Sunday 2nd November,
11am to 3pm
Holywell Community Centre,
Chaffinch Ln, Watford WD18 9QD
Companion Voices is hosting our first ever End of Life Fair. Book your free place here.
This event offers a safe space to talk about death, grief and loss, with opportunities to learn, share, and connect with the local Watford community around a difficult topic, however it might affect you, whether personally or in your profession.
You are invited to attend talks and participate in our guest workshops around processing death and grief through art, writing, creativity and physical movement.
Your hosts, Companion Voices will also present their work singing at bedsides to those at the end of life during the course of the day and at an afternoon workshop.
Guest speakers and workshop leaders
Natalia Millman
Artist, Holding Space Through Colour and Words
Simple practices for connection and self-expression
nataliamillmanart.com
This workshop offers a gentle and creative space to explore emotions through colour, words, and simple practices of reflection. We’ll begin with a grounding breath-and-drawing exercise, then move into colour-based prompts that invite you to explore grief, comfort, hope, and joy. Together, we’ll shape small clay “word pebbles” and finish with a short visualisation to close the session.
No art skills are needed — this is not about technique or final result, but about expression, connection and process. The space is relaxed and non-judgemental, with sharing always optional. Each contribution will be gently honoured within the group.
Nicola Duffell
Life Mentor, Grief Tender + Soul Activist
Liberation through grief
nicoladuffell.com
Together we will explore the landscape of grief, how it impacts us and our bodies. We’ll look at how grief is the undercurrent of our times and what medicine is needed. Rather than something to be fearful of, or hidden in the shadows we’ll explore grief as the necessity it is. How it can give us so much more than we can imagine.
Bring your journals as we’ll be doing some writing practices together.
Judith Silver with Companion Voices
Bedside singing for people at the end of life
companionvoices.org
This workshop will give people a taste of Companion Voices, to hear us and find out more about what we do. The participants may also be invited to learn a simple song and sing along with us if they wish.
As well as this workshop, we will be sharing songs throughout the day with short singing demonstrations. See timetable below for details.
Carolyn Ashby
Yoga teacher
Supporting the grief process through yoga.
Carolyn will lead a workshop inviting everyone to do some very gentle chair yoga and breathwork.
She will also speak about how yoga helped her to navigate the passing of her parents.
Plus stalls and staff from local community organisations.
Please click here to book tickets
This is a free event. Free refreshments will be provided (thanks to our Coop funding and catered by The Croxley Kitchen).
Event schedule
Workshops (Small Hall)
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 11:15 — 12:15 | Explore grief and loss through art – Natalia Millman (Artist) – (Maximum: 20 people) |
| 12:30 — 1:15 | Liberation through grief – Nicola Duffell (Life Mentor, Grief tender & Soul Activist) (Maximum: 20 people) |
| 1:30 — 2:15 | Bedside singing for people at the end of life – Judith Silver ( Founder/Director of Companion Voices) and Companions (Maximum: 20 people) |
| 2:20 — 2:45 | Supporting the grief process through yoga – Carolyn Ashby (Yoga teacher) (Maximum: 30 people) |
Presentations and Talks (Large Hall)
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 11:00 | Information fair opens |
| 11:15 – 11:30 | Companion Voices welcome singing (lobby) |
| 11:30 – 11:40 | Welcome to the End of Life Fair – Judith Silver Companion Voices Founder Deputy Mayor Councillor Aga Dychton |
| 11:45 – 12:00 | Why is it so hard to talk about death, dying and grief? – Amanda Roberts BEING MORTAL |
| 12:15 – 12:30 | Songs from Companion Voices (location TBC) |
| 12:30 onwards | Lunch available |
| 12:10 – 12:25 | Hospice care is more than you think – Alison May, Senior Community Engagement & Development Manager and David Kelly (Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care) |
| 12:30 – 12:40 | Break for conversation, refreshments, quiet reflection |
| 12:45 – 1:00 | Community singing and grieving – The Rev Professor June Boyce-Tillman MBE Professor Emerita of Applied Music, University of Winchester, Extraordinary Professor North West University, South Africa This presentation will examine the value of communal singing, where this sits in contemporary culture and how this has affected traditions around death and dying. It will approach this from a variety of cultural traditions – past and present – and give small case studies of the possibilities including the use of a variety of sounds both in the context of rituals and outside of them. |
| 1:10 – 1:25 | From Death to Burial: an Islamic perspective Mr Hafiz Habib |
| 1:15 – 1:30 | Songs from Companion Voices (location TBC) |
| 1:30 – 1:45 | Break for conversation, refreshments, quiet reflection |
| 1:45 – 1:55 | The Power of Healing Touch – how holistic treatments, like massage or reflexology, can help with the grieving process – Andrea Chishti Equilibrium – Holistic Treatments for Women + Babies (massage and reflexology treatments) |
| 2:00 – 2:15 | Supporting the grief process through yoga – Carolyn Ashby |
| 2:20 – 2:35 | Death café, a winning formula – Martine Collumbien |
| 2:40 – 2:45 | Closing and Thanks |
| 2:45 – 3:00 | Farewell: Singing together with Companion Voices |
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