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.
HIV Quilt Workshops
Organised by St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral
3 sessions: 24th October, 7th November or 21st November, 10am-12:30pm
St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AW
This event is open to the public.
Has a loved one died due to HIV-related causes?
All are welcome to come to one of our quilting workshop drop-ins to add their name to the HIV quilt, which is housed in the Cathedral.
The sessions are being facilitated by our Vice-Provost, Rev Marion Chatterley, who has a long history of supporting individuals, friends, families, and communities affected by HIV.
Free and no need to book, just drop in at any point during one of the time-slots mentioned.
The 7th November session is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Image credit: St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral
A celebration of life – Memorial Service
Organised by Burnlea House Care Home
Thursday 7 November
Burnlea House, 4 Burnlea Road, Largs
This event is for the Burnlea House community.
We felt as this was approaching the festive season – a particular nice time for remembering those who are absent and celebrating their life - colourful crystal ornaments would bring colour, joy and conversation about loving memories of each individual who lived in the Burnlea House.
We are planning on inviting relatives of 15 service users as a celebration of their life event and purchasing a crystal miniature ornament for our display cabinet which has some meaningful connection to them (i.e butterfly/boat) and name it in their memory. The cabinet will be lit up at the event and we will unveil it at the ceremony. We are utilising the To Absent Friends cookbook to make cakes for the afternoon tea. Also, keyrings will be given as a keepsake. A few words will be spoken about each resident and going forward this will be a celebration of life cabinet which we will display in a quiet reserved area.
This will be accompanied by an afternoon tea, and we have invited Tommy Whitelaw from the Alliance (Health & Social Care Alliance Scotland) to give a small presentation.
The Mitchell Library Death Cafe hosted by Creating Conversations CIC
Organised by Glasgow Life Libraries in collaboration with Creating Conversations CIC
Thursday 7 November 2024, 5.45 - 7.30pm
Mitchell Library, 201 North Street, Glasgow G3 7DN
This event is open to the public. Please register in advance.
A Death Cafe is a safe, confidential and friendly space for people to come together and talk openly and honestly about death, dying, and making the most of our finite lives. Small groups sit around a table and conversation flows without agenda or direction. The conversation is led by the people in the group, and therefore, each session is unique.
There will be free refreshments provided, funded by a To Absent Friends small grant scheme.
The event is free to attend but we would ask that you book your attendance using the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mitchell-library-death-cafe-glasgow-tickets-1042596914437
Photo credit: Tallulah Photography
Glasgow Southside Death Café
Organised by Glasgow Southside Death Club
Thursday 7th November 2024, 7.30pm-9.00pm
Finns Place, 167 Ledard Rd, Glasgow G42 9QU
This event is open to the public.
We are so thankful that we have been able to spend the last couple of years building a compassionate community that doesn’t shy away from conversations about death and dying. So come along to help us celebrate 2 years of our café which has helped countless people bust taboos and remember those we miss. Birthday cake will be available!
The facilitators are local members of the community, and whilst they have a background in the world of palliative care they are not trained bereavement or counselling professionals, however we are happy to help signpost you to great local organisations if you need further support.
Image credit: Jenny Watt
The Silent Run
Organised by Runforever SCIO in collaboration with HMPG and ACE Voices
Outside: 2nd November 2024 at Heathryburn School, Northfield, Aberdeen
and
Inside: 7th November 2024 at HMPG Peterhead
The 2nd November event is open to the public. The 7th November event is for prisoners at HMPG Peterhead.
“Not a race. A ritual for remembering, with no finish line.”
Join us and dedicate your run (or walk) to someone you love, or to remember and celebrate absent friends, family members or loved ones who died, in prison or elsewhere.
This memorial run will take place in two parts, to involve and connect both the prison community and the community outside the prison.
The Outside session (2nd November) will feature a performance by Aberdeen’s Intergenerational Choir supported by Twisting the Rainbow, a social club, and a collaboratively designed run around the playground.
The Inside session (7th November) will feature art practice and tribute-making sessions, the ACE Voices choir, and a memorial run.
Everyone is welcome and free to take part!
For info, please contact Paolo Maccagno at maccagno.paolo@gmail.com or Alec Thompson-Miller at alec@acevoices.org.
This memorial run is offered and organised by Runforever SCIO in collaboration with HMPG and ACE Voices, with funding support from To Absent Friends and Athletics Trust Scotland.
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