Collective Meaning Making through Creativity & Ceremony

Inclusive Grief Circle: Honouring Loss Through Ceremony, Community & Creativity

Mon, Jun 29 · 6:30 PM AEST

CERES, Lee St, Brunswick East, AU

Read reviews from past participants here

“Grief has never been private, it has always been communal.
Subconsciously, we are awaiting the presence of others, before we can feel safe enough to drop to our knees on the holy ground of sorrow. For the most part, grief is not a problem to be solved, not a condition to be medicated, but a deep encounter with an essential experience of being human. Grief becomes problematic when the conditions needed to help us work with grief are absent.” - Francis Weller

Our primary association with grief is the loss of a loved one but there are so many kinds of losses that don't have formal ceremonies that are important to honour. Unprocessed grief can accumulate in weight, dulling our senses and capacity for aliveness.

This is a safe, supportive space for all shapes, sizes and textures of grief- for the loss of our loved ones, for the childhood we did not get to have, for the parts of ourselves that have been rejected and exiled, for friendships and relationships with ambiguous endings, for homes and communities we are distanced from and miss, for the suffering of the world and our fellow beings.

This inclusive grief circle is also an advocacy for compassionate and attentive grief work, for reshaping our understanding of and relationship with grief. It is a holding space, a container, a time and a deep permission to acknowledge our emotions, our connections, the ways we have been touched and transformed, and our humanity.

We will make art in response to the Artist Grief Deck, participate in a burning ritual, share and witness each other’s stories and journeys, and co-create a group nature mandala together.

Please bring a jar and 8-10 similar natural objects (8 flowers or 8 sticks or 8 stones).

If you are facing financial hardship, please key in CONCESSION as a promo code for a discounted price of $25. If that is still difficult, please email me at greenhouse.arttherapy@gmail.com. No one will be turned away.

Please also note:

• This is an art-therapy informed community-based creative gathering, and is not intended to replace individual or group therapy, and is also not for emergency crisis support or intervention.
• If you are comfortable with me taking photos of you and/or your artwork for my learning and supervision purposes, and to offer others a sense of what the workshop is like, please let me know at the start of the session. Your participation would be greatly appreciated!
• While the estimated time is 2 hours, it might overrun depending on the size of the group and the conversations we are having so please allow some grace for that.

Eternal Song Film Screening & Discussion

Sat, Jul 4 · 6:00 PM AEST

Ceres Learning Centre, Cnr Stewart and Roberts Streets, East Brunswick, AU

Please get tickets here

“Liberation and mental health are intertwined, and we must be the healers who stand for both… Let us unite, as healers and defenders of human rights, to bring about a world where mental health is synonymous with justice and liberation.”
—Dr. Samah Jabr, Psychologist & Author

This is a community film screening ceremony, for us to gather, slow down and approach the viewing as a shared act of attention. After the screening, there will be a guided discussion for anyone who would like to share about their experience and reflections, followed by a fire circle. 🔥
We will have two special guests, environmental educator Clancy Lester and Yorta Yorta Barapa Barapa trainee ecologist Kai Lane.
All net proceeds go to supporting the filmmakers, and two Indigenous-led projects: Trauma-Informed Healing at We Al-li, and Healing Spaces for Men Experiencing Homelessness at The Barracks. Donate to them directly and read more about their work here.
~
Please be advised that the following film contains images and/or audio of deceased persons and stories of sexual abuse.

The Eternal Song, the first in a 12-film documentary series, is a cinematic journey through timeless lands and Indigenous cultures. Voices from across generations and traditions invite us to witness the enduring scars of colonization on lands and peoples, and the healing pathways carried through ancestral wisdom.
Entrusted with medicine stories, the film grapples with colonial legacies, intergenerational trauma, and the culture of separation that fragments our lives.
The film reveals how modernity severs our connection to nature, each other, and the ancestral realm, while feeding us empty promises of salvation, unlimited consumption and economic growth, and individual happiness.
As we are drawn into the intricate web of kinship and honoring the living presence of Mother Earth, we awaken a deeper remembrance. A sacred dance comes to life and we begin to hear the eternal song of Life itself, calling us back to belonging.

You can watch the trailer here.