{"id":42850,"date":"2025-09-01T16:17:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T15:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suffolkcommunitylibraries.co.uk\/?p=42850"},"modified":"2025-09-01T16:17:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T15:17:48","slug":"new-touchstone-grief-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/suffolkcommunitylibraries.co.uk\/pt\/new-touchstone-grief-project\/","title":{"rendered":"New Touchstone project aims to help people affected by grief"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”19px” text_line_height=”1.3em” global_colors_info=”{}”]By James Powell | 1 September 2025<\/strong><\/em>
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”19px” text_line_height=”1.3em” link_font_size=”19px” link_line_height=”1.3em” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Suffolk Community Libraries is working with a local artist and St Elizabeth Hospice on a new community arts project to help people affected by grief or losing someone through forced migration.<\/p>\n

\u2018Touchstone\u2019 has been designed and led by Suffolk based photographic artist Gillian Allard with funding from The Arts Council England and Suffolk County Council.<\/p>\n

Gillian is working with Suffolk Community Libraries\u2019 Arts Programme and St Elizabeth Hospice\u2019s bereavement service LivingGrief. She has created Touchstone for the forthcoming Platforma Festival.<\/p>\n

Touchstone aims to support people to explore their grief through workshops involving photography, writing, shared storytelling and connection to place.<\/p>\n

The project recently launched with two workshops at Gainsborough Community Library in Ipswich which encouraged anyone who has lost someone to submit a photo of them to then create a meaningful tribute with the photo transferred onto a special memory pebble.<\/p>\n

The workshops are supported by artists and grief professionals who will help those attending write a message in their own words.<\/p>\n

Following the workshops, there will be a chance to visit either Felixstowe or Dunwich beach for a moment of reflection with the specially designed pebble, which will be released onto the beach as part of the art project. After the pebble release and a small exhibition, participants will have a copy of their memory pebble to take home thereafter, to keep forever.<\/p>\n

More workshops are taking place as follows:<\/p>\n