The Ones We Lost Along The Way

I am doing my final major project for my MA degree. It will be an exhibition called “The Ones We Lost Along the Way”, which will employ a creative process to help people remember a loved one lost to suicide.

The intention of my project is to raise awareness for those who have and are suffering with mental health problems, striving to highlight the importance of suicide prevention and support for families bereaved by suicide. Two years ago I lost my father to depression. I learnt that too often those lost to suicide are remembered for the act and not the lives they have lived.

I am asking families and friends of those lost to suicide to send me a digital photograph by email of their lost loved one, and a happy memory they have of them. Their portrait will be exhibited along with their shared happy memory. The portrait will then be gifted back to the families at the conclusion of the exhibition.
The exhibition will be at the end of September at Manchester School of Art.

The final idea will be a portrait of each lost one made out of words, these words/sentences will be what taboos they and your family have faced with regards to depression and suicide. These will hopefully be provided by you.
There will also be a book, like a photo album, that I will have made myself, with all the original photographs provided by the families, and the happy memory next to them. I will gift a book to each of the families after the exhibition.

If you feel it is right for you (and/or) your family to participate then please contact me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Jacenta