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To Absent Friends Evaluation 2017
To Absent Friends is a people’s festival of storytelling and remembrance that takes place across Scotland from 1-7 November each year. It was created by the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care and Good Life Good Death Good Grief to provide people with an opportunity to remember those who have died yet remain important to them.
In 2017, the To Absent Friends festival took place all over Scotland, with public events from Caithness in the north to Dumfries & Galloway in the south, as well as social media and online activity, and private reflection.
Good Life Good Death Good Grief has now produced an evaluation report that summarises and reflects on activity that took place as part of the 2017 Festival.
Key findings include:
- 45 To Absent Friends events took place across Scotland
- 100% of event organisers said they were “extremely” or “quite likely” to hold an event again
- 96% of survey respondents found it helpful to have opportunities to remember those who had died
- 62% said they found being part of a community was one of the most valuable aspects of To Absent Friends
The full report is available for download:
To Absent Friends 2017 Evaluation Report
New palliative care videos
The Primary Palliative Care Research Group at the University of Edinburgh have produced a series of videos for those living with declining health and those friends, family members and professionals caring for them.
The videos are based on detailed research with patients, families, doctors, nurses and other health and care professionals.
How To Live And Die Well provides information about the trajectories of declining health and is useful for those who want to plan ahead and talk with their family or close friends about what’s important for them if their condition worsens. It's available in two formats - one for individual watching, one for group discussions.
The group have also produced Early Palliative Care, a video aimed at professionals explaining the rationale for early palliative care, and Strictly Come Dying, which explains the typical trajectories of declining health through dance.
Click here for links to the videos.
Major new conference announced
In April, Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief and the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care are hosting a major national conference to showcase and explore current thinking and practice relating to public health palliative care in Scotland.
The conference, entitled Everyday Compassion: Supportive responses to dying and bereavement by schools, neighbourhoods and workplaces will bring together experts from across Scotland and the UK. It will be a chance to explore this diverse field from various angles, including sessions focusing on:
- Compassionate Communities
- Death education and bereavement support in schools
- My Power of Attorney Campaign
- Health Inequalities
The programme will feature a high quality line-up of plenary speakers and provide those working in the field with an opportunity to network and share their work with a national audience. The event takes place on Wednesday 25th April 2018 at Renfield St Stephen Centre, Glasgow.
For full programme and booking details click here.
To Absent Friends draws to a close
To Absent Friends has drawn to a close for this year. The festival of storytelling and remembrance ran from 1-7 November, although some events are still taking place into late November.
Activities took place from Caithness in the north to Dumfries & Galloway in the south, as well as online. Highlights included a reception at the Scottish Parliament and a community To Absent Friends supper at Broughton St. Mary's in Edinburgh.
A gallery of photos can be seen on the To Absent Friends site, as well as a full list of festival events.
A report on the festival is being written and will be available shortly, and then planning will start for next year's edition.
To Absent Friends Festival 2017
Preparations are well underway for this year’s To Absent Friends, a people’s festival of storytelling and remembrance, which takes place across Scotland from 1-7 November.
The festival, which began in 2014, gives people across Scotland the opportunity to remember loved ones who have died, through stories, celebrations and acts of reminiscence.
All kinds of different events are taking place across Scotland to mark the occasion. Events already planned for this year include street parties, jazz evenings, coffee mornings, even a barber shop concert with an absent friends theme.
For example in Alloa, lung health support group, Breathe Easy Clackmannanshire will be holding a musical afternoon with Sauchie Community Choir to remember their absent friends.
The Broomhouse Centre in Edinburgh will be remembering their absent friends through storytelling and the creation of a "tree of life" on which to share memories.
Meanwhile in Aberdeenshire, musicians will be gathering at the "Tin Hut" (Gartly Community Hall) for a personal remembrance of their late friend, Keith Cockburn.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is getting involved, with a workshop exploring the To Absent Friends Supper as a means of recreating an evocative opportunity for storytelling and remembrance in the Scottish tradition.
Many people will hold their own private acts of remembrance as well, and the festival provides an opportunity for people to share their tributes on the online Wall of Remembrance, and their songs on the Remembrance Playlist.
November has long been associated with remembrance of the dead, through traditions like Samhain and All Souls’ Day. To Absent Friends is reviving those lost traditions and helping to create new ones, as a way to support active remembrance of dead people. Talking openly about someone who is dead can often cause discomfort or embarrassment, but To Absent Friends wants to change that.
If you're interested in getting involved, the festival website offers plenty of suggestions, from small private acts of reminiscence to larger events in which communities can come together to celebrate the lives of those who have died.
To Absent Friends will take place across Scotland from 1 – 7 November 2017.
This is set to be the biggest year yet, and festival listings can be viewed on the To Absent Friends website. We’re adding to the list every day, so please get in touch if you would like to get involved. If you're looking for inspiration, some ideas are suggested here: Get Involved.
For more information or to take part, contact Robert Peacock on or 0131 272 2735 or find out more via the website: www.toabsentfriends.org.uk
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