Assembling Altars: Creative Bereavement Group

This session is a collaboration between Switchboard's Bereavement Program, offering support groups and 1-1 peer support to LGBTIQA+ people bereaved by suicide, and Positive Living Centre, a safe space and environment for all people living with HIV.

Session

Date: Saturday, 6th of December

Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm AEDT

Location: Positive Living Centre

Facilitator: Hiếu Phùng and June B

About this session:

Holding onto connection after the loss of a loved one can feel challenging. When that loss holds a degree of stigma, that challenge can feel even stronger – we may feel discouraged to talk about those we have lost, or how we may have lost them.

For this session, as part of World AIDS Day programming, Switchboard’s Bereavement Program and the Positive Living Centre are inviting members from our two communities - LGBTIQA+ people who have lost a loved one to suicide and people living with HIV – to come together and take part in activities connected to building an altar in honour of people we have lost.

We want to nurture an environment where we can embrace the concept of continuing bonds, exploring the ways our connections with those we have lost can continue after death, by holding onto memory, keep on sharing about them, and undertaking honouring activities, such as creating an altar.

Activity:

Workshop facilitator Hiếu Phùng will be co-facilitating this session with Switchboard’s Bereavement Groups Facilitator June B. Activities will include collectively building an altar honouring our loved ones and taking part in a creative activity centred on collage that’ll create an object folks can take home for their personal altar.

Altar making has long been a powerful tool to hold, grow, and honour connection. Creating and developing one, especially in relation to a loss that holds stigma, can be a special and precious way to continue bonds with our loved ones.

Who can attend:

This session is open to all LGBTIQA+ people who have experienced a 'stigmatised loss', whether that's to suicide, HIV related causes, or other losses that carry stigma.

Registration:

Places are limited so please let us know as soon as you can if you would like to come along, we will do our best to accommodate everyone.

If you'd like to join other LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced a stigmatised loss and be involved in these creative series, please register via this event. One of our team will then get in contact with you to speak to you further about your interest in coming along.

If you have any questions about the event before you'd like to register please reach out: 0437 918 239 or via email: [email protected]

Bereavement Support:

Switchboard also hold LGBTQIA+ Suicide Bereavement Support Groups, If you'd like to speak with one of our bereavement team about coming along, or had any questions about the groups, please get in touch. You can contact the team via phone 0437 918 239 or via email: [email protected]

About this event:

We acknowledge that our work takes place on lands that are under colonial occupation and that sovereignty has never been ceded. We hope to pay our deepest respects to Boon Wurrung elders, past and present, and wish to extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People across this Country we know as Australia.

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