Through the combination of her own life experiences as a nurse, artist and Yogi, Kiama’s Becky Guggisberg said she has a rare insight into people’s response to death.

Guggisberg recently left her nursing role to focus on being a full-time artist.

“I have witnessed a lot of death, poor choices in lifestyle and regrets in my 25 years of nursing,” she said.

“I see a real need to address the issues of death and dying in a forum that is positive, creative, sensitive and informative. 

“The concept of this project is to examine the unavoidable end that will occur to all of us – death – and in examining death be guided to evaluate what is important to us while we are alive.

“I believe we need to use our time wisely, make peace with our fellow human beings and ourselves, be present, follow our dreams and be honest.”

Guggisberg hoped to engage the public with the concept of living well now, in this moment, and having control or a plan for our end of life.

The project will seek to provide a space for active community participation through visual arts, yoga, mindfulness sessions and storytelling.

There will be a blackboard installed on the outside of the Old Fire Station with the words, “before I die I want to...” and a bucket of chalk for the public to use.

The project was due to take place from Thursday, October 27 to Wednesday, November 2.

A workshop, ‘10 things to know before you go’ by Groundswell will run from 1pm-5pm on Friday, October 28. 

Bookings are being taken now for the $20 workshop. 

A collective exhibition by 18 artists will be launched 6pm-8pm, October 28, displaying works responding to the theme of impermanence and living well.

There will also be two off-site events at the Little Blowhole Art Bar; 4pm-8pm on October 30 and Zombie Bollywood Halloween Party on November 2 from 6pm-9pm that will include a spoken word open mic event for comedians, poets, musicians, and storytellers, hosted by Kiki Bitovabitch.

For more details, phone 0415 062 466.