September in Review + Coming Up
September is flying by. So much is unfolding as the seasons move us from the abundance and warmth of summer to the cooler, longer nights of autumn. I’ve been listening to a lot of Frazey Ford this month, a perfect voice to accompany the many evenings of work planning, writing and creating over the past several weeks.
At the monthly Craft & Chat session at Weston Artspace we completed our 52 Meditations on Mortality community art project, now being prepped to be exhibited at the Memento Makers Art Exhibition and Open Day next month.
And I officially opened submissions for local artists to submit work to be exhibited alongside it, so please do consider submitting something, or share with your artsy friends and encourage them to join us in exploring themes of grief, loss and legacy in all their forms in this exciting exhibition as part of the Good Grief Festival taking place 15th - 18th October.
In addition to the Memento Makers workshops and exhibit, there’s tons of amazing speakers, workshops, performances and other activities happening throughout the festival across Weston-Super-Mare and beyond, so definitely check it out.
The Autumn Equinox Gathering last Sunday was just the kind of chilled evening in a woodland, by the beach, with a group of lovely humans that I needed. As always I wrote about our gathering here and I’m very excited to announce that registrations have now opened for the much anticipated Samhain Gathering which will be held once again at the wonderful Front Room WSM on Sunday, 1st November.
You can find all the details here. Spaces are limited and they will go quickly, so please do reserve your spot sooner rather than later if you plan to join us for this extra special gathering of remembrance.
Keep reading for more information on upcoming events and gatherings in October and ways to stay curious, creative and connected with This Mortal Life as we move towards the darker months of the year.
You’re Invited
Our next seasonal gathering is coming up on Sunday, 1st November. Our flagship seasonal gathering is our largest gathering of the year; a festival of remembrance to share a community dinner and honour the memory of those no longer sitting at the table with us.
Grief is something to be acknowledge, and here we make space for it. There will be chances to dip into reflective activities, explore themed discussion prompts, and share creativity in our open-mic style circle, whether that’s a poem, reading, song, or story. The night will be a collaboration of connection and creativity, and you’re warmly invited.
Spaces are limited, so if you’re keen to be a part of this special evening, register and save your seat at the table.
Full details can be found here.
Memento Makers Workshops
As part of Good Grief Weston in October I’ll be facilitating two workshops open to adults of all ages to explore the meaning of remembrance and legacy in our lives. Items created in these workshops will be exhibited as part of the Memento Makers Art Exhibition at Weston Artspace on Sunday, 18th October. The first workshop on 4th October is fully booked, but there are still spaces available for the Make Your Own Framed Remembrance Artwork session on Sunday 10th October. Find all the details and how to register here. And here are some slides I shared on the socials this week to inspire ideas for how to make your own. Honour a loved one, or perhaps someone you just really admired (goodbye, Dolly, we miss you already!).
Become a Memento Maker
We're inviting local artists and creatives of all kinds to contribute a piece of work exploring the themes of memory and legacy.
Your work might ask:
How do we remember our people?
What memories do we choose to hold onto?
What does legacy mean to you?
What traces do we leave behind?
How can creativity help us remember, honour or make meaning from loss?
We're open to art in all its forms; from painting, photography and illustration to sculpture, textiles, collage, poetry and other creative responses. You don't need to be a professional artist. You simply need something to say about the themes this exhibition explores.
Exhibition requirements:
Deadline for submissions: 15th October
Size/scale: maximum A3
Table displays for 3D submissions (ceramics, sculpture, etc.) and 2D art must be framed or on canvas with D rings for hanging.
This is a curated exhibition with limited space. Not all submissions will be included. If you'd like to become a Memento Maker and submit work for the exhibition, contact me here.
Memento Makers Art Exhibition & Open Day at Weston Artspace, Old Town Quarry
Sunday 18 October | 1–5pm
How do we remember the people who have shaped our lives? What do we leave behind when we die? And what does legacy mean to you?
As part of Good Grief Weston, Weston Artspace is hosting the Memento Makers Art Exhibition; an afternoon exploring the connections between grief, memory, creativity and legacy.
Inspired by the Latin phrase memento legatum — remember the legacy — the exhibition asks us to consider how we remember those we've lost, the stories and objects we hold onto, and the traces we leave behind ourselves.
The exhibition will bring together work created through our Memento Makers creative workshops and submissions from local creatives alongside our collaborative community art project 52 Meditations on Mortality.
Come along on 18 October to see what our community has created, discover different perspectives on remembrance and legacy, and perhaps leave thinking a little differently about the marks we make and the memories we carry.
There will be creative activities available to dip into for all ages.
Mortal Companions Virtual UK Peer Space for those who walk close to death.
If you are death aware and work or live closely to death in life, join us for a lightly facilitated space with others who get it. It’s a growing community of people who work in various death aware spaces, such as celebrants, death doulas, hospice workers, grief counsellors, community educators and more. Read more about this peer space and register to attend here for our next meetup on 12th October.
In the Community
Just a few things I’ve seen that I think this audience would also appreciate…
The Common Room in Weston has a brilliant exhibition on at the moment called Car Boot Soul by documentary artist Paul Blakemore - It’s a wonderful exploration of the stories and memories behind the stuff we collect through our lives. You’ll need to follow Common Room on their socials to know when they will be open (times vary, but usually daytime Friday, Saturday and Sunday).
The Awkward Guide to Friendship at the Front Room Thursday 2nd October - House of Figs share their powerful one-act piece navigating the choppy waters of friendship, from platonic meet-cutes to courageous conversations... and beyond. Join poet Beth Calverley and musician Beth Roberts on a voyage through deep friendship feelings, safely afloat in an otherworldly choir of spoken and sung voices.
If you live in Weston and are interested in making more time for creativity or are looking for an artistic home, Weston Artspace runs a variety of regular workshops from life drawing, poetry and comic book drawing to sewing, collage art, screen printing and more. They are most active on Facebook for finding out what’s on, follow them here to find out more.
On the Blog
Share & Connect
If something here resonated, there are a few simple ways to stay connected: come along to an event, share your reflections with me, or pass this newsletter on to someone who might enjoy what we’re creating here. And if you’d like to stay close to the rhythm of things between gatherings, you can find This Mortal Life on Instagram and Facebook, where I share regular reflections and updates.
A Final Note…
Everything I share through This Mortal Life…our gatherings, community conversations, blog posts and resource library, is created with love and a genuine desire to support people as they navigate living, grieving and dying.
This isn't my full-time job or a commercial venture. I create these resources in the spaces around my paid work, my relationships and my own life, and I offer much of it freely because I believe conversations about mortality, community building and a more hopeful future should be accessible to everyone.
That does mean things don't always arrive on a perfectly predictable schedule. The newsletter is monthly, but not always on the same day. Sometimes life asks for my attention elsewhere, and I trust this community will understand. My hope is that what I offer feels thoughtful, generous and worthwhile, even if it's occasionally a little imperfect. Thank you for being part of it, and for helping make this community what it is. Reach out if there’s ever anything you want to chat about.
Receive one email a month with the most recent blog posts and upcoming gatherings and events you want to know about. Sign up to the This Mortal Life mailing list and join our community to stay connected. It’s free, and it’s a lovely community to be connected to. Join us!
