‘What’s in the Weetabix tin?’: Exploring two curatorial roles after-a-death, preceded by estrangement

This article shares the autoethnographic and curatorial experiences of me, Nikki, as Researcher-Participant and Participant Nancy after-a-death, which was preceded by a period of estrangement. It resonates from my postgraduate research exploring through photographs and other ephemera after-a-death and following my experiences of the deaths of my nan, grandad, and dad, all within 3 years. Data were collected through emergent conversations in participants’ homes, sound recordings, documentary photographs, and themes established through thematic analysis. Methods suited the sensing conversations in a bricolage approach, forming a thick description. It includes evocative explorations supported by empathetic analysis and ‘invites others to think and feel’. The family is explored within existing narratives and through photo elicitation. The article suggests that after-a-death experiences preceded by estrangement can not only compound perceptions of them as taboo, hidden, or secret but can also be places for positivity, reimagining, and rewriting connections through creativity. Ephemera may also be kept from the deceased despite family fractures.