When Someone Great Is Gone

When Someone Great Is Gone, is about the relationship between grief and creative expression, exploring the concept of grief and how we navigate the complicated feelings it evokes. Shown through the experiences of host Izzy Lee-Poulton and her guests. 

Host Izzy Lee-Poulton sets the scene for When Someone Great Is Gone, introducing her own grief and the personal and collective purpose of this project. Izzy introduces the theme of creativity, specifically music and her own music influenced by grief. Izzy also interviews Nadiah about losing her father, and how grief has inspired her music, specifically the creativity behind her musical duo NULA. 

Izzy reflects on how grief has affected her outlook on life, mental health and illness. She reflects upon her mother's Cancer diagnosis, and how it has affected her relationship with illness ever since. Izzy also talks to Fahad Al-Amoudi, a poet who speaks about his own health anxiety from his mother's passing, and how he expresses his grief through poetry. 

Izzy speaks to her mother Sue about what it was like to be in a same-sex relationship with her mother Kate when she was dying, and how society saw her grief. Producer Bridey reflects on her own queerness and how Sue's story affects her as a queer woman. Izzy looks at the relationship between gender and grief, and what society assumes from gender roles when both women and men are grieving. Jack and Ben from The New Normal charity talk about their relationship to grief as a man losing their father. Izzy also speaks to Rob Sidwell, trustee of The Ted Senior Foundation, about how he remembers his friend Ted and how he has expressed his grief creatively through being part of a charitable foundation. 

Izzy speaks about her rituals surrounding grief, including playing the piano (even if she's not the best at it!). Producer Bridey speaks to some of her friends about their rituals in relation to grief, and Izzy reflects upon her own ritual surrounding Highgate Cemetery and remembering her mum Kate. Izzy also speaks to Anna and Louise from Life. Death. Whatever. about their professional relationship to grief, and artist Danny Martin about his personal relationship to grief, and how he has creatively expressed his grief through spoken word. 

Izzy looks at the relationship between community and grief, and how when someone dies a community can form through support, empathy and love. Izzy speaks to her extended family, including her aunties Alice, Ria and Etty about their relationship to Kate and the wider community they were all a part of. Izzy also speaks to her cousin Jess about her grief and being a part of the 'Grief Club', as well as one of her best friends Harriet about her loss.  On the creative side, Izzy looks at how both loss and creativity can form community. She speaks to Ellie Chapman, a dancer, choreographer, creative director and podcaster, about how she creatively expressed the loss of her dad through her production 6TEEN. 

Izzy ends series one being interviewed about grief and creativity by co-producer Bridey. We look back on the series and how creativity is part of a bigger picture. We ponder... can creativity inspired by grief become commodified? In fact, how do you even define creativity? How do you define grief? Izzy speaks about how memory and loss can inform future creative output. Speaking to family, friends and fellow grief creatives, we come to the conclusion that grief is timeless, and though we may never fully understand it, through creativity we might find a means of expressing it.