Embracing Grief: One Day In-Person Event

Stirring, Expressing, Witnessing, Holding, Soothing - A one day in-person workshop exploring grief

With Bilal Nasim, Sarah Pletts and Tony Pletts

~ What is this offering? ~

Bilal, Sarah & Tony are delighted to offer an in-person One Day event. We will gather in a beautiful venue in Hackney to embark on a group journey of holding, sharing, and witnessing. This day-long session will provide spaciousness to drop deeper than in our monthly 4-hour sessions.

In this workshop we create a space where each of us can express our grief, a space where we can feel the depth, support and union that comes from sharing it with others. Here we can reconnect with difficult feelings which may be buried or blocked. What we won’t do is set out to ‘fix’ our grief or its sources. Instead, we will use tried and tested practices to tend to and honour its presence, co-creating a space which gives permission to its expression.

~ Why Grief? ~

We live in a world that is soaked in grief and yet when it comes knocking on our door we are usually expected to deal with it on our own. ‘Keep calm and carry on’, we are told. Shut it out – close it down – keep it to yourself. We build on a very different foundation, one that values grief as a great teacher as well as a fierce mistress.

Each person’s grief process is unique, a response to a wide range of life experiences, not just bereavement. Sadness, rage, fear, hopelessness, betrayal, shame and numbness are just a few of its manifestations that we welcome. Giving space to connect with our grief, both in the role of personal expression as well as in the witnessing of others, can be a healing and life affirming experience that provokes relief, gratitude, laughter and tears. With this work we join the human cultures around the world that have used shared grieving as a resource to connect with themselves and their communities.

~ Is this for me? ~

All sources of grief are welcome, none prioritised and none excluded. Some of you might find your grief right there on the surface, ready to be expressed, while others may take the time to connect with grief that feels stuck and difficult to access. Whether you are recovering from change, loss or separation, trying to process past experiences, or you experience disassociation and disconnection from feeling, you are most welcome. People may bring challenging themes and strong expressions of emotion.

The workshop may not be suitable for those with severe depression or mental health problems, or those feeling particularly fragile, alone or unsupported. We're available to discuss this with you if you are unsure whether this workshop is right for you at the moment, so please don’t hesitate to contact either Sarah (welcome@loveandloss.co.uk) or Bilal (bilal@tough-cookie.co.uk).

The venue has stairs and is not suitable for wheelchair users - please accept our apologies.

Grief Tending FAQs: 
http://www.loveandloss.co.uk/loss/grief-tending-events/grief-tending-faqs/

ABOUT YOUR FACILITATORS

Bilal Nasim (www.bilalnasim.com) is a facilitator, trainer and artist exploring what it means to be alive and our relationship with death. Having apprenticed to grief under the tutelage of Sophy Banks and Jeremy Thres, he has been holding grief-spaces since 2018. Bilal hosts workshops on confronting death, Death Cafe's, is training as a death doula with Red Tent End Of Life Doulas, and is a personal resilience trainer with Tough Cookie (www.tough-cookie.co.uk).

Sarah Pletts is an artist with a deep curiosity about mortality. Inspired by the uncertainty of our times, she is drawn to ‘Apprentice to Grief’, following in the work of Francis Weller, Joanna Macy, Sophy Banks, Jeremy Thres and others. She brings creativity and her exploration of the body to the practice of grief tending. She lives in London with partners and chosen family. She loves to walk the dog, dance wildly and eat virtuous chocolate (www.loveandloss.co.uk).

Tony Pletts founded his art direction and construction company Einstein’s Octopus in 1987, a flexible business that's allowed him to pursue other creative paths. Tony’s made radio programmes for BBC Radio 4 (his North Korean mini series was nominated for a SONY) and has just finished his first book, Love To The Power Of Three. A rich and varied life has frequently exposed Tony to the teachings of grief and he started facilitating workshops with Sarah in 2019.

Embracing Grief Ethics Statement: 
http://www.loveandloss.co.uk/ethics-statement/

FEEDBACK 

"It was such a heart soothing and soul-enriching experience to participate in the space you created. I felt so utterly welcomed, free to bring whatever was alive in me, and never pressured to be anywhere I wasn't. I had moments of feeling a huge resistance in myself, and was allowed to dance with that and invite what was hiding underneath. The threads that you wove to create our container felt so gently, lovingly and intentionally woven, held with both sincerity and lightness." - Anon

“Thanks so much for creating a space of support and love. I felt safe at all times and the suggestions to move off screen or turn off the camera meant that I felt I wasn’t stuck to a box on screen. All the facilitators held space for each person and guided it when needed.” - Liselott

EVENT DETAILS
 
Exact address will be included in your confirmation email.  

TICKET PRICES: 
£35 Bursary (2 spaces available on request - please email Bilal: bilal@tough-cookie.co.uk)
£55 Low  (2 spaces available)
£75 Standard
£95 Higher
£120 Supporter

Once you have purchased a ticket, you will receive a booking form which must be completed - NOTE: without a completed booking form you will not receive the exact address, and will therefore not be able to attend. All booking form responses are deleted after each workshop.

There will be a maximum of 12 available places per session, excluding the facilitators. 2 of these places will be available at the Bursary rate for those who are either unemployed, have insufficient/unstable income or are clearly unable to afford the Regular price. Bursary places must be requested, to do this please email Bilal (bilal@tough-cookie.co.uk). 2 more places are available at the Low Income rate. The Supporter price part-subsidises those paying the Bursary and Low Income price. 

We also welcome those willing and able to pay for someone else’s place at the Regular price. Please let us know if this is something you’d like to offer.

Note: We will start on time, please arrive 15 minutes before start time. 

NO ENTRY AFTER:  15 minutes after start time. (If you are running late please contact us immediately).

ENQUIRIES: Bilal - bilal@tough-cookie.co.uk

If you have any access requirements please get in touch and note that the venue has steps/stairs. 

This workshop is inclusive to everyone regardless of age (18+), ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and otherwise.

Refunds: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

Access: We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of employment or health circumstances. If you would like to attend this event but are truly unable to afford the ticket price, please do get in touch with the event organiser.

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

Our facilitators have agreed to our code of conduct. Learn about our procedure for raising concerns

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