Festival 2024
The To Absent Friends festival took place across Scotland from 1-7 November 2024.
It was an opportunity to remember, to tell stories, to celebrate and to reminisce about people we love who have died. To Absent Friends, a People’s Festival of Storytelling and Remembrance is an opportunity to revive lost traditions and create new ones.
Below is a list of the events that took place.
Dinner with the Dead
Organised by Newtongrange Development Trust
Sunday 3 November 2024 – 6.00pm – 8.30pm
NDT Building, 67 Gardiner Place, Newtongrange EH22 4RT
This event is open to the local community.
Newtongrange Development Trust is a charity led by local residents to improve the wellbeing of everyone in Newtongrange village. We are holding a ‘Dinner with the Dead’ – a light-hearted evening remembering loved ones who have died. Guests to bring a photo of people who have died who they wish to remember. They will also be asked to bring a few small items representing some of those people’s interests in life. They will be invited to stick the photos (or a photocopy of them) onto a specially decorated display board and to place the items onto a display beneath it. As we tuck in to take away dinner together people will be invited to share stories of what connects items on the display and their people who have died. This will open conversation on our loved ones and give a chance for people to talk about them and enjoy sharing memories together. We will also have a further remembrance or craft activity to bring these memories together in gratitude.
This event is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Bookings are invited from people living in Newtongrange. To book, please email joy@ndt.scot. This event has limited spaces.
Find NDT on Facebook.
Image credit: Joy Godfrey
Cambuslang Death Café
Organised by Cambuslang Death Cafe
Sunday 3rd November 2024, 12.00-1.30pm
Cambuslang Parish Church, 1 Arnott Way, Cambuslang, Glasgow G72 7JQ
This event is open to the public.
Death is a part of life, so why don’t we talk about it more? This cafe offers a safe space for the community to come together and talk about something which affects us all. Whether you are newly bereaved, some time into your grief journey, or are just curious about what comes next, this is your space to say as much or as little as you would like. People are welcome from anywhere and everywhere, so whether you live locally or not, please feel free to join us for some tea, chat, and cake! The cafe is hosted in the halls of Cambuslang Parish Church however the cafe has no religious angle. People of all faiths and none are welcome to join us.
This event is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Image credit: Jenny Watt
Music Makes My Memories Magical
Organised by Peacock Nursing Home
3rd November, 11 am
Peacock Nursing Home, Eliburn, Livingston
This event is open to the Peacock Nursing Home community.
Peacock Nursing Home will be coming together to remember loved ones who have died as part of the To Absent Friends Festival, a Scotland-wide festival of storytelling and remembrance.
We will be holding a musical morning called ‘Music Makes My Memories Magical‘. This will give us the opportunity to reunite relatives who have lost their loved ones whilst they were a resident in the Peacock Nursing Home. The celebration will also be open to our staff and families.
The plan for the morning is to have a guest singer, Laura Coban, perform one of their loved one’s favourite songs or tunes and for everyone to share a happy memory of his/her life.
Light refreshments will be served and families will have the opportunity to write their special message on a card and it will be placed on our Memory Tree which is displayed all year round. We will also give every family a small token gift as a keepsake.
We have done this before and it was a huge success. Relatives were maybe a little anxious and didn’t know what to expect but it was very upbeat and everyone had a lovely fun time - Lost loved ones were remembered in a special and unique way and relatives left feeling very uplifted.
This event is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Photo credit: Peacock Nursing Home
Remembering Our Loved Ones
Organised by Caroline Cormack and Brenda Rafferty
Saturday 2nd November, 11am – 12.30pm
Westhill Library Meeting Room, Westhill AB32 6FY
This event is open to the public. Please register in advance.
As part of Scotland’s To Absent Friends festival, we are holding a small event for anyone wanting to come and share a cuppa and talk about their loved ones who have died.
You are welcome to bring a photo or something else to share with others on the same journey of grief and we can chat, share stories, music or readings that bring us comfort.
This is a free event but you do need to book your place via Eventbrite or by contacting us:
Caroline Cormack (Interfaith Funeral Celebrant and Spiritual counsellor) at carolinecormackcults@gmail.com or
Brenda Rafferty (Previously worked with Cruse Scotland Bereavement Support) at brenda.donraffy@gmail.com.
Photo credit: Joanna Kosinska via Unsplash
Absent Friends on Parade
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Organised by ACVC Hub
Saturday 2 November, 11:30am - 2pm
ACVC Hub, Unit 4a, Moorpark Industrial Estate, Orton Place, Glasgow, G51 2HF
This event is open to to the Armed Forces Community (Veterans, serving, families and carers).
The ACVC Hub warmly invites you to join us for a special afternoon of remembrance and reflection at our “Absent Friends on Parade” event. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have sadly lost several veterans who were part of our Armed Forces community, and this event is dedicated to honouring their memory and the impact they had on the Hub.
The event will feature a Reflection Corner, displaying photographs and cherished works created by those we have lost, offering a heartfelt tribute to their contributions. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Karaoke Tribute, where you can sing their favourite songs, recite poems, or share personal reflections. Additionally, a Reflection Tree will be available for you to post thoughts and memories, and Forget Me Not pins will be handed out as a symbol of remembrance.
We will also offer resources and information on bereavement and suicide awareness throughout the evening, with a chance to learn more about the various activities and support systems available at the Hub. A buffet will be provided, and the event offers a unique opportunity to network with others and explore how you can become a volunteer to support our mission.
This event is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Image credit: ACVC Hub
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