.


This project was made with support of Create NSW, Content is Queen and many individual supporters through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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