Valencia: All Over the Place (Walks & Talks)

Grief & the City... You probably already know if this walk is for you.
Summertime Sadness is not only a cool song, but a real experience...
First summer without someone special, or away from home, etc.
How are you feeling?! Ufff. Hmm. Come along.
It's like, if Love was your personal tour guide...

A pilgrimage mapping laughs, tears, memories, and (un)expected turns.
The city as an exhibition space full of imperfect masterpieces.

This two-hour walkshop will take us through the hidden corners of the City of Arts & Sciences and the adjacent section of the Turia park while introducing a variety of coping techniques, remembrance practices, and stories of resilience. If these walls could talk… these walls would weep. And then, rejoice.

People, pets, places, objects - anything that is loved can be lost.
“If there ever comes a day where we can’t be together, keep me in your heart.”
Winnie the Pooh was right. Our hearts keep memories alive.
And yet, sometimes the heart can feel too small, too fragile.

Can a photograph contain a conversation?
Can a street follow a memory of a laugh?
Can Valencia reunite us with our past love(s) and our present selves?

Many have heard about the Five Stages of Grief:
denial, anger, bargaining, depression & acceptance.
How do we get through each and navigate them all?
How do we honor our connections, let go, and go on?

Attention!
The walkshop is limited to 15 participants. Please, note it is not a substitute for counseling that may be needed in cases of acute grief. If you are experiencing severe loss, you may find this walkshop overwhelming. Please, reflect on your decision to attend. You will not be asked to share any details of your story/process, but there will be voluntary opportunities to do so.

About the Route
Participants will receive the exact starting location information to the day before the event. We will spend the entire time within the City of Arts & Sciences and the adjacent section of the Turia park.

What to bring?
An open mind, a gentle curiosity, your water bottle. Maybe a photo or an artifact that connects you to the grief you’d like to take for a walk. Hydrate!

About the Guides
JANE is a self taught death enthusiast (death doula), who happens to have a masters degree in mental health nursing. After losing a loved one 3,5 years ago, she got a wake up call- nobody, including herself, was ready to support a dying person nor knew how to cope with loss. Now raising death awareness is her daily job, through teaching nursing students, healthcare workers, organizing Death Cafes and writing many… many articles.

ALEXEY is a storyteller who has taught at Academy of Art University (San Francisco) and International Fashion Academy (Paris). He’s guided all kinds of folks through all kinds of pilgrimages from 800 kilometers of Camino de Santiago to the two blocks of Calle Sevilla in Ruzafa. He is also the host of comedy events with @StandupComedyValencia as well as Book Lovers Unplugged, a monthly literary open mic at the only English bookstore in Valencia. Most importantly, Alexey is a fulltime Gemini with ADHD.

About the Cost
This walkshop is FREE to attend. At the end, there will be an passing of the hat so you can make a contribution to keep this work sustainable if you are able to do so at that time.

A perfect summer evening walk full of wow-now moments!
Let's circumnavigate the historical city center along its ancient walls...
Legendary GPS artist YASSAN initiated #CircleWalk tradition for Pi Day
It's a great way to (re)discover Valencia wanderlusting on August vibes!

We'll start at 19:00 at Torres de Serrano and explore the monuments, personalities and history trivia along the way: Turia, Plaza Tetuan, Puerta del Mar, Colon, Estación del Norte, Guillem de Castro, Torres de Quart, muVIM & IVAM museums, etc. Let's discover something new about all the places we've passed by "a million times" ... we'll finish at Torres de Serrano just in time for your late dinner plans or going to see Charlie Chaplin (!) at the summer Filmoteca in the Turia park.

This walkshop is free to join and enjoy. The host will pass the hat at the end for welcome donations, but the point is to enjoy every step.

Alexey's own first Pi Day Circle Walk in 2022 was inspired by GPS art and La Ofrenda, the ritual Offering of Flowers, that takes place during the Fallas festival.

ABOUT THE HOST: Alexey is a storyteller who teaches criticism at Academy of Art University (San Francisco) and International Fashion Academy (Paris). In 2023 he was on the jury of CLEC Fashion Festival, had an art installation in the City of Arts and Sciences and presented a one-man show "No Hablo Espanol" at conFusion Fest. He is also a host of Book Lovers Unplugged, a literary open mic at the only English bookstore in Valencia, and producer of @StandUpComedyValencia. Most importantly, Alexey is a fulltime Gemini with ADHD.

Y'all loved our emergency August show, so here's more August standup!
Stop by Comedy Bar for an airconditioned night of standup with six comedians bringing the heat to the mic 🔥
🎟️ Tickets in Entradium: 7€
Co-production @comedyrocket_ & @standupcomedyvalencia

📍 Comedy Bar, (Calle Campoamor 57, Valencia)
🗓 Thursday, August 21
🕗 Show starts at 20:00 (ish)
🎟️ Tickets in Entradium: 7€

No better way to beat a heatwave than with a few cold drinks and a few hot-take jokes in very good company. Grab your friends and come LOL with us! 🎭🍻
🎟️ Tickets in Entradium: 7€