The 'Developing Confident Life Stories' programme
Developing Confident Life Stories about Child Bereavement: Normalising and Supporting Bereavement Experiences Through Storytelling and Comics
The 'Developing Confident Life Stories' programme explores the impact of bereavement on young people aged 12–18 years, supporting them to construct and represent their bereavement stories through the medium of comics, through a series of creative workshops.
Bereavement is a common childhood experience: more than 75% of young people have experienced the death of someone close and this is higher for vulnerable children.
Bereavement may have short and long-term impacts on a child's wellbeing, including psychological health and educational achievement.
Recent Scottish policy emphasises developing discourse and support around bereavement: yet, a culture of not talking about the issue remains.
Comics are an ideal medium for storytelling as the combination of image and text generates creative responses to physical and mental health issues.
The process of creating and reading comics helps generate confident life stories: a key component in building resilience.