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• Grief at Loves – the festival finale…

Grief at Loves – the festival finale…

Programme:

1pm – Opening Ceremony with Rupert Callender

1.20pm – Community lunch with Global Kitchen

2pm –  Marvin Muoneke

2:40pm – House of Figs

Plus art and craft workshops, a  showcase of community created artworks, Weston Hospicecare, Men in Sheds, Pete’s Dragons, plus  information & conversation points.

 

Opening Ceremony

About Rupert Callender ….

Rupert Callender is a self-taught ceremonial undertaker and writer who has worked in Devon and Cornwall since 1999. Charles Cowling (author of The Good Funeral Guide) described him and his ex-partner Claire Phillips as “the best funeral directors of all time, by a country mile”.

Rupert and Claire pioneered an immersive stripped-back approach, which throws out the usual trappings of a traditional funeral in favour of the shared experience. They have been featured in the work of several authors including Tom Cox, John Doran, Miranda Sawyer and Peter Ross, and spoke about their approach in a TED X talk entitled “Death, Grief, Ritual and Radical Funerals”.

Rupert writes and takes most of the funeral ceremonies himself, and this grew into a wider writing career including performance art rituals. He is currently working in partnership with Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, former members of the KLF, on a project building a pyramid in Toxteth, Liverpool, using bricks containing cremated human remains.

Rupert remains foremost an undertaker working in South Devon, and his company is called The Green Funeral Company.

House of Figs

A collaboration between poet Beth Calverley and musician Bethany M. Roberts. They are the poet and musician in residence at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, where they work closely with palliative care patients. Their al fresco set for Good Grief Weston will intertwine their artforms and professional and personal experiences to provide a nourishing and uplifting experience.

The Poetry Machine: a free poem for you or a loved one

Poet Beth Calverley will be joining us with her magical Poetry Machine. Beth will ask you some gentle questions and weave your words into a typewritten poem to take away with you. This might be a celebration of someone special in your life, or a treat for yourself.

Listen out for the clatter of her vintage typewriter and look for the machine’s bright yellow umbrella, flagpole and bubble engine. Take part on your own or bring any pals or loved ones. Pop by Grove Park on 8 May and sign up on Beth’s chalkboard. Spaces tend to fill up fast, so we recommend getting your name down early.

“Beth has the innate ability to capture a feeling and make you feel safe within it. If poetry could hold your hand, this is what it would feel like.” – Malaika Kegode

Where We Walked

A tribute to places and people with Paul Blakemore and the local community 

Take a look into six Weston landscapes that carry special memories. Six local people have created photographic portraits of places where they shared fondly remembered walks with beloved pets or people.  Their art will be exhibited alongside their stories, and also printed on postcards that signpost local walking groups and support services.

Thanks to Alliance Homes for supporting this project.

 

Art and craft workshops:

Grief is like the weather – arts + crafts outdoors with Nina Thomas-Bennett

Turn any kind of memorabilia into a wind chime for an outdoor space or window ledge, a sensory reminder that grief changes like the weather.  Bring along your treasured bits and pieces to incorporate.

Weston Re-makes

Be supported by the Weston Re-makes stitchers to create a personal heartsease wild pansy design for a loved one, and sew it onto a miniature hug cushion to take home as a keepsake.  You are welcome to bring pieces of  fabric that hold value for you to incorporate into your design.

Forget-Me-Not

Create your own memorial flower and be part of this large-scale community art installation. 

 

Accessibility:

• Wheelchair accessible
• Disabled parking at Grove Park car park or on street
• Assistance Dogs Welcome