Thank you to everyone who joined us for Good Grief Hastings. Watch our short film to look back at the festival and discover the conversations, creativity and community that made it so special.
Festival in numbers
What happened…
Good Grief Hastings brought together more than 3,500 people over four days for a programme of talks, performances, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and shared creative experiences across Hastings and St Leonards. Alongside the public programme, an extensive community outreach programme engaged local schools, charities and community groups through creative workshops exploring memory, storytelling, movement, songwriting, poetry and making, ensuring the festival was shaped with the community as well as for it.
From nationally recognised speakers and artists to community-led activities, the festival invited people to explore grief, love and loss in ways that felt welcoming, accessible and meaningful. Whether joining a conversation, making something by hand, experiencing live performance or simply spending time with others, people were encouraged to take part in whatever way felt right for them.
Produced by 18 Hours in partnership with St Michael’s Hospice Hastings & Rother, Good Grief Festival CIC and the Universities of Brighton and Bristol, Good Grief Hastings formed part of the Coastal Community and Creative Health research project. The festival brought together arts organisations, healthcare providers, researchers, community groups and local people, demonstrating how creativity can reduce isolation, encourage open conversations around grief, and build stronger, more connected communities. The festival was supported using public funding from Arts Council England, the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the Coastal Community and Creative Health project, and Hastings Borough Council, with additional support in-kind from project partners.
“There was a real sense of togetherness throughout the weekend. Seeing Hastings audiences embrace the festival with such warmth and openness made clear how valuable it is to create space for these conversations in ways that feel creative, welcoming and rooted in community.”
Dr Mandy Curtis, Director of 18 Hours
“The whole event was such an eye opener. Thank you for bringing such an important topic to our town.”
“I’m not yet ready to share my grief communally but this exhibition has meant I can connect with my own
experiences.”
Looking forward
Good Grief Hastings showed what can happen when creativity, conversation and community come together. Throughout the festival there was a genuine sense of openness, connection and togetherness, creating welcoming spaces where people could explore grief, love and loss in ways that felt meaningful, supportive and hopeful.
The festival has laid strong foundations for the future, strengthening partnerships between artists, healthcare professionals, researchers and community organisations while opening up conversations that continue beyond the festival itself. We hope Good Grief Hastings will continue to grow, welcoming new audiences and inspiring even more creative ways to connect, reflect and support one another.
If you’re looking for support with grief and bereavement, we’ve gathered local and national organisations that may be able to help.
If you have any queries about this festival, please contact us at office@18hours.org.uk
If you have any queries about bereavement, please contact St. Michael’s Hospice at Bereavement@stmichaelshospice.com
Good Grief Hastings 2026 Programme
Beginning at the Information Kiosk by the old bowling green and finishing at Eat @ The Park Café, this gentle walk follows accessible paths through scenic gardens and woodland. This will be a space for reflection and connection, with the walk offering participants the opportunity to dedicate remembrance ribbons, which will later be displayed on the St Michael’s Hospice Remembrance Ribbon Tree.
– Biggerhouse film
A short film screening followed by a conversation about death, grief and how we talk about loss. This 15-minute film is a collaboration between Biggerhouse Film and adults with learning differences which gently opens up conversations about death and dying. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Stephen Clarke.
– The Community Choir
Join The Community Choir with St. Michael’s Hospice, led by The Music Well, for an uplifting sing-a-long of popular contemporary songs that rank highly in the UK funeral playlists. Whether you’ve experienced grief or not, singing with others promotes connection, community and healing.
Let’s lift the roof in remembrance!
– Prof. Mary Frances O’Connor
When we love someone, they become encoded in our bodies and brains. And so, when they die, we feel this loss in every part of our being. In this session, renowned grief expert and neuroscientist Professor Mary-Frances O’Connor will explore what happens in our brain and body when we grieve, and share some of the ways that we can begin to adjust to our new reality. In conversation with Good Grief Festival Co-Director Dr Lesel Dawson, Mary-Frances will also offer practical tips to help us cope when life is tough and how grief can be a form of learning that offers opportunities for growth and change. Audience members will be able to ask questions.
A new exhibition at Electro Studios Project Space, running throughout Good Grief Hastings, invites audiences to explore grief, memory and the stories we carry through visual art.
Bringing together ceramics, textiles, painting, sculpture and multimedia works, the group exhibition features artists whose practices reflect on remembrance, loss and personal experience through a range of creative approaches.
Featuring artists:
Colin Booth, Lorna Crabbe, Leah Germann, Emma Harding, Justina Kochansky, Luiza Machado, Ruth Tiffany Naylor, Erica Smith, Matthew Stradling, Alexandra Vacaroiu, Sarah Van der Gucht.
– Dolly Delicious & Xena Flame
Meet popular local stilt‑walkers as they roam the town in their moth‑themed costumes.
A welcoming space to talk openly about death, dying and life. Tea, coffee and cake available to purchase. Death Café is an informal gathering open to anyone who wants to share thoughts, questions and experiences around death in a relaxed, friendly setting.
A welcoming community space for all ages, bringing together performances, creative activities, conversation and local organisations to open up discussion about grief, love and loss. Drop in throughout the afternoon for storytelling, singing, movement and making, alongside walkabout performances and puppetry. You might find yourself weaving, sharing stories or simply pausing for conversation.
The Marketplace also brings together organisations, practitioners and makers offering information, support and conversation around grief, loss and wellbeing. You will also find local doulas, celebrants and funeral directors sharing insight into the support they offer, alongside handmade ceramics, candles and other crafted objects created locally.
Stade Hall
The Thing About Goats – Baby Panda
A playful puppet show for younger audiences exploring loss and new beginnings, followed by a hands-on bell ringing workshop.
Ashes to Admin – Evie King
A talk by writer Evie King, whose book Ashes to Admin draws on her work arranging council funerals for people with no family or funds. Through stories from the front line, she explores the practical and human realities of death and remembrance.
Singing for Wellbeing workshop – Soundcastle
Soundcastle are bringing a dynamic Singing for Wellbeing workshop to Good Grief Hastings. Join them to explore how you can use your voice to support yourself and those around you. No singing experience required! All welcome.
Tai Chi – Lou Requena
A gentle Tai Chi session using slow flowing movement and breath to support grounding, release and quiet resilience for those navigating grief and loss.
Stade Open Space
The Griefcase – Ben Watson
Join Keith, the Minister of Grief, on a walkabout storytelling adventure for all ages. Follow clues, gather lost words and help piece feelings back together.
Hodman & Sally – The Flying Buttresses
This world famous act, featuring two tiny backpackers, has delighted audiences at festivals and events all over the globe with its quick witted comedy and enchanting illusion. Using storytelling, puppetry and improvisation, characters ‘Hodman and Sally’ will melt your heart. These adorable explorers are on a mission to discover all they can about the outside world.
The Story Collector – Out of the Bag Theatre
Encounter the Story Collector and her cart of objects, words and images. Share a memory or add your own story, discovering how small moments can hold deeper meaning.
Silent Disco – Freedom Dance
Get lost in music whilst dancing with others at Freedom Dance Silent Disco. Movement and dance give the opportunity to release tension and shake out feelings whilst listening to music that connects us to our memories.
Singing for Wellbeing workshop – Soundcastle
Join a shared singing session celebrating the power of voices coming together, creating connection and collective expression through song.
Gato Negro (Black Cat) – Gabriela Cespedes
A one-to-one miniature puppet performance set inside a tiny theatre. Black Cat, by Gabriela Cespedes explores the moment of passage from life to death. That intimate and peculiar moment of the last breath, when organic life ends.
Weaving a Colourful Life – Claire Buckley
Contribute to a collaborative weaving project exploring colour, memory and connection. Participants are invited to weave colours that remind them of loved ones and meaningful moments in their lives.
– Double Elle Productions
Written by Lucy Pappas and Lisa Harmer, and performed by Deborah Kearne and Lisa Harmer, Departure Lounge follows two sisters who navigate grief, memory and family tensions, blending humour, honesty, song and movement to explore relationships and celebrate life alongside loss. The performances are followed by a Q&A.
– Bev Lee Harling
Singer, songwriter and storyteller Bev Lee Harling presents an evening of story and song exploring memories of life with her father and the bittersweet realities of dementia and his end of life. Blending original music with country classics, this intimate performance reflects on family, memory and the enduring power of music.
– with Sue Mann (Hastings Runners)
Join Sue Mann and others for a friendly 5k run along the seafront, followed by an optional reflective talk on running through grief (see event below).
– A talk with Lisa Jackson
Writer and runner Lisa Jackson shares her personal story of grief after her husband of 30 years died, followed in quick succession by her sister and father. In this honest and hopeful talk she reflects on how running helped her navigate loss and find a way forward, and how it became part of rebuilding a joyful and purposeful life. Followed by book signing with books available to purchase.
– Comperéd by Ben Watson
An afternoon of spoken word compéred by local favourite Ben Watson. Open to the public to come together and share their creative exploration of love and loss.
Storyteller Raven Hurste will begin the afternoon with their story The Keepers of Hearts, a faerie story in rhyme which is set in Hastings Old Town in 1850. Community members, including Warming Up The Homeless, who have been part of creative outreach workshops will also bring songs, poems and performances to share.
– Joseph Coelho
Using his book ‘If All the World Were…’, former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho will do a gentle reading for families accompanied by sound. This will be followed by the opportunity to make a small memory book together to take away.
Storytelling and Clay-making Workshop
– Xanthe Gresham-Knight
“When my mother died, I immersed myself in two things: the Greek myth of Ceres and Kore and old cine films.”
Storyteller Xanthe Gresham leads an evening of storytelling performance, song and film followed by a clay making workshop inspired by the Sheela Na Gig symbol and Neolithic Goddess sculpture. Framed around women’s experiences, the show explores the ancient tradition of lament through the lens of personal experience, myth and nature’s ability to move through spirals of grief and renewal.
Image: Alice Denny
Like so many, Dr. Catherine Kelly experienced the healing potential of blue spaces when she turned to the sea to navigate grief following her mother’s sudden death. Join us to share how and why water can help us to cope with bereavement and loss.
Image: Alice Denny
An afternoon of free short films exploring grief, love and loss, created by regional filmmakers. A curated selection will play on a continuous loop, so you’re welcome to drop in at any point. All films will include subtitles. Seating is limited for each viewing, so please keep this in mind when planning your visit.
Soul Films Talk & Film Screening:
Sybil AhMane & Wendy Pye introduce Soul Films – sensitively produced short films that remember and celebrate someone who has died or is nearing end of life
‘Dear Future’ Films, Rebecca Marshall
- ‘Of Dying’ A film-poem
- ‘Bee Fever’ 15min documentary of Angie Biltcliffe using her love of beekeeping as a metaphor to understand death and the cycle of life
- ‘Belonging’ Four film-poems filmed throughout 2024 about the cycle of life and finding a sense of belonging in the seasons
Young People’s films
Young filmmakers responding to the festival themes of grief, love and loss, in partnership with Talent Accelerator, De La Warr Pavilion
– Rebecca Marshall
‘Bright Hollow’ is a tender, luminous meditation on grief as a journey – an ode to resilience, collective spirit, and the healing found in coming together.
Join us for a unique outdoor arts experience by the sea, bringing together film poetry, spoken word, live music and a fire-sculpture in a shared, gentle journey, featuring artists such as Rebecca E Marshall (Dear Future Films), Clare Whistler (Collaborative artist/performer), Leigh Dyer (metal sculptor), and Joanna Lawrence (composer).
This special promenade event invites audiences of all ages to become part of a ‘pebble orchestra’ as we take a slow walk along Winch Road, passing lines of poetry, and will conclude with live music and a fire sculpture by the shore.