Festival 2026

To Absent Friends Festival 2026 – Pop-Up Event

Organised by The D Word CIC in collaboration with Fife College

Wednesday 4th November 2026, 10:00 - 14:00

Fife College, Dunfermline City Campus Atrium

This activity is open to all. 

Whether you are remembering a loved one, a former colleague, or a friend, taking a moment to honour those we’ve lost can bring comfort, connection and warmth.

The D Word in conjunction with Fife College, and as part of the To Absent Friends Festival 2026, are hosting a ‘To Absent Friends’ Pop-Up Event in the College Atrium — creating a welcoming place for open, healthy conversations around death, grief and remembrance.

Grief is a natural part of life, but finding the opportunity to talk about it isn’t always easy. We invite students, staff and visitors to stop by, pause and reflect in a relaxed and supportive environment.

What to expect

Remembrance Crafts
Express your feelings through creative activities including watercolour painting, bookmark making and mindfulness colouring.

Forget-Me-Not Seed Packets
Create a personalised seed packet to take home and plant in memory of someone special.

Pocket Scrolls & Resources
Take away a pocket scroll with gentle ideas for remembering someone, alongside practical information and helpful resources.

Remembrance Tree
Add the name of someone special to our Remembrance Tree, which will become part of a permanent installation within the College.

Open Conversations
A welcoming space to share stories, keep memories alive, talk about loss — or simply sit quietly with your thoughts.

Whether you have five minutes between classes or want to spend a little longer creating a keepsake, everyone is welcome.

Drop by, connect with others, take a moment to remember, and join us in honouring those who are no longer with us.

This activity is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.

Keeping Their Stories Alive – a Journalling Workshop

Organised by the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice

Wednesday 4 November 2026, 10 am – 12 noon

The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, 20 Dumbreck Road, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, G41 5BW

This activity is open to the public. Please register in advance.

This workshop session will introduce people to the benefits of journalling as a way to remember the person they are grieving for, and to reflect on their personal feelings of loss. 

Journalling can provide a gentle way to explore grief, honour memories, and maintain meaningful connections with absent friends. Through guided reflection and writing prompts, we are invited to remember, express, and reflect in a supportive environment.

Privately filling the pages of a notebook, which we will provide, with words, pictures and memories can be a liberating exercise.  The notebook can be a place for people to express the thoughts and feelings they understand around grief, and the ones they don’t.  It will be a place for private memories, conversations with those we grieve, and a way of recording our unique journeys through grief.

The workshop will support people who have never journalled before, providing materials and discussion prompts. 

By attending the workshop, we want to introduce journalling as a coping strategy, help people reflect on their grief journey and memories of absent friends.

Booking is essential, via the QR code, or by at our page on Eventbrite.

This event is being supported through the generosity of a To Absent Friend Small Grant. 

Café of Reminiscence

Organised by Fleur Hoole, Life Celebrant

Wednesday 4th November 2026, 2.00pm to 3.00pm

The Hollies Community Hub, 183 High Street, Musselburgh EH21 7DE

The event will be held in a fully accessible downstairs venue.

This event is free and open to the public. No booking required.

Join us for a warm and welcoming Café of Reminiscence, a gentle gathering where people can come together to remember, celebrate and share stories of loved ones who are no longer with us. If you have one, feel free to bring along a photograph or treasured keepsake connected to a loved one you’d like to remember.

Over tea, coffee and biscuits, we’ll gather in a relaxed and friendly space where people can chat, connect and enjoy each other’s company. There’s no right or wrong way to take part. Whether you’d like to share a few thoughts, listen to others, or simply be there, you’ll be made very welcome.

Rather than focusing on grief itself, the gathering offers an opportunity to remember loved ones, reflect on special moments and feel supported by others who understand. To help things get started, we’ll have a Conversation Menu featuring gentle prompts and questions, while leaving plenty of room for conversations to unfold naturally and go wherever they lead.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Find out more about Fleur on her website, or Facebook.
See what the The Hollies Community Hub has to offer on Facebook.

With thanks to Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief for supporting this To Absent Friends event through a small grant.

Staff & Volunteers: Remembering Together

Organised by Ardgowan Hospice Wellbeing Team

Tuesday 3 November 2026, 10.00am–11.30am

Ardgowan Hospice, Greenock

This activity is for Ardgowan Hospice staff and volunteers.

Ardgowan Hospice’s Wellbeing Team is organising To Absent Friends – Staff & Volunteers: Remembering Together, a gentle and welcoming opportunity for hospice staff and volunteers to pause, reflect and remember people who are no longer with us, while taking some time to look after their own wellbeing.

Working in a hospice means that staff and volunteers regularly experience death, dying, loss and bereavement. Alongside supporting patients and families, they may also be carrying their own personal losses, remembering family members, friends, colleagues or people they have cared for. This event provides a safe, informal and pressure-free space to acknowledge those losses and celebrate the memories of people who remain important to us.

The morning will offer a range of creative, reflective and remembrance activities, alongside refreshments, music and opportunities to share memories for those who wish to. There will also be space simply to pause, enjoy a cup of tea and spend some quiet time reflecting.

There is no expectation to talk, share personal experiences or take part in any particular activity. Everyone will be able to participate in whatever way feels comfortable for them. The Wellbeing Team will be available for informal conversation and support, while keeping the event relaxed and focused on remembrance, connection and self-care.

The event aims to recognise the impact that grief and loss can have on those working and volunteering in hospice care, while creating an opportunity for staff and volunteers to feel supported, valued and connected. It is a chance to remember the people who are absent, acknowledge the memories we carry with us, and take a little time for ourselves.

Website: https://ardgowanhospice.org.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ardgowanhospice/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ardgowan_hospice/

This activity is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.