Around 4% of people lose a parent by the age of 16 in the UK and nearly one third of students experience a loss of some kind during their studies. Despite this, grief remains a largely unspoken topic across university campuses with students reporting feelings of isolation and a lack of adequate support. The New Normal and The Student Grief Network will work together to co-produce a creative platform to reach students and support them through their most difficult moments.

Those living in disadvantaged circumstances are most likely to experience serious and multiple losses, and are more at risk of negative outcomes, such as struggling with education and employment, self-esteem, risk-taking behaviours, and depression. The impact of the pandemic, along with the rise of suicide rates amongst students, makes this a particularly pressing issue.

This project will bring together 10 students and artists to explore loss and grief through a series of creative workshops aiming to improve wellbeing and motivation amongst participants. Content from the workshops will feed into an online and accessible ‘zine’ (resource) which will present helpful material about grief e.g. reflections, models, creative responses, quotes, and signposting to further support, in an engaging format. This will be widely shared and become an appealing entry point for people making first steps to understand grief and seek support.

Working closely with universities, the ‘zine‘ will be the focal point of a campaign for Fresher’s week in the autumn of 2023 aiming to reach a further 1,000 students. Overall the project will reduce stigma around bereavement on campuses, increase access to support for students and reduce drop-out rates. Longer term, this project will act as evidence of need and interest, and as a springboard for further work and training around bereavement within universities.