
We all face loss at some point in our lives. Places and pets, family, and friends. And then there is “the one”.
Getting through it all is complicated. Where do we go to make sense of loss, grief, and bereavement? How can we talk when we can’t find the words? Who listens? How can we help challenge the stigma around the word ‘grief’?
As part of our continuing Compassionate Culture Network (CCN) project, we have partnered with Axis Ballymun in North Dublin to facilitate a safe space for brave and creative weekly conversations about grief and loss.
Aptly titled ‘Deadly Conversation’, this CCN opened in November 2022 and continued until the end of February 2023. Due to public demand, it starts again on Wednesday March 29th 2023 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm and continues on the last Wednesday of every month.
Join an Upcoming Deadly Conversation
It’s free to take part in. Call (01) 883 2100 to book, or just pop in!
But what exactly is a ‘Deadly Conversation’ CCN? Well, it’s a bit like a grief café where we try to remove any fear and anxiety around words such as ‘grief’ and ‘loss’.
Each session is facilitated by two Dublin-based artists who use creativity to try and break through the block some people have when it comes to talking about their grief.
This project was initially supported by The National Lottery, and continues thanks to support from Dublin City Council.
When: The last Wednesday of every month from 1.30pm
Where: Axis, 9 Main Street, Ballymun, Dublin 9
Contact: (01) 883 2100 or just turn up
Deadly Conversations in the Media
Read Patrick Freyne’s The Irish Times piece about Deadly Conversations, published on Saturday March 18, 2023.
Read Emily Hourican’s piece in The Irish Independent, published on March 27. 2023.
We won! Business to Arts Awards 2023
“Out of a field of 124 submissions, ‘Deadly Conversations’ stood out for its provision of support and a space for the community to creatively explore loss and grief.”
We are thrilled ‘Deadly Conversations’ received a €5,000 daa Award at the 2023 Business to Arts Awards in the Best Creativity in the Community category supported by Irish Life. Speaking after the awards, Cathy Burke Head of Internal Communications of the daa said:
“This is our longest-standing partnership and year-on-year we’ve been really excited and energised to watch the artistic community continuously push the boundaries of creativity. Our bursary has creativity at its core and Deadly Conversations opens the door to a space where brave and imaginative conversations about grief and loss can happen. We are delighted that Axis Ballymun is the winner of our award this year.”
The Business to Arts Awards took place on Tuesday, September 12 at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The Awards feature a range of categories celebrating arts sponsorship, commissioning, philanthropy, staff engagement programmes, corporate social responsibility, access programmes, creative community initiatives, and more.
The Best Creativity in the Community Award recognises projects and programmes that work with community groups to address specific issues, encourage community participation, bring new perspectives to creativity, and joy to those who engage with them. Also gratefully received was a limited-edition award sculpture, created by sculptor Chloe Lennon.