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Exhibition of clay creations: giving voice to bereaved individuals in Portugal (December 2025)

On the 2nd of December 2025 we opened an exhibition of clay pieces created by bereaved individuals, with the intention to bring awareness to grief, to give individuals a voice. The clay creations represented various experinces, emotions and sent important messages to the public, reminding us all that we dont have to grieve in silence, that our feelings are valid. Together as a community we can initiate the healing process and build resilience in adversity. Together we can go through the grieving process. 

The individuals whose clay creations were displayed attended clay workshops held in Laboratorio do Envelhecimento in Ílhavo, Portugal, between June and December 2025, as a part of the community support programme. Individuals had a safe space to share and reflect on their experiences. I designed and delivered these clay workshops as a part of my PhD, while developing a new methodology of support groups for those who are experiencing grief. I hope to help individuals on their journey though grief, because as we all know, life doesn’t ask us what we want. Many bereaved individuals do not have a choice and find themselves to struggle without their loved ones. The bereaved individuals highly benefited from the clay workshops, shared moving stories and explore feelings which they never had a chance to express before. Together as a community they built a space for healing.

The exhibition in Ílhavo will be held till the 12th of December and hopefully will help to bring attention to this important topic, to grief, which still tends to be a taboo in the / our society. Hopefully individuals will feel more compassion towards themselves and others, knowing that they are not alone. 

Thank you very much to all the team in Laboratorio do Envelhecimento in Ílhavo who helped me and who made it possible for me to hold the exhibition and clay workshops for bereaved individuals.

“Grief breaks the heart but love keeps it beating”

Clay workshops for bereaved individuals in Ílhavo, Portugal (June-December 2025)

When hands shape what the heart feels….

As a part of my PhD project, I was invited to work in Portugal earlier this year. One of the cities in which I worked with bereaved is Ílhavo, Portugal. Specifically, my clay workshops were delivered in the Laboratorio do Envelhecimento, where I held workshops once a week.

I consider the clay workshops to be a safe space for bereaved individuals to explore and express their feelings, either through words, through hands, while working with clay, or alternatively, through both. I aim to convey that together as a community, individuals who go through grieving process may heal and build resilience.

Holding the clay workshops and receiving feedback allowed me to design the specific structure of the workshops, to develop my new methodology, to observe what it is that bereaved individuals need, want and wish for. Importantly and interestingly, working with bereaved individuals in Portugal enabled me to observe some of the cultural differences, some of the specific ways of grieving in Portugal and in England and how these may differ. Delivering clay workshops was also a fantastic opportunity as I had a chance to collect data, to carry out a pilot study, focusing on interrelation between culture, grief and clay work.

The bereaved individuals in the Laboratorio do Envelhecimento created a safe space in which healing occurred. Some of the individuals decided to share important stories while others gave themselves and others the opportunity to visit some of their feelings and memories, even for the first time. Sharing with others in the group provided a source of great support, as individuals discovered that they are not and importantly, do not have to be alone. This is important as the idea of having to or of ‘I should….’ is (sadly) still adopted sometimes. Some of the individuals were coming to the workshops to create, to listen but still decided to stay silent, exploring their inner self in the own time and pace, which is welcome too. Together, the individuals explored and worked with grief, they communicated through not only words, but also through clay work. The clay creations represented important experiences which the individuals (still) carry in their hearts.

Clay workshops for bereaved individuals in Albergaria-a-Velha (June-December 2025)

How do we get a chance to heal if many of us still believe that we should grief in silence…

During my work in Albergaria-Velha I encountered and worked with individuals who experienced many different losses. Some of them lost their spouse, their children, while others lost homes, pets and also, their independence. While working with the group, I observed how clay work aids to express and to communicate one’s stories; for some, it was the very first time they decided to share some of their feelings, bereavement, their grief. They were able to open up and to share their inner most selves. Clay work helped to get closer to oneself, to see what is it that one goes through..or… went through. It was quite interesting to see that some of the bereaved individuals were rather sceptical in the begging, hesitating, not quite understanding how could these two go together: “clay and grief?” How?

After and while working with clay, in each workshop, it was evident that individuals felt comfortable enough to listen to another and to share. They built a safe space. Listening to others helped to gain new perspectives, to experience less loneliness and to feel a sense of community. The magic of clay work was explored over time and the bereaved individuals found it beneficial. I witnessed tears, confusion, despair, but also plenty of laugh. Laughing was a big part of our workshop, later, after some time, which was amazing to see. The individuals created space in which anything that needed to be express was expressed. Together, they helped each other to make sense of what happened.

We must remember that together, as a community, we can go through the grieving process. It is not about getting over the grieving process..as we probably all know, it is about learning to go through it. To ‘dance’ through it. Together, though clay work, the individuals in Albergaria-a-Velha managed to experience sense of belonging, which further helped them on their precious journeys.

“Walk on with hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone.”

Conversation about grief, creativity and the role of cultural background for Compassio in Porto (October 2025)

On the 13th of October we connected online to talk about grief, creativity and the role of cultural background. As these are the topics which I’m currently exploring and focusing on with my PhD, it was a pleasure to present these and to emphasise the role of art and culture when exploring and considering grief. It was a great opportunity to share my knowledge, to bring attention to grief and to hear important stories, new perspectives and to explore more about what people think about the situation, regarding their grief and support available in Portugal. It was a pleasure to talk for Compassio, a non-profit organisation in Porto, who has been doing a very important job, helping many people in Portugal.

What do you think about creativity in bereavement? And have you ever even considered the importance of one’s cultural background when talking about grief?

Presentation at the University of Aveiro at the CIDTFF Forum (July 2025)

In July 2025 I had a pleasure to present my work at the University of Aveiro at the CIDTFF (Research Centre on Didactics and Technology in the Education of Trainers) in Portugal. I presented my PhD project in which I focus on developing a new methodology of support groups for individuals who are going through the grieving process.

I presented the potential of and the importance of clay work in bereavement. I shared my knowledge and put emphasis on bringing attention to grief. As I always say, we should know that we do not have to grieve in silence, we should all be able to get help when needed, we should know there is a compassionate space for our pain. For me, it was and still is very interesting to see the cultural differences between England and Portugal.

At the CIDTFF Forum I was also able to meet professors from the University of Aveiro who also shared their important work and project. Their presentation helped me to gain new understanding of various topics and reminded me the importance of collaborations. Together, we can learn and develop.

Clay workshops for bereaved individuals in Albergaria-a-Velha (December 2025)

Sometimes the words are not enough, sometimes it seems impossible to find any words at all, and at other times, words are explored. Clay work helps with finding words and provides a new, innovative method of self expression, a new method of expressing grief.