The Life After Loss Exhibition, a partnership between Projecting Grief and the Barmby Moor group of churches, will launch at St Catherine’s Church, Barmby Moor, on Saturday, November 23.
The exhibition tells the stories of people finding “comfort, distraction, or hope” in a creative pursuit after losing someone they love, and will run for five weeks.
Funding for the exhibition has come from the Do It For East Yorkshire Community Grant.
Projecting Grief, one of the co-partners behind the exhibition, was begun by photographer Jo Ritchie after her brother Jack died by gambling-related suicide.
After Jack’s death, Ms Ritchie felt drawn to take photographs of people who felt supported by a creative outlet after being bereaved.
Laura McDonagh, whose mother Anne died suddenly in 2019, later joined the project as interviewer and writer to add context to the portraits.
Ms Ritchie said: “There was a point after Jack’s death where I couldn’t imagine picking up my camera again.
“But I found it fascinating and uplifting when I discovered people using their creativity to help them cope.
“We’re not sugar-coating grief, but we’re showing other bereaved people that there’s a community out there looking for comfort in creativity and offering some hope.”
Ms McDonagh added: “We’ve featured rocking horse makers, musicians, podcasters, poets, and more.
“Some of the people we speak to are professional artists, while others are simply doing something creative when time allows.
“With Projecting Grief, we’re saying two things: that creativity is powerful, and that it’s for everyone – not just a select few.”
Three creative workshops, free to attend, are also to take place as part of the initiative.
These include a pottery session at Fangfoss Pottery with Lyn and Gerry Grant on Sunday, November 24.
Attendees will get a chance to have a go on the wheel, and to make a memory tile in honour of someone special.
Also planned is a drop-in Doodle Chat session at St Catherine’s Church, Barmby Moor, with community artist Edek Thompson, on Sunday, December 1 from 2pm to 5pm.
The Doodle Chat is a space to sit and chat while having a go at something creative, from colouring in to collage.
Finally, an embroidery memory hoop session with textile artist Hayley Mills-Styles, also at St Catherine’s, will take place on Sunday, December 8 from 2pm to 4pm.
In the embroidery workshop, participants will create a stitched memory hoop to commemorate an important place or person.
To book a pottery workshop, please email lynandgerry@fangfosspottery.co.uk
To book a Doodle Chat or embroidery session, please email projectinggrief@gmail.com
The art exhibition will run until December 21.
More information is available at www.projectinggrief.com
