Grieving Together: Summer Session

Slow down enough to feel with an evening of softness and sorrow in community

“The real madness of our world is that we are not on our knees daily, clawing at the earth and howling to the stars in our grief. Instead we carry on business as usual as though nothing is wrong.” – Jewels Wingfield

Grief has been all around us this summer in the UK, with the seemingly endless heat bringing discomfort, fire, death. We’ve really been feeling the undeniable reminder of the destruction of our world; the fear for our planet, for humanity, for life itself. Grief has been moving in our personal lives too – the bigness of life and loss has not stopped for a summer break.

Our culture tells us that grief is for others, that it’s something to be avoided – and this message can feel especially strong in summer, with all its expectations of fun-in-the-sun, happiness, and social lightness. And so for those of us grieving right now, the summer itself can feel deeply incongruent and painful, tilting us towards numbness and escape, as much as our hearts yearn for hope and action.

At the Slow Work Garden, something we know that helps is gathering in our grief. What if summer could instead be a time when we really get to dance between our joy and our grief? We believe that our grief, when acknowledged and tended to together, can be a truly creative and connecting force that allows us to explore the deeper parts of ourselves, access our soul-work, and reshape the ways we understand and move in the world.

And so we invite you to join us in a beautiful community garden in Maze Hill for:

• Poetry & Song
• Nature connection
• Communal grief rituals
• Embodiment practices
• Food & fire

When

Thursday 6th August, 5.30-8.30pm:

• Arrive from 5.30pm for a soft beginning
• Main session 6-8pm
• Food, fire and finishing by 8.30pm

We’ll provide some delicious veggie/vegan snacks and salads to share
Feel free to bring food offerings for the table

Where

Plot 9 Maze Hill, (Opposite) Leamington Court, Restell Close, London SE3 7RD

Plot 9 is a beautiful community garden and gathering space, a short walk from Maze Hill Overground Station. We’ll be outside, so we recommend dressing comfortably for the weather on the day. There are plenty of covered spaces that will shelter us from sun or rain, and there’ll be a selection of blankets for use if needed. We’ll also have a fire later in the evening in the main gathering space.

Tickets

We’re offering tickets on a donation basis, with the aim of being able to cover the cost of running the event with any excess going towards funding bursary places on our upcoming action inquiries. We ask you to self-select a ticket price that honours your capacity, and doesn’t leave you feeling resentful. Here is some guidance:

• £20 – abundance ticket / high income
• £15 – standard ticket / medium income
• £10 – reduced ticket / low income

We do not want cost to be a barrier, and you will be very welcome if you are unable to purchase a ticket at all – just select the £0 option.

Accessibility

The garden access is via a narrow gate and some steps, and the garden itself is on a few different levels. There’s a compost loo, and bench and cushion seating. We’re adjacent to the platform at Maze Hill station, so there’ll be some noise from the occasional passing trains. The garden is spacious, with different parts to explore, so it’ll be easy to find a moment by yourself if you need one. All participation is optional, and we ask you to take care of yourself by opting out at any point if you need to. You can also reach out to Lucy and Christina on the night or afterwards.

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What are you ready to release as nature begins to turn towards the dark half of the year?