A Suicide Memorial Quilt created through HUGG creative workshops will be presented as a poster at the European Grief Conference 2026 in Porto, Portugal, this September.
The poster, Harnessing Meaningful Memories After Suicide, explores how creative, community-based activities can offer another way for people bereaved by suicide to connect, remember and express their grief.
The European Grief Conference brings together researchers, practitioners and educators from across Europe. They share learning and explore effective approaches to grief and bereavement care.
HUGG’s poster has been accepted under the conference’s Level 2 practice theme. This theme focuses on providing services in volunteer and community settings.
Remembering through creativity
Grief after suicide can be overwhelming. Finding ways to remember someone who has died can be an important part of navigating life after loss.
HUGG wanted to explore whether a creative activity could provide people with another way to engage with their grief and connect with others who understand suicide loss.
Through three creative workshops, participants created 78 individual felt squares, each representing a loved one who died by suicide. Together, these individual pieces became a memorial quilt — a collective artwork that holds many individual stories of loss and remembrance.
The workshops were supported by an artist, a professional facilitator and two trained HUGG volunteers with lived experience of suicide loss.
Exploring new ways to provide support
HUGG’s existing peer support groups provide a structured space for adults bereaved by suicide to connect with others with lived experience.
Creative workshops offer another way to make that connection.
Not everyone will want to attend a support group. People may also engage with support differently at different stages of their bereavement. By offering a range of opportunities — from peer support groups and HUGG Walks to creative activities — HUGG can continue exploring what helps people feel connected and supported.
This is an important part of developing our services. We want to listen, learn and explore new ways to reach people bereaved by suicide.
Sharing our learning
Presenting the Suicide Memorial Quilt at the European Grief Conference gives HUGG an opportunity to share this experience with an international audience of bereavement researchers and practitioners. It also allows us to learn from approaches being developed across Europe.
The conference has a strong focus on bringing research and practice together. Its programme includes work across community support, bereavement care and innovative approaches to grief.
For HUGG, this is about more than presenting a finished quilt. It is an opportunity to reflect on what we have learned, hear from others and consider how creative and community-based approaches could continue to complement our suicide bereavement support.
Further research is needed to understand the benefits of creative approaches for people bereaved by suicide. However, these workshops have shown us the value of creating different ways for people to remember, connect and find support.
Our poster, Harnessing Meaningful Memories After Suicide, will be presented at the European Grief Conference in Porto in September.