New festival exploring grief launches in 2020

9 December 2019

A new festival to help people talk, think and learn about grief will launch in Bristol next May 2020. Good Grief, Bristol is a week-long festival (11-17 May 2020) that brings together speakers, film screenings, exhibitions, workshops, music, spoken word, a pop-up shop and a Memory Kitchen.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the festival is a collaboration between the University of Bristol and charities, bereavement services and cultural venues across the city. The project is led by the University of Bristol, with partners including St Peter's Hospice, Creative Youth Network, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Arnos Vale cemetery, Off The Record and Winston's Wish.

The festival, taking place during Dying Matters Awareness Week, will involve dozens of scheduled events across the city - including a full weekend of events at Colston Hall, a conference at the University of Bristol and film screenings at Watershed. The initial programme will be announced in late January.

Good Grief is now welcoming applications from organisations and individuals who would like to host community events as part of the festival. Funding is available to support such community events, and interested organisations can find out more at goodgriefbristol.com/community-events/. The closing date for applications is 31 January 2020.

"Grief affects everyone, yet people often don’t know how to react when someone is bereaved, and those grieving can feel isolated," said Festival Founder, Dr Lucy Selman of the University of Bristol’s Palliative and End of Life Care Research Group.

"We're thrilled to bring Good Grief, Bristol to the city. The festival will provide many opportunities to explore this universal human experience, as well as offering unique ways to share stories and remember those who have died."

To find out more visit Good Grief, Bristol

Further information

Dying Matters Awareness Week (11 to 17 May 2020) is a national awareness week that places the importance of talking about dying, death and bereavement firmly on the national agenda.

Background stats:

In the Bristol urban area, over half a million people have been bereaved in the last five years [Sue Ryder (2019) - national survey found 72 per cent had been bereaved in last five years; Population of Bristol urban area 724,000 - Centre For Cities: Outlook Data Tool].

Only 25 per cent of people feel supported following a death (Dying Matters Coalition, 2014) and < ten per cent access professional support (Sue Ryder, 2019).

On average, people experience their first close bereavement aged 20 [Co-op funeralcare, 2018].