Festival 2022
The To Absent Friends festival will take place across Scotland from 1-7 November 2022.
It is an excuse to remember, to tell stories, to celebrate and to reminisce about who have died.
Check out some of the events taking place below, and please get in touch if you'd like us to add your event to the listing below.
Focus Centre memorial bench
Organised by Recovery Coaching Scotland
The group will be creating a memorial bench which will sit in the garden of the community centre where the group host their weekly recovery cafe.
We will build this bench as part of community activities with Nature Unlimited at Drygrange, where we will have the opportunity to sit and share as a community (around the fire), remembering those who have died because of alcohol or other drugs and mental health problems including suicide. This will be the first event for remembering lost loved ones from Drugs & Alcohol; Mental Health problems and suicide in the Scottish Borders.
“We grieve because we have loved. We grieve because the person we have lost mattered to us, loneliness isn’t the physical absence of other people; it’s the sense that you’re not sharing anything that matters with anyone else. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety; it’s connection”.
https://www.natureunlimited.scot/
Photo credit: Recovery Coaching Scotland
A Story to Tell: Remembering Angela
Organised by Alcohol & Drugs Action
Alcohol & Drugs Action (ADA) are going to celebrate and remember the life of Angela Joss. Angela was a Board member of the charity and worked tirelessly for people in recovery from substance misuse. Angela became interested in bees while she was working with our gardening group on a joint project between Aberdeen Inspired and ADA. This inspired her to learn about bee-keeping and eventually to create her own company focusing on environmental issues and supporting people in recovery.
One of the projects we all worked on was yarn bombing a tree in Aberdeen city centre to tell people about Mental Health Awareness Week in 2019. She got lots of people together from the recovery community, people in recovery, family members and friends and they created a knitted tree cover entitled ‘Bee Kind to Your Mind’.
Angela wrote a children’s book called ‘The Brownies of Brimmond Hill’ which is set on a hill not too far away from Aberdeen City Centre. It tells the tale of Scottish eco fairies who decide to work with humans to save the bees which, in turn, might save the world, and we have asked local writer and performance poet Jo Gilbert to read her book at the event.
There will be a chance for our members to make some bee and fairy related crafts to take home and remember being part of this special day.
All this will be accompanied by the sharing of great memories of Angela and coffee and cake.
Photo credit: Alcohol & Drugs Action
The Making of Memories
Organised by Oban Hospice
The Dove Centre, 24 Stevenson Street, Oban.
As part of 2022 To Absent Friends Festival, Oban Hospice will be hosting a week of remembrance.
A photograph gallery will be created in the Dove Centre to display written and visual memories, bringing people together to chat and share their stories over tea and cake.
Musical memories will also be gathered to create a Playlist that we’ll play in the Dove Centre following the festival.
You are invited to drop in anytime throughout the week to share your story or you could attend one of our regular groups.
Tuesday 10.30-12: Blind Vision group.
Thursday 10.30-12: Coffee Morning
Thursday 1-3pm: Knitting group
Friday 10.30-12: Men’s group
This is a free event, open to the whole community. It will be based at the Dove Centre on Stevenson Street, Oban, throughout the week. We are open 9-5, Monday-Friday.
Photo credit: Oban Hospice
A Playlist to Remember - University Hospital Hairmyres
Organised by the University Hospital Hairmyres Spiritual Care Department
This public event will take place from 1st to 14th November 2022 at the Sanctuary, University Hospital Hairmyres.
To Absent Friends is always a highlight for our Spiritual Care Departments in NHS Lanarkshire.
Our project this year, A Playlist to Remember, is based on our understanding of the deep and powerful connection between music and memory. It’s likely we have all experienced being transported to a different time and placed when listening to music. In our project we hope to reflect the wonder of music in reconnecting us, in memory, to loved ones and to others who have come into our lives.
We invite people to help create a ‘Playlist to Remember’.
The process of gathering music will be creative and interactive, individual and communal. People will write their dedicated piece of music on a 7” vinyl record shaped card and attach it to a wall frieze in the sanctuary. This will produce a growing art installation in each of our sanctuary spaces in University Hospitals Hairmyres, Monklands, and Wishaw. Contributors will receive a treble clef badge to remember their taking part, encouraging conversations with others, and raising our To Absent Friends project. Support will be available through the spiritual care and staff care teams and refreshments provided.
For more information, please contact Avril Cutler, Graeme Bell, or Joe Keenan on 01355 584585.
Photo credit: NHS Lanarkshire
Always & Forever
Organised by Friends of Southern Necropolis
Friends of Southern Necropolis are inviting people from the G5 community and beyond, to attend their Always & Forever event at the Central Section / Franciscan Circle area of the Southern Necropolis, Caledonia Road, Gorbals, Glasgow on Sunday 6th November 12.00 till 2.30pm.
Providing an opportunity for individuals to bring along family photos, share stories, songs & memories of those whom they have lost in the past. There will be seating provided and local (acoustic) music group "Strum for Life" from Givin` It Laldie will be on hand to play selected songs that remind people of their families and friends.
The event will also allow people the chance to exchange experiences together, and sign messages of remembrance and tributes on laminated hearts, which they can then hang on the “Always & Forever” tree at the Franciscan Circle area.
Soup, sandwiches and refreshments will be provided on the day.
Photo credit: Colin Mackie
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