This free online event, held in association with Bereaved Children’s Awareness Week, recognises that children do not forget the death of a loved family member and that being silent does not erase the memory of this individual. This is a lesson the founders of Jacinta’s Smile know all too well having lost three of their own siblings. However, this experience, as tragic as it was, has motivated them to create supports for bereaved children so that they can constructively deal with their grief, lessen feelings of isolation, connect with other young people with similar experiences, and come away feeling secure and focused on their own future.

Join us in a professionally facilitated Zoom session led by Chiara Clear. Chiara is a registered music therapist with both the AMTA (Australia) and IACAT (Ireland). She holds a Master’s degree in Music Therapy from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Chiara is a singer and musician and has played, performed, and recorded a wide variety of music over the past thirty years. She loves strong coffee, cats and living in the countryside in Co. Wicklow! See Chiara's video intro here: https://www.facebook.com/Jacintassmile/

We look forward to having fun making music, inspiring others through the songs we choose to write and unlocking the beauty and emotional intelligence that resonates deep within each of us.

*To join in these music sessions you do not need to know how to play an instrument or how to sing. As long as you enjoy music, this is for you!

• Session 1, Age 7 – 10: Saturday 27 November, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. (~ 45 minutes)

Children in this age group will meet other kids and have fun music making and music listening. You’re welcome to bring your own instrument, a toy instrument, or a handmade instrument from home if available. Also, we’ll be doing some drawing, so please bring some pieces of blank paper and some crayons/markers if you can. Parents are welcomed to stay in the same space if they wish although the main participants will be the children.

• Session 2, Age 11 – 14: Saturday 27 November, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (~1 hour)

Kids in this age group will meet other peers and connect over music making, music listening, and writing songs. Please bring some pieces of blank paper and a pencil if you can for the song-writing element of this session. All participants are invited to bring along an instrument if there is one available.

• Session 3, Age 15 – 17: Sunday 28 November, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (~1 hour)

Kids in this age group will meet other teens for music making, music listening and lyric analysis. We will be doing some writing, so please bring some pieces of blank paper and a pencil if you can. All participants are invited to bring along an instrument if there is one available.

*Please note, this event is for young people who have lost a friend or family member over the age of 12 months of age.

Creative Connections is facilitated by Chiara Clear, Music Therapist (pictured above).